Split Hotels with a Pool: Rooftop, Terrace or Indoor
If you want a hotel in Split with a pool, the choice comes down to three types: a raised pool, on a roof at Bačvice or on a terrace by the Riva; the AC Hotel's indoor pool, the only one among these seven, for a trip outside summer; or a garden-level pool on the Bačvice side, a short walk from the ferry port. Seven hotels on this page have one, with 7,004 guest reviews averaging 9.4. Four of the seven are grouped around Bačvice beach, and that shapes the whole decision. Six of the pools are outdoors, so the month you travel matters as much as the address. Below I explain which hotel suits a couple, which suits a family heading to the islands, and where the best swimming in town really is, because in Split the sea is public and free.
Split lives in and around a Roman emperor's palace and still uses it as a neighbourhood: flats, shops and bars inside walls built for Diocletian. The harbour is a working one, with car-ferries and catamarans leaving for the islands all day, and the main town beach, Bačvice, is where locals play picigin, a shallow-water ball game invented here in 1908 and listed as Croatian intangible heritage in 2013.
Where to stay
Which Split pool fits your trip
Split is a working port city, not a resort. The town beaches fill up from July, the stone streets of the old town hold the afternoon heat, and many visitors stay just one or two nights between a flight and a catamaran. A hotel pool gives you a cool hour after the palace and before dinner, without crossing town to find an empty patch of beach. The seven pools below differ more than the listings suggest: on a roof, on a terrace or in a garden, indoors or outdoors, east of the port or at the western end of the Riva.
Two hotels put their pool on the roof: briig boutique hotel and Boutique Hotel Venturo, both on the Bačvice side, east of the port. Venturo has the top score of the seven, 9.9, but from only 38 reviews. Hotel Ambasador has its pool and bar on a third-floor terrace rather than on the roof, and it is the most central of the seven, where the Riva meets Zapadna obala; its 9.6 comes from 1,919 reviews. All three raised pools are compact: they are for cooling off and watching the evening light, not for swimming lengths.
AC Hotel by Marriott Split is the only one of these seven with an indoor pool, which makes it the sensible pick for March, April, late October or a winter city break. The pool comes with a spa and a fitness room. It is also the largest of the group, with 214 rooms and 2,099 reviews averaging 9.3. The trade-off is position: it stands on Domovinskog rata, a main road leading out of the centre, about five minutes by car from Diocletian's Palace and the port. You can walk it, but not along the sea.
Hotel Park Split and Hotel Villa Harmony have ground-level outdoor pools and the best address for families: both are a few minutes' walk from Bačvice, the shallow, mostly sandy town beach, its swimming area roped off from boats. Hotel Park, on Hatzeov perivoj, is about one kilometre from Diocletian's Palace, a ten to twelve minute walk. Villa Harmony stands on Preradovićevo šetalište, the promenade above the beach, with 316 reviews averaging 9.3. This side of town is also close to the ferry port and the bus station, handy for a morning catamaran to Hvar or Brač.
Ellure Luxury Suites, on Peričićeva street about 1.9 km from Diocletian's Palace, a 20 to 25 minute walk, has a small seasonal outdoor pool that reviewers describe as quiet; its 752 reviews average 9.2. Now the calendar: Hotel Park, Villa Harmony, Ellure and Ambasador list their pools as seasonal, and none of the six outdoor pools says publicly whether it is heated. A swim in May, early June or late September is therefore not guaranteed outdoors. Ambasador describes its terrace pool as usable from April to November. In winter, only the AC Hotel's indoor pool is a sure thing.
If your hotel has no pool, Split has a public option: the Poljud swimming complex beside the football stadium has an Olympic pool, a water polo pool and a learners' pool. It stands on a street named after the 1979 Mediterranean Games, which Split hosted at Poljud. Local clubs train there, so public swimming follows their timetable. For most visitors the sea is the better pool: the Croatian shoreline is public, even in front of a hotel, and at Bačvice the water stays shallow a long way out, which is rare on a coast of pebbles and rocks.
A traveler's takeI would choose by season first and view second. In July or August with children, I would book Hotel Park or Hotel Villa Harmony: the shallow water of Bačvice is minutes away and the ferry port is close for island days. As a couple, I would take Ambasador for its waterfront position, or Venturo if you want an adults-only hotel with about 24 rooms. In April or October, I would stay at the AC Hotel, the one indoor pool here. I would pick Ellure only if a 20 to 25 minute walk to the palace each evening suits you, and I would not expect to swim lengths in any of the raised pools.
