London hotels with an indoor pool, compared
The London hotels with an indoor pool on this page sit in a tight West End and Westminster cluster: the Haymarket Hotel next to the Theatre Royal, Corinthia and Raffles at The OWO on Whitehall, One Aldwych on the Strand, and The Peninsula at Hyde Park Corner. For real lengths, The Peninsula's 25 m pool and the 20 m pool at Raffles lead; One Aldwych and the Haymarket both swim 18 m. Children are not welcome at every hour, and that is the detail that separates them for families. Guests rate the five at 9.48 out of 10 on average across 1,741 reviews. None is in East London, Notting Hill or Hammersmith.
London's hotel pools are hidden below street level, and the five here cluster between Hyde Park Corner and the Strand. Westminster and St James's give government buildings, theatres and the Thames within walking distance; Hyde Park Corner gives the royal parks. If your trip is centred on Shoreditch, Notting Hill or the City, none of these five is in those areas, and a central hotel with a pool means a Tube ride each day.
Where to stay
Which pool fits the way you swim
London is an indoor-pool city by necessity: an outdoor hotel pool would be usable only a few weeks a year, so the swimming happens underground, in basement spas. That changes what to compare. Length matters if you swim laps, family swim windows matter if you travel with children, and access rules matter if you are staying elsewhere and only want a swim before the theatre.
Can you actually swim lengths? At The Peninsula, most published descriptions give a 25 m heated pool in the basement spa, the longest of the five and one of the longest hotel pools in the city. Raffles at The OWO follows with a 20 m pool in its Guerlain Spa, alongside a vitality pool, sauna and steam. One Aldwych and the Haymarket both run to 18 m. For a serious morning swim, I would sleep at The Peninsula or Raffles; the 18 m pools work, but the turns come quickly in a long set.
Travelling with children? The rules vary more than the water. The Peninsula sets no children's hours, according to recent reviews, and lends armbands and swimming aids. One Aldwych's 2025 fact sheet lists children's swim times on weekdays from 9 to 11.30 am and 2 to 5.30 pm, and from 9 am to 5.30 pm at weekends. Raffles keeps family swim to 8 to 10 am and 4 to 6 pm. At the Haymarket there is no lifeguard on duty, so children must be supervised at all times. On weekdays, One Aldwych's windows leave the pool to adults over lunch and in the evening, which suits couples.
Which pool is different, not just longer? One Aldwych's 18 m pool is chlorine-free and has underwater music, with sea-life projections on the walls, which makes a swim with children feel like an outing. The Haymarket's pool sits on the lower ground floor under a changing light installation by the artist Martin Richman, with a bar alongside. Corinthia's ESPA Life spa adds a vitality pool with hydrotherapy jets to its pool, for a slower soak after walking the Embankment. Of the five, the Haymarket is the pool I would pick for a slow evening swim rather than a training set.
Close to the Theatre Royal or Trafalgar Square? The Haymarket Hotel stands next door to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, the shortest walk from a pool to a curtain on this page. Raffles at The OWO, in the former Old War Office on Whitehall, is about 300 m from Trafalgar Square, and One Aldwych about nine minutes' walk from it. The Peninsula is the odd one out, at Hyde Park Corner, under a kilometre from Buckingham Palace: better for the parks than for theatreland. Corinthia stands on Whitehall Place, a few minutes on foot from Embankment station and the river.
A traveler's takeFor laps, I would book The Peninsula and swim its 25 m pool before breakfast, accepting that Hyde Park Corner is a walk or a short ride from theatreland. With young children, I would lean to The Peninsula again for its open children's hours, or One Aldwych for the underwater music, timing swims to its children's slots. For a theatre weekend, the Haymarket wins on geography: the Theatre Royal is next door, and the pool is open to a pre-show swim. Raffles is the one I would choose for a quieter 20 m pool and a proper spa.
Indoor poolHaymarket Hotel, Firmdale Hotels
Pool next door to the Theatre Royal
Why guests love itWe booked the Haymarket Hotel around theatre tickets and the pool turned out to be the way to fill the hours before curtain. A swim, then afternoon tea before 16:30, then a short walk to the Theatre Royal next door, the evening fit together without much planning. St James's Park the next morning was an easy five minutes away, and Buckingham Palace only a little further. The Bluetooth Bose unit in the room was a small touch we did not expect but used every evening after the show.
Indoor poolOne Aldwych
Indoor pool and wellness centre nine minutes from Trafalgar Square
Why guests love itWe chose One Aldwych mainly for the location and the pool turned out to be a genuine bonus rather than an afterthought. The wellness centre stayed quiet most mornings, and the walk to Trafalgar Square afterwards took less time than getting ready did. The family restaurant handled two different dietary requirements without any fuss. St Paul's Cathedral was an easy Tube ride for the afternoon, and we were back at the pool before dinner most evenings.
Indoor poolThe Peninsula London
Indoor pool with a sun terrace near Buckingham Palace
Why guests love itWe picked The Peninsula London mainly for the Buckingham Palace distance and the pool's sun terrace turned out to be the real highlight. Sitting by the water with actual daylight overhead, rather than in a basement spa, changed how often we used it. The interconnected rooms worked well for our group, and the Cantonese menu at dinner was a genuine change from usual hotel fare. Walking to St James's Park after breakfast became a daily habit by the third morning, easy enough that we never bothered with a taxi.
Indoor poolRaffles London at The OWO
Indoor pool 300 metres from Trafalgar Square
Why guests love itWe stayed at Raffles at The OWO mainly out of curiosity about the building, and the pool ended up a genuine reason to stay in most evenings. Three hundred metres to Trafalgar Square meant we could fit in a swim after a full day of walking without losing much time. Breakfast with champagne and pastries became the highlight of each morning, more than expected from a hotel breakfast. The National Gallery was close enough for a quick visit, and Big Ben an easy walk on our last afternoon.
Indoor poolCorinthia London
Indoor pool and sauna three minutes from Embankment
Why guests love itThe interconnected rooms made this an easy choice for our family, and the indoor pool became the default plan most afternoons once the kids tired of walking. Embankment station being three minutes away meant we never worried about the Tube schedule cutting into pool time. We took the complimentary bicycles out one morning along the river, a proper local thing to do rather than a typical hotel activity. Dinner covered everyone's preferences without much negotiation, and Trafalgar Square was an easy walk afterwards.
Local tips
- 1At One Aldwych, plan children's swims for weekdays 9 to 11.30 am or 2 to 5.30 pm, or between 9 am and 5.30 pm at weekends, according to its 2025 fact sheet.
- 2Raffles at The OWO restricts family swim to 8 to 10 am and 4 to 6 pm; outside those windows, the 20 m pool is for adults.
- 3The Haymarket Hotel has no lifeguard on its 18 m pool, so a parent has to be at the poolside the whole time children are swimming.
- 4Not staying at the Haymarket? Its Swim & Dine package opens the pool to non-guests for 45-minute slots, Monday to Saturday 11 am to 4 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.
- 5At Corinthia's ESPA Life, under-16s must be accompanied by an adult in the pool areas, and family swim slots for residents are set in the morning and late afternoon.
- 6Swimmers who want a 50 m lane can use the public London Aquatics Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, a Tube ride east of these hotels.
- 7The Haymarket's pool and bar are hired out for private events, when oak decking can cover the water: if a swim matters, ask about events on your dates.