Best Makarska Hotels With a Pool
Pool hotels in Makarska range from a rooftop deck above the Riva rooftops to a year-round outdoor pool built for a family beach week, so the choice depends heavily on what kind of pool actually matters. Boutique Hotel Mirjam tops the list with a rooftop swimming pool over central Makarska, Romana Beach Resort runs a year-round outdoor pool alongside a separate kids' pool, and PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar wraps its pool in a large sun terrace with its own pool bar next to a pebbly beach. Anyone who wants a swimming option that doesn't depend on sea conditions, or simply prefers chlorine to salt water some afternoons, has real choice here.
The pebble beaches along the Makarska Riviera are comfortable enough once you're in the water, but getting in and out over stones with young children or after a long lunch is exactly the kind of friction a hotel pool removes. Makarska's pool hotels lean into that, building sun terraces and pool bars that work as a genuine alternative to the shore rather than a consolation prize, and several sit close enough to the Riva that a pool afternoon still ends with a walk into town for dinner.
Where to stay
A Rooftop View Over the Old Town Roofs
A pool matters in Makarska less as a backup for bad weather, since the sea rarely turns unswimmable for long, and more as a second option when the beach gets crowded or a family wants shallow, controlled water for younger kids. Boutique Hotel Mirjam's rooftop setting gives the pool a view over the Old Town roofs that a ground-level pool can't match, while Romana Beach Resort and PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar both keep their pools close enough to the beach that guests genuinely alternate between the two through the day.
Boutique Hotel Mirjam's rooftop swimming pool sits above central Makarska, paired with a full spa and wellness centre including sauna and fitness room, roughly a two-minute walk from Biloševac Beach. The rooftop setting means views over the town rather than a beach-level pool deck, which suits guests who want the swimming experience itself to feel different from the sea just down the road. An indoor play area and games room give the property a pool-plus option for families too, and the electric vehicle charging station on site is a small but real convenience for anyone driving down from Split for the week.
Romana Beach Resort runs a year-round outdoor swimming pool directly alongside its direct beachfront access, with a separate kids' pool and playground for younger children who aren't ready for open water yet. The aparthotel's family rooms include kitchenettes, useful for a longer pool-and-beach stay where cooking a few meals in saves both money and a restaurant booking. A hot tub and fitness centre round out the property for the adults once the kids are settled, and the on-site restaurant's vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free menu options save a separate hunt for a family with mixed dietary needs.
PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar wraps its pool in a large sun terrace with sun loungers and a dedicated pool bar, positioned next to a pebbly beach and only steps from the seaside promenade into central Makarska. Guests can move between the pool deck and the beach within minutes, and the property's spa corner adds Mediterranean-style massages for anyone who wants to alternate swimming with actual treatment time rather than just lounging, and breakfast served on a sea-view terrace means the pool decision doesn't even have to happen until mid-morning, once the first coffee is done and the day's plan starts to take shape.
Choosing between a rooftop pool, a resort-style pool with a kids' area, and a promenade-side pool with its own bar mostly comes down to whether the view, the family layout, or the beach proximity matters most. Boutique Hotel Mirjam wins on setting, Romana Beach Resort on family practicality, and PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar on being genuinely close to both the pool deck and the pebble shore at once. Whichever the pick, none of the three sit far enough from the Riva promenade to make an evening walk into town feel like an expedition.
A traveler's takeI spent an afternoon on the rooftop pool at Boutique Hotel Mirjam watching the light change over the Old Town roofs before walking down to Biloševac Beach for a swim in the sea itself. Two very different kinds of water, ten minutes apart, and I ended up using both most days, switching whenever the pool deck filled up with other guests around lunchtime.

Boutique Hotel Ani - Adults Only
A quiet wellness centre, 200 metres from the sea
Why guests love itBoutique Hotel Ani is adults-only, so families with children cannot stay and should look at other hotels in Makarska. For couples and adult friends, it is one of the best-rated places in town, with 9.8 from nearly 300 reviews. The outdoor pool, sauna, hot tub and gym make a calm base, the nearest beach is 200 metres away, and bikes can be hired at the 24-hour front desk. I would recommend it to adults who want quiet after a day on the coast.

Boutique Hotel Mirjam
A rooftop pool above the Old Town roofs
Why guests love itThe rooftop pool became the thing we planned our afternoons around, watching the light shift over the Old Town roofs before the short walk down to Biloševac Beach for an actual swim in the sea. The champagne breakfast felt like a genuine treat rather than a gimmick, and the indoor play area saved one particularly hot midday when the rooftop sun got to be too much.

