Ask any family what they loved most about their last vacation and the pool is almost always near the top of the list. It's where the kids spend half the day, where the photo album fills up, and where parents finally get to lie back with a book and watch their children burn off a year's worth of energy. The hotels in this collection take their outdoor pools seriously. Look for hotels with proper shallow sections for toddlers, separate from the main pool depth, and enough loungers around the edge that you're not staking a claim at sunrise. Many also offer swim lessons, water games, or pool-side snack service that makes long afternoons feel effortless rather than logistical. The truly great outdoor pools are at hotels that have thought about the whole family at once. A toddler splashing happily in the shallow end, an eight-year-old practicing her crawl in the main pool, parents within arm's reach of both, with a cold drink in hand and shade overhead. Whether you're after a sun-drenched Mediterranean afternoon or a glass-walled alpine pool with mountain views, the right setup turns the pool from a hotel feature into the centerpiece of the holiday. Below are the top family hotels with an outdoor pool, sorted by overall score.