We know how to handle the cold. The freezing cold. But even in the dead of winter, we deserve a resort-style pool day, if we do say so ourselves.
Here’s the secret: Nab a day pass to one of Chicago’s best indoor pools. With all the chlorine and cocktails, you’ll swear you were in South Beach. Here are four of our favorite spots.
Floor-to-ceiling windows surround the Peninsula’s pool overlooking Michigan Avenue. But you may be more interested in peering at the menu of poolside sips and snacks, which you can enjoy in extra cushy lounge chairs. To get a day pass to the pool, you have to book at least two hours of appointments at the adjoining spa. You are basically required to try the new Bamboo Harmonizer massage and rose pedicure.
108 E. Superior St.; 312-337-2888 or chicago.peninsula.com
Let’s discuss the amenities here. There are herbal and Himalayan-salt-stone saunas, Oriental steam rooms, aromatherapy showers and heated “relaxation recliners.” At the center of it all, a 67-foot pool sparkles beneath a ceiling of starry lights. (Pause for swoon.) Book a treatment at the spa to get all-day access.
330 N. Wabash Ave.; 312-923-9988 or chuanspa.com
With a $25 day pass, you can hide from winter in the hotel’s sauna, use its gym facilities and take a swim in its heated pool. Built in 1929, the pool area has old-school glam like a terra-cotta fountain, Spanish tiles and windows with a fish-scale design. Heads up: The pool is undergoing a renovation and will reopen in early April…which, in Chi-town, could very well still be winter.
505 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-944-4100 or icchicagohotel.com
With a skylight overhead and a bubbling hot tub at one end, the hotel’s indoor pool is 50 feet of vacation vibes, especially when you mix in a great cocktail list. To claim your spot on a striped lounger, book a 50-minute treatment at the on-site spa.
120 E. Delaware Pl.; 312-280-8800 or fourseasons.com