We earn a commission if you book through some links on this page. It doesn't change your price, and hotels can't pay to be listed. How we make money.
Riyadh's best swimming months are June to August, and average highs only drop to 27.5°C in November, 22.2°C in December and 20.1°C in January. Six hotels on our list have a rooftop pool. None sells day passes, and none states a non-guest rule, so book a room if you want to swim.
Our first pick is Mövenpick Riyadh, but only for its largest suite, which has a private 360sqm rooftop terrace pool and butler service. For an easier decision, Nova M Riyadh publishes an outdoor rooftop pool open daily 6am to 10pm, with set women-only hours and a children's window.
Private 360sqm rooftop terrace pool with butler service
District, 5-star hotel, rated 4.8 on Google (17,106 reviews)
Sample photo, not Mövenpick Riyadh. Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Book here only if you want the largest suite, which comes with a private 360sqm rooftop terrace pool and butler service. The hotel doesn't say where its general pool sits, so other guests shouldn't count on a roof.
The largest suite has its own 360sqm pool on a rooftop terrace at the top of the hotel, with views over Riyadh and butler service. It belongs to that one suite, and no floor number is published.
Best forTravelers booking the largest suite who want a private pool above the city.
Skip it ifYou're booking a standard room and need a shared rooftop pool.
Al Wurud, 4-star hotel, rated 4.7 on Google (1,685 reviews)
Sample photo, not Nova M Riyadh. Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Pick Nova M if you want the clearest published rules on our list: an outdoor rooftop pool open daily 6am to 10pm, with set women-only hours and a children's window. Non-guest access isn't published.
Nova M's pool is outdoors on a rooftop terrace in Al Wurud, with Riyadh skyline views, loungers and umbrellas. Hours run daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There's no children's pool, and no floor is published.
Best forWomen who want set pool hours, and adults who want long daily opening.
Skip it ifYou're traveling with small children and want a kids' pool.
Two rooftop pools: one for families with a kids' pool
Al, 4-star hotel, rated 4.7 on Google (609 reviews)
Sample photo, not Crowne Plaza Al Takhassusi. Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose from Montreal, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Choose Crowne Plaza if you're traveling with children. It has two rooftop pools, one for families with a kids' pool and one for individuals, plus a lifeguard on duty. Hours and non-guest access aren't published.
Both pools are on the roof of the Al Takhassusi hotel, with panoramic Riyadh views and loungers around each. Beverages and light bites come to your lounger. No floor or opening hours are published.
Best forFamilies who want a kids' pool and a lifeguard on the roof.
Skip it ifYou need published opening hours before you book.
Five-star opening from November 2023 with a rooftop sky lounge
District, 5-star hotel, rated 4.6 on Google (1,106 reviews)
Sample photo, not St. Regis Riyadh. PattayaPatrol, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. The St. Regis suits travelers who want a five-star stay with a rooftop lounge scene, and it opened in November 2023. Its pool floor, hours and non-guest access aren't published.
The St. Regis is on Makkah Al Mukarramah Road in Al Hada. Stella Sky Lounge serves shisha and sushi on its rooftop, and the rooftop pool is described as private for couples and solo travelers. No floor, hours or heating are published.
Best forCouples and solo travelers staying at a five-star hotel who want a quieter rooftop.
Skip it ifYou need set hours, a day pass or a pool floor before booking.
As Sulimaniyah, 4-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (2,134 reviews)
Sample photo, not Hyatt Place Al Sulaimania. Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Open all year
Why it's here. Consider Hyatt Place if a ladies' poolside day appeals, since the hotel has promoted one on Facebook, though the price wasn't shown. Access rules, floor and hours aren't published.
Hyatt Place is a 4-star hotel on Turki Ibn Abdullah Al Saud in As Sulimaniyah, with sun umbrellas and a poolside snack bar listed at the pool. Floor, hours and heating aren't published.
Best forWomen looking for a 4-star stay with a promoted poolside day.
Skip it ifYou want set pool hours, a day-pass price or a floor number.
Al Olaya, 3-star hotel, rated 4.2 on Google (4,088 reviews)
Sample photo, not Aloft Riyadh. Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Aloft suits guests who want a named rooftop pool, the Splash Rooftop Pool, with a kids pool, sauna and poolside bar close by. It's a 3-star hotel, and non-guest access isn't published.
