Cocktail Pools: Full Guide & Design Ideas

Curious about cocktail pools? Let’s dive in!

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a massive mansion these days to have a pool in your backyard, especially a cocktail pool!

In recent years, cocktail pools have become a way to spice up your garden with a fun but also cozy atmosphere, and whilst they are considerably smaller than your typical pool, that just adds to their charm and character. 

Turning a section of your backyard into one of these chilled mini resorts is a great idea, and so in this article we’ll be going over what these cocktail pools are, and some different design ideas that you can take inspiration from when designing your own slice of paradise in your back garden. Without further ado let’s get started. 

What Are Cocktail Pools?

Cocktail pools are your own customizable slice of paradise that you can make in your own back garden.

They’re a lot smaller than regular pools, usually ranging from 3 to 4ft deep and nowhere larger than and with proper planning and design can fit in any back garden no matter the size. 

Whilst cocktail pools lack the capacity to host a large swimming party, big floats, and being able to dive.

Cocktail pools have an emphasis on relaxation, and so many designs offer bench seating so you can relax whilst in your pool, and the floor is never too deep that you’d be forced to swim.

If you’re interested in getting a pool with a focus on relaxation, then cocktail pools are right for you. You may also want to consider a spool or spa pool, which are more known to have similar features to a hot tub or jacuzzi, or a simple plunge pool if you want a more individual option.

Cocktail pools essentially look like scaled down pools, that can be designed in so many different ways, you can really allow your creativity to run wild whilst designing your own cocktail pool.

Using a wide variation of materials and textures to design your cocktail pool so it fits with your vision.

But it doesn’t end there…

You can add whichever elements you find the most important to your cocktail pool, ranging from water features, to things you’d find in hot tubs like seats and jets which you can relax on. 

They’re really adaptable to whichever space you have available, they can be constructed indoors, outdoors, can be above ground or below. And will fit in even the smallest of gardens. 

If you’re not sold already, let’s list some of the benefits of having your own personal cocktail pool in your backyard. 

• Relatively inexpensive- Compared to larger pools cocktail pools can be as small as you want, and with that comes the price. Rather than going out to swim or paying for a larger pool, cocktail pools offer the comfort of a regular pool, at a reduced price.

• To relax!- There’s no better way to relax and chill yourself out than getting into your own personal pool at the end of a hard day. You’ll be surprised at how quickly stress melts away, and the water is great for your body. If you choose to peacefully relax in your pool, or throw a party, either way is a great way for you to blow off some steam. 

• To stay cool in the summer- Sometimes having a pool in your own backyard is just a great way to stay cool during the summer months. There’s no better feeling than sweltