Metro Manila is a perfect embodiment of the saying “there is beauty in chaos.”

Despite being a concrete jungle with a fast-paced lifestyle, it is abundant with sunshine, making residents feel like it’s summer the whole year round.

In the middle of its busy scene are hotels that offer a pause to the crazy city life. You’ll see the metropolis, with its buildings and traffic jams, in a different perspective after a dip in a hotel pool, something that can hardly be appreciated when you’re usually out there braving the hustle and bustle of the big city. With these hotels, you not only get to swim in stunning ultra-blue waters, but you also get a front-row seat to the metro’s dense urban landscape.

These pools clear waters also mirror the natural strokes and colors of the sky, which further prove that you don’t have to go far to experience a great vacation. Clearly, the best vacations aren’t only found on beaches. Witness the gorgeous contrast of fluid and concrete at these hotels:

DISCOVERY PRIMEA

Discovery Primea’s heated infinity pool gives you a view of the Makati concrete jungle, with the district’s most iconic architectural feats easily visible in the distance.

The hotel, which is fairly new to the scene (having opened in early 2015), has already been named the Best Urban Hotel by the renowned Conde Nasté Johansen Awards for Excellence 2018, so make sure that you experience its other offerings as well.

Check out Gilarmi Lounge, where you can order beer on tap, every kind of scotch and whiskey you can imagine, and their raved-about signature cocktails. You can be assured that every item on Discovery Primea’s menus (they have three independent restaurants within the hotel) is delicious and cleverly crafted to showcase their innovation.

CITY GARDEN GRAND HOTEL MANILA

City Garden Grand Hotel’s roof deck pool offers a serene and contemplative mood amid the hotel’s bustling location, with an atmosphere that exudes peace and urbanity. When darkness takes over the city, try Firefly Roofdeck Bar’s glow-in-the-dark concoctions as you relax in the pool.

These intriguing drinks look as if they contain the cosmos in a glass. Complete the laid-back experience with their Fried Buffalo Shrimp, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, some crocodile meat!

SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA MANILA

The outdoor pool of this hotel looks like an oasis with palm trees in the background. And just across the lagoon-shaped haven is a wide view of the ocean, where the daily anticipated Manila Bay sunset takes its leave.

A stay at this hotel, together with a dip in its pool, is the closest thing you can get to a beach resort getaway. It doesn’t get any better than that, especially if you’re just in Manila!