Escape the summer sun with an indoor swim…

Swimming is one of the joys we Dubaians can regularly enjoy during the winter, with easy access to plenty of pools from the luxurious to the free. In summer swimming gets a bit more tricky, with scorching temperatures putting us off going for a dip. Luckily there are several gorgeous indoor pools so you don’t need to lather on the SPF 50 just to do some lengths.

Here’s our top picks for Dubai’s indoor pools.

Fitness Clubs

Hamdan Sports Complex

This fitness facility is located just off the Emirates Road. The wave-shaped building contains one of the biggest multi-purpose facilities in the world, with a convertible long and short course pool. There are two 60-metre swimming pools, both of Olympic standards with advanced technology of moveable floors, which means they can be transformed into 25-metre pools at differing depths. There are also diving stages at 10m, 7.5m, 5m, 3m and 1m. A day pass costs Dhs60 for swimming or access to the gym.

Hamdan Sports Complex, Emirates Road, daily 6am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 306 2666. hamdansc.com

FitRepublik

At FitRepublik in Sports City, you’ll find an eight-lane 50-metre Olympic size swimming pool, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, with a grandstand and acoustics for spectators to cheer you on. Perfect for those who want to include a gym workout with your swimming training, memberships start from Dhs656 per month for access to the entire facility: pool, gym, more than 350 studios classes, MMA facilities, grappling and wrestling mats, the cage and Olympic gymnastics facility (with trampolines, foam pits, and gymnastics apparatus). The Dhs157 day pass includes access to the pool from 5.30am to 10pm.

FitRepublik Fitness Centre, The Academies, Sports City, daily 5.30am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 556 1800. fitrepublik.com

The Burj Club

Fancy swimming inside the world’s tallest building? Burj Khalifa’s gym facility Burj Club has an indoor and outdoor pool, open to anyone. Prices for a day pass start from Dhs99 per person on weekdays and Dhs149 on weekends. If you want to add on gym access it’s an additional Dhs140.

Burj Club, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, daily 6am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 888 3900. burjkhalifa.ae

Hotels

Four Seasons Jumeirah

Set under a glass dome and surrounded by Romanesque columns, this climate controlled pool is part of Four Seasons’ fitness centre. Open to hotel guests, spa customers and those with a fitness membership, this exclusive indoor pool is a haven for cooling off in the summer. Treatments start from Dhs390 at the spa.

The Pearl Spa, Four Seasons Jumeirah, daily 8am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 270 7732. fourseasons.com

Burj Al Arab

No seven-star hotel would be complete without a luxurious infinity pool overlooking the whole of Dubai. The resort actually has three outdoor and two indoor pools reserved for hotel guests to use. Visitors of Talise Spa can use the indoor pool, as well as jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and plunge pool. This might be one for the bucket-list, as treatments are upward of Dhs950 for a 60-minute massage.

Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah, daily, 9am to 9pm. Tel: (04) 301 7365. jumeirah.com

Bulgari Hotel

This 25-metre indoor pool looks straight out onto the sea, so you can pretend you’re swimming with the fish from the safety of your temperature-controlled pool. There’s also a row of relaxing four-poster beds for once you’ve finished your lengths. Spa guests have full use of the facilities, with treatments ranging from Dhs500 for a 30 minute facial, up to Dhs4,500 for a 180-minute Royal Lulur treatment.

Buglari Resort, Jumeira Bay Island, Jumeira 2, daily, 9am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 777 5555. bulgarihotels.com

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