Architecture has come a long way since the world’s first skyscraper was unveiled in 1885. Chicago’s Home Insurance Building stood just 138 feet and 10 stories tall, but was the predecessor to the many glittering supertall towers found around the world today. Within those record-breaking structures, travelers will find a host of unique attractions and amenities, among them the world’s highest swimming pool, which forms part of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Hong Kong. Take a closer look at this jaw-dropping facility and what it’s like to swim above the clouds.

The Ritz-Carlton’s Hong Kong Journey

The present Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Hong Kong, occupies part of the International Commerce Centre. However, it wasn’t the first Ritz-Carlton in the region. The hotel chain first opened a property on Chater Road in the Central district of Hong Kong Island in 1993. It had barely made its mark when it closed in 2008, and the building was demolished a year later. 

While critics lamented the decision to destroy a perfectly serviceable building, real estate is at a premium in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places on the planet. Initially, the Ritz-Carlton was planned as part of a larger complex, but those plans never materialized, and so the decision was made to repurpose the site for more lucrative commercial office space.

The International Commerce Centre

Eventually, a new Ritz-Carlton was envisioned at a site in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui in West Kowloon. Opened in 2011, the hotel occupies a series of floors at the top of the International Commerce Centre, a striking supertall building that dominates Hong Kong’s skyline. While the communal space and guest rooms begin on the 106th floor, the indoor pool graces the 118th level of the property.

Those lucky enough to swim here — at a height of 1,538 feet above ground level — enjoy breathtaking views over Victoria Harbour and across to Hong Kong Island through floor-to-ceiling panes of glass. While you could enjoy a similar panorama from the building’s observation deck, sky100, the hotel pool offers a more exclusive experience, available only to guests.

And the view isn’t the only attraction: Immersive LED displays utilize a bank of 144 screens to feature scenes of colorful fish swimming in oceanic coral reefs and dreamy tropical beaches, which lend a paradisiacal quality to the pool’s surroundings. Loungers encourage guests to linger in this glorious cocoon in the clouds, far removed from the noise and bustle of the city streets below.

Record-Breaking Spaces

The 65-foot-long pool at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s highest swimming pool in a building. Three buildings held this record previously, before the Ritz-Carlton took the baton in 2011. 

Between 2008 and 2011, the record holder was the Shanghai World Financial Center, whose pool was located 1,195 feet up. Before that, the world’s highest swimming pool in a building was found in another Shanghai landmark, the Jin Mao Tower. Constructed 701 feet above the ground, it shows how much of a step up there’s been in a relatively short space of time.

The initial record holder was found stateside at the John Hancock Center (now 875 North Michigan Avenue) in Chicago. The pool was 44 floors up — low relative to the Ritz-Carlton’s, but high enough to secure the accolade back in 1969. 

A Modern Phenomenon 

Pools in supertall buildings are relatively new, and in recent decades, Asia and the Middle East have dominated this sector of construction. More than half the world’s pools in supertall buildings are found in Asia, with a significant percentage in China, followed by the United Arab Emirates, which boasts 30 pools in supertall buildings. 

You might be wondering why the record for the highest swimming pool in a building isn’t held by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. In fact, this soaring tower boasts five pools, but the highest of them is an outdoor pool that sits at “just” 900 feet above ground.

How Other Supertall Pools Compare

No matter how you define it, the lofty position of the Ritz-Carlton’s pool leaves its competitors far behind (or below). The Council on Vertical Urbanism carried out a study that compared pools in the world’s supertall structures. While the Ritz Hong Kong’s pool is the highest indoors, the council found that the world’s highest outdoor pool, located at the Guangxi China Resources Tower in Nanning, sits 1,053 feet above ground. The pool at SLS Dubai isn’t far behind, at 1,041 feet. 

The best that North America can come up with (so far) is an indoor overflow pool in the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia, which stands at 827 feet high. Worldwide, there are 30 pools where you’d be able to swim at a higher level than this one.