Clarion Hotel Jeddah Airport
The only pool bar you can swim up to near the airport
About this hotel
This is the one hotel in Jeddah on this list with a genuine swim-up pool bar, built into the rooftop deck alongside the pool itself, and it changes the rhythm of an afternoon here more than any other single feature. Guests order a drink without leaving the water, which turns the pool into the social centre of the hotel rather than a quiet lap lane. The free airport shuttle is the other reason people book this one, given the seven-kilometre run to King Abdulaziz International Airport. Rooms are straightforward with minibars, flat-screen TVs and free WiFi, and the breakfast spread runs from continental to full English with halal options throughout. Mall of Arabia and Red Sea Mall are both a manageable drive for an evening out.
- Rooftop pool with swim-up bar
- Free airport shuttle
- Business area on site
- Free private parking
Our take
This is the pick for anyone who wants the swim-up bar experience without a full resort price tag, and the free airport shuttle makes it an easy choice for a short layover-adjacent stay. It works less well for anyone chasing a quiet, kid-free pool deck, since the bar draws a lively afternoon crowd most days.
- ✓Book the airport shuttle a day ahead, it fills up fast around early morning departures.
- ✓Get to the pool bar by early afternoon for a lounger with easy reach of the bar rail.
- ✓Try the full English option at breakfast, it is the strongest of the choices on offer.
Why we love it
- Swim-up pool bar, the only one on this list
- Free airport shuttle, seven kilometres to King Abdulaziz
- Rooftop deck built around the bar and pool together
- Halal breakfast with continental and full English options
Why guests love itThe swim-up bar is what people remember about a stay here, guests floating up to order a drink without climbing out, which turns a normal afternoon pool session into something closer to a small pool party. It is livelier than a quiet lap-pool crowd, so anyone hoping for a silent float should aim for the morning, before the bar opens. The free shuttle to the airport gets steady use too, mostly from guests timing an early swim against a late-morning flight.