Places to Stay With a Pool in Liverpool

What's on offer

BritStays currently lists seven places to stay with a swimming pool in the Liverpool region. Four are hotels and three are caravan parks. Every one of the seven also has a restaurant, so you won't have to head out for every meal, and six have a bar. Beyond that, the facilities vary. Five of the seven have a gym, five a spa, five WiFi and five parking. Four have a hot tub. If any of those matter to you, such as parking for a car full of luggage or a hot tub after a long day out, check the individual listing rather than assuming.

Four of the stays are listed under Liverpool itself. There is one each in Wirral, Flint and Prestatyn.

Matching the stay to your trip

The split between hotels and caravan parks is the most useful starting point. It tends to decide the feel of a break more than the location does.

• Couples and short city breaks: Crowne Plaza in Liverpool combines a pool with a gym and a bar. That suits you if you want a swim in the morning, a day around the city and a drink in the evening without moving on. The Royal Liver Building is the obvious landmark to put on your list.
• A quieter hotel stay: Thorton Hall in Wirral and Swan Hotel in Flint both pair the pool with a hot tub and a gym. Thorton Hall gives you easy access to Thornton Manor. Staying at Swan Hotel puts Castell y Fflint within reach.
• Families wanting something going on in the evening: Beaches Hotel Prestatyn lists a pool, a spa and evening entertainment. Greenacres Caravan Park Presthaven also lists evening entertainment, alongside its pool and restaurant. Both are worth a look if you'd rather not plan every evening yourself.
• Caravan holidays with extras: Talacre Beach Caravan Park and Seaview Holiday Home Park both list a pool, a hot tub and a gym. That is more than you might expect from a caravan break.

On coast versus countryside, the listing details here don't give distances or settings. Read each stay's own description and look at a map before you book, rather than going by the name alone.

If you're bringing a dog: none of the facility information for these seven stays mentions pets. Contact the stay directly and get confirmation in writing before you book. Caravan parks and hotels often have quite different policies.

What to do once you're there

A pool is a good fallback for a wet afternoon, but there is plenty nearby for days out.

• Landmarks and heritage: the Royal Liver Building, The Hardmans' House (National Trust), Castell y Fflint, Thornton Manor and Brynbella, a stately home.
• With children: Chester Zoo is the big draw. The Amazing Novelty-Orium & Mechanical Museum in Merseyside is a more unusual choice.
• Museums in Chester: the Grosvenor Museum pairs well with a day at the zoo if you're heading that way.
• Further afield in Lancashire: if you have a car and a spare day, there is a cluster of mill and textile museums. These include Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Higher Mill and Whitakers' Mill, along with the Museum of Lancashire and the Harris Museum.

Check opening days and times with each attraction before you set off, as these can change through the year.

Getting the facilities you actually want

Having a pool doesn't mean every pool works the same way. Before you book, it's worth asking a few questions:

• Are there set swimming times, or separate adult-only and family sessions?
• Is the spa or hot tub included, or is there an extra charge?
• Is parking guaranteed or first come, first served? Only five of the seven list parking.
• Is WiFi available in rooms or caravans, or only in shared areas? Five of the seven list WiFi at all.

When to book

With only seven stays in this set, choice is limited. The ones with evening entertainment or a hot tub are likely to go first at busy times. If your dates are fixed around school holidays or a bank holiday weekend, book as early as you can, especially for a caravan park with entertainment. If you can travel midweek or outside the school holidays, you'll usually have more choice and more room in the pool.

If you have your heart set on one place, check whether you can cancel or change your booking before paying a deposit. Then confirm any facility that matters to you, such as the spa, the pool hours or pets, directly with the stay before you travel.