The Splash Rooftop Pool is at Aloft in Al Olaya, on Olaya Street, with a Turkish steam room and a sauna for guests and an on-site poolside bar. Floor, hours and heating aren't published.
Best forGuests after a rooftop pool plus a steam room and sauna in Al Olaya.
Skip it ifYou want a five-star setting or published hours and floor.
June to August is the best stretch for a rooftop swim in Riyadh. If you want the pool open for long hours, Nova M Riyadh is the one that publishes them: daily 6am to 10pm.
Winter highs average 27.5°C in November, 22.2°C in December and 20.1°C in January. No hotel on our list publishes a heated pool, so email the hotel about heating before you book a December or January swim.
Average daily highs: November 28°C (82°F), December 22°C (72°F), January 20°C (68°F). The warmest stretch for swimming is Jun–Aug.
Hotels you might expect here, and why they're not
These well-known Riyadh hotels describe only indoor pools, so they don't make our list.
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh. The hotel's own site describes its only pool as an indoor pool on the ground level. No rooftop pool or top-floor pool is mentioned in any source.
Fairmont Riyadh. Both of the hotel's own pages describe the pool as indoor, and no source places a pool on the roof or a top-floor terrace.
Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. Sources describe an indoor pool only. None places a swimming pool on the roof or an open top-floor terrace.
Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences. Two third-party sources (sa-riyadh.info and EaseMyTrip) describe two indoor pools, tied to the Eforea Spa. No source places a pool on the roof or a top-floor terrace. One Tripadvisor list title mentions infinity pools, but it does not say where the pool is.
Luthan Hotel and Spa. Only pool mention is an indoor spa/massage pool (MIT Magazine listing). No source places a swimming pool on the roof or a top-floor terrace. The rooftop mentions are about dining, and the Tripadvisor "rooftop" pool quote covers other hotels.
Hilton Garden Inn Riyadh Financial District. Several third-party sources describe an indoor pool. None mentions a rooftop or top-floor pool, and the hotel's own pages were not among the sources.
Ramada by Wyndham Riyadh King Fahd Road. The hotel's own site describes an indoor heated pool, with no rooftop pool mentioned in any source. The Google Maps listing does not mention a pool.
DoubleTree by Hilton Riyadh Financial District Hotel & Suites. Two third-party sources (Venuewise and Jetstar) describe an indoor pool. No source places the pool on the roof or a top-floor terrace, so it is not classed as rooftop.
Riyadh rooftop pools: questions people ask
Which Riyadh hotels let non-guests swim at the rooftop pool?
None of the six publishes it. Mövenpick Riyadh, Nova M Riyadh, Crowne Plaza Al Takhassusi, St. Regis Riyadh, Hyatt Place Al Sulaimania and Aloft Riyadh all leave non-guest access unstated, and none sells day passes. Contact the hotel before you go.
Are any Riyadh rooftop pools heated or open in winter?
No hotel on our list publishes heating. Average highs are 22.2°C in December and 20.1°C in January, so ask the hotel about winter swimming before you book.
Which Riyadh hotel has the highest rooftop pool?
We can't name one, because none of the six publishes its pool floor. The Mövenpick suite pool is a 360sqm private rooftop terrace, and the St. Regis has a rooftop sky lounge.
Which Riyadh rooftop pools are best for families?
Yes, three suit children. Crowne Plaza Al Takhassusi has a family rooftop pool with a kids' pool and a lifeguard on duty. Aloft Riyadh has a kids pool beside its Splash Rooftop Pool, and Nova M Riyadh sets a children's window.
Are any Riyadh rooftop pools adults-only or women-only?
Partly. Nova M Riyadh has set women-only hours, and Hyatt Place Al Sulaimania has promoted a ladies' poolside day on Facebook. Crowne Plaza Al Takhassusi has a second rooftop pool for individuals. No hotel publishes an adults-only rule.
Which Riyadh rooftop pool costs least to use?
No prices are published for non-guest swimming at any hotel on our list. Aloft Riyadh is a 3-star hotel, which makes it the lowest-category stay among the six.
