How we ranked them
A resort pool is judged on four things: how much of it there is relative to the number of rooms, how well it is shaded and serviced, whether it offers both a lively end and a calm end, and whether it is actually open to you. Every pool below is guests-only unless noted, and every one runs roughly March to October, with one or two heated pools open in winter at most. Prices for daybeds and cabanas are 2026 ranges from the resorts' own booking pages and change with the date; treat them as a guide and check the resort site. If a party is what you want, this is the wrong page; go to the dayclub guides in the pools and dayclubs hub.
Mandalay Bay Beach
Eleven acres, 2,700 tons of real sand, a wave pool that runs surf sets, a lazy river, a large main pool, a family beach and the adults-only Moorea Beach Club at one end. It is the most complete pool complex in Las Vegas by a distance, and the only one where a family can spend a whole day without anyone getting bored. Concerts are staged on the beach in summer. Access is for guests of Mandalay Bay, Delano and Four Seasons; Luxor and Excalibur guests do not get in despite the tram. Chairs go fast on weekends, so arrive at opening or rent a daybed (roughly $150 to $500) or cabana (roughly $400 to $1,500-plus). Daylight Beach Club sits next door for the party crowd. Full family detail in family pools.
Garden of the Gods at Caesars Palace
Seven pools across five acres in a Roman garden: the central Temple pool, the Neptune pool with swim-up blackjack, the lively Apollo pool, the calmer Bacchus pool, Fortuna for gaming, and the adults-only Venus pool (topless-optional, extra charge). It is grand, well kept and the best example of a complex where you can choose your mood. Guests of Caesars Palace and Nobu Hotel have access. Cabanas are among the most elegant on the Strip and priced accordingly, roughly $500 to $2,000-plus on weekends; daybeds from about $150. The walk from the far towers is long; budget ten minutes.
Bellagio
Five courtyard pools in a Mediterranean garden with citrus trees, fountains and no DJ, plus the adults-only Cypress pool. This is the classic quiet-luxury pool: everyone is a hotel guest, service is attentive and the loudest thing is a splash. It is smaller per room than Caesars or Wynn and fills on weekends, but it never feels like a party. Cabanas run roughly $300 to $1,200-plus, daybeds from around $150, and the Cypress pool has its own premium seating. Guests only. Best for couples, older visitors and anyone who wants to read.
Wynn and Encore
The most beautiful pools on the Strip: deep green landscaping, real trees over the cabanas, immaculate service and a calm, adult atmosphere. Wynn and Encore each have a main pool, and guests can use both; each also has a European (topless-optional) pool, and the Tower Suites at each have private pools of their own. Encore Beach Club is a separate ticketed dayclub on the Encore side, and it is audible from some rooms, so request a room facing away if you want quiet. Cabanas roughly $400 to $1,500-plus, daybeds from about $150. Guests only. Best for couples and anyone who values elegance over waves.
The Cosmopolitan Boulevard Pool
A terrace pool that hangs over Las Vegas Boulevard with a view of the Strip and a DJ on weekends, plus the calmer Bamboo Pool inside. The Boulevard Pool becomes a dive-in movie venue on summer nights and an ice rink in winter, and it is the closest thing to a dayclub atmosphere you can get on a room key alone. Marquee Dayclub is the ticketed version next door. Daybeds roughly $150 to $600, cabanas $400 to $1,500-plus. Guests only. Best for younger visitors who want energy without a cover charge.
Aria
Three large pools on a wide, sunny deck with a party area (Liquid, 21-plus, ticketed on some days) at one end and a peaceful stretch at the other. Aria's deck is the most relaxed of the big MGM properties and rarely feels overrun, partly because Vdara next door has its own pool. Daybeds roughly $150 to $500, cabanas $400 to $1,200-plus. Guests only. Best for groups who cannot agree on a mood; both ends are within a two-minute walk.
The Venetian and Palazzo
A large complex of pools on a deck level above the casino, shared between the two towers and framed by Italianate garden walls. There is space, plenty of shade, a bar and, on weekends, a DJ area, plus a quieter section on the Palazzo side. TAO Beach is the ticketed dayclub on the same level. Because Venetian and Palazzo are one resort, guests of either can use all of it, which is a genuine advantage over the sister-hotel lockouts elsewhere. Daybeds roughly $150 to $500, cabanas $350 to $1,200-plus.
Fontainebleau
The newest big pool deck on the Strip: a vast, tiered layout on the north end with several pools, long rows of daybeds and cabanas, a Miami-inspired look and a lot of white. It is glamorous and spacious, and because the resort is not yet as crowded as the older giants, the chair situation is better than average. A ticketed party pool operates on some days. Daybeds roughly $200 to $600, cabanas $500 to $2,000-plus. Guests only. Best for style-conscious visitors and those staying north Strip. See our Fontainebleau guide.
Choosing between them
- Kids: Mandalay Bay Beach, then Aria or Venetian.
- Couples: Wynn and Encore, Bellagio.
- Groups who want a mix: Caesars, Aria, Cosmopolitan.
- A party without a cover: Cosmopolitan Boulevard Pool, Venetian on a weekend.
- Style and space: Fontainebleau.
For the hotel side of the decision see the hotels hub's best pools page, and if you are not staying at any of these, read day passes for non-guests.