Boutique Hotel Venturo, a Member of Design Hotels
Adults-only beachfront design hotel with a rooftop pool and spa
Why guests love itBoutique Hotel Venturo is adults-only, so I would not suggest it to parents travelling with children; families should look at other hotels in Split. For a couple or a group of adult relatives, it works well: the beach is directly in front of the hotel, the rooftop pool looks over the sea, and the spa adds a sauna and a hot tub for slower afternoons. A 9.9 rating from 38 reviews is a strong signal for a small property.
Hotel Ambasador
Rooftop pool and spa with sea or city views in Split
Why guests love itI would recommend Hotel Ambasador to couples and families who want a five-star stay with a rooftop pool in Split. Rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, iPads, minibars and sea or city views, and family rooms and interconnected options are available. There is a spa, a sauna and a fitness centre. Guests rate it 9.6 from 1,919 reviews, an outstanding score.
Hotel Park Split
Beachfront elegance with an outdoor pool and upscale dining
Why guests love itFor a family, Hotel Park Split has an outdoor pool and sits right next to Bačvice beach, so the day can run between water and sand. The hotel was completely restructured in 2015, and the air-conditioned rooms mix contemporary comfort with traditional elegance. Free Wi-Fi is included and pets are welcome. There is an upscale restaurant and a bar for the evening. The city centre is within easy reach.
AC Hotel by Marriott Split
Sea-view rooms, a full spa, and an indoor pool in Split
Why guests love itAC Hotel by Marriott Split is a modern four-star with sea-view rooms, and I would suggest it to families who want a reliable base for visiting Diocletian's Palace with a pool to come back to. The indoor pool works in any weather, the spa and fitness centre give parents some time to themselves, and the restaurant offers a varied menu for different tastes. Rooms are air-conditioned and pets are accepted. A guest score of 9.3 from over 2,000 reviews backs the choice.
Hotel Villa Harmony
Beachfront villa with sea-view terraces and a mini-spa near Bacvice Beach
Why guests love itI would pick Hotel Villa Harmony for a family that wants Bačvice Beach on the doorstep in Split. The beach is only 21 metres away, there is an outdoor pool for days when the sand is crowded, and parents can use the mini-spa with sauna once the children are settled. Some rooms open onto terraces with sea views, worth asking for. Diocletian's Palace is about one kilometre away, a walk that older children manage easily. A guest score of 9.3 backs the choice.
Ellure Luxury Suites
Luxury suites with pool, fitness, and views near Split's beaches
Why guests love itEllure Luxury Suites sits 650 metres from Firule Beach, close enough for a family to walk down with the beach bags. The seasonal outdoor pool is the other draw for children, and rooms look over the pool or the sea. Parents get a fitness centre and a terrace, and Diocletian's Palace is 1.9 km away for a morning in the old town. I would choose it for a family that wants a quieter base outside the centre, rated 9.2 from 752 reviews.
briig boutique hotel
Rooftop pool and spa steps from Bačvice beach in Split
Why guests love itFor a family, briig boutique hotel is a beachfront address in central Split, steps from Bačvice beach, with a rooftop pool and a bar, plus a spa. Rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, and pets are welcome. Diocletian's Palace is a 10-minute walk away, so the main sights are on foot. The central, popular-beach setting is lively, so I would ask for a quieter room and expect evening noise in summer.
Local tips
- 1Leave the swimsuit at the pool or the beach: since 2023 a city bylaw fines anyone walking in swimwear or shirtless in the historic centre, including the Riva and Marmontova street.
- 2For an early catamaran to Hvar, Brač or Vis, the Bačvice hotels (Park, Villa Harmony, Venturo and briig) are the shortest walk to the ferry port and the bus station.
- 3Families with small children should head to Bačvice rather than the pebble coves: its mostly sandy bottom stays shallow far out, and the swimming area is roped off from boats.
- 4Travelling between December and March? The AC Hotel by Marriott is the only hotel here with an indoor pool; Ambasador's terrace pool runs from April to November and Hotel Park's from mid-April to the end of October.
- 5Venturo is adults-only, so a family wanting the same quiet Bačvice side should look at Hotel Park or Villa Harmony instead, both with ground-level pools that children can use.
- 6Stop at Bačvice in the late afternoon to watch picigin: players keep a small ball off the water in the shallows, a Split game since 1908 with no teams and no score.
- 7Ellure on Peričićeva street is about 1.9 km from the palace, a 20 to 25 minute walk; from the AC Hotel on Domovinskog rata the walk follows a main road, so a taxi is easier at night.