Hotel Osejava
Three beaches and one sunset-facing balcony to choose
Why guests love itHotel Osejava is a newly built hotel on the Makarska promenade, surrounded by three separate beaches, so families can pick a quieter stretch of sand each day. Balconies look over the sea and the sunset, and the restaurant serves traditional Dalmatian food. It stays open all year, which helps families travelling outside summer. A 9.5 rating from more than 400 reviews is excellent. I would book a sea-view balcony room for a beach week in the centre of town.

Hotel Antonio
Family rooms with a pool and a diet-friendly breakfast
Why guests love itHaving proper vegan and gluten-free options at breakfast made mornings considerably less stressful for our group, and the fitness room gave us a way to burn off some energy before the kids took over the pool. Biloševac Beach turned out to be a genuinely short walk, quieter than we expected for how close it was to the centre, and the hot tub became a welcome end to most evenings.

Aminess Laurel Khalani Hotel
Direct beachfront access with indoor and outdoor pools
Why guests love itThe kids' pool and the beach being right outside meant our children barely noticed the days pass, while the spa's steam room became our own quiet escape most afternoons once they were settled with the hotel's activity staff. The indoor pool covered one genuinely windy day that would have otherwise cancelled swimming entirely, which mattered more than we expected going into the trip.

Romana Beach Resort
Direct beach access with a year-round family pool
Why guests love itWe spent a week here with two young kids and the combination of the beach right outside and the kids' pool as backup meant nobody ever ran out of things to do. The kitchenette let us cook simple breakfasts most mornings before the beach, and the playground kept the children busy long enough for a proper adult coffee on the terrace at least once a day.

Valamar Meteor Hotel
Indoor and outdoor pools near Mount Biokovo
Why guests love itWe came for a mix of beach and hiking, and Valamar Meteor Hotel delivered both without much compromise, mornings on the outdoor pool deck and afternoons arranging a Biokovo trek through reception. The Dalmatian wine dinner at the exclusive restaurant became the trip's highlight, unexpectedly, and the indoor pool saved one otherwise wind-ruined afternoon entirely, letting the whole group carry on swimming without missing a single planned day.

Hotel Park Makarska
Beachfront pools and a glass-lift sea view
Why guests love itThe rooms themselves are straightforward, air-conditioned and comfortable rather than showy, but the combination of the private beach lift and the indoor pool with sea views is what makes a stay here feel different from a standard resort room. Breakfast on the terrace looks straight over the water, and the spa's hydro massage bath became the highlight of an otherwise ordinary rainy afternoon during a stay that otherwise ran on beach time and long lunches by the pool.

Aparthotel Miramare
Two minutes to the beach, sea views included
Why guests love itThe balcony view over the water became our favourite part of the stay, coffee there most mornings before the two-minute walk down to the beach itself. The barbecue night at the restaurant was worth timing a dinner around, and the seasonal pool covered the one cooler afternoon when the sea felt like too much effort for anyone in the group.

PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar
Sea-view balconies steps from the promenade
Why guests love itThe balcony view sold us before we even checked the room, and it held up through the whole stay, coffee looking out at Brač every morning before the pool got busy. The pool bar meant we barely left the deck some afternoons, and the short walk along the promenade into the centre for dinner became an easy nightly habit by the end of the week.

Sunny Makarska by Valamar
Pavilions among olive trees, tennis courts included
Why guests love itFor a family, Sunny Makarska by Valamar spreads its rooms across pavilions among olive trees, so there is space for children to run about. Kids' activities and tennis courts are on site, and a white pebble beach lies next to the resort. The centre of Makarska is 1.5 km away, a short drive. Boat excursions and Cetina River rafting can be arranged on request. I would choose it for space and activity rather than a walk to the Riva.
Local tips
- 1Book Boutique Hotel Mirjam if a rooftop pool view over central Makarska matters more to you than beach-level convenience.
- 2Choose Romana Beach Resort for a year-round pool plus a separate kids' pool if you're travelling with young children.
- 3Pick PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar to keep both the pool deck and a pebbly beach within a few steps of each other.
- 4Time your pool hours around midday, that's when the beach itself gets busiest and the pool decks stay noticeably calmer.
- 5Ask about the pool bar at PLACES Dalmacija by Valamar, it saves a walk back to the room for drinks.
- 6Confirm whether a pool is heated or seasonal before booking outside peak summer, some outdoor pools close in shoulder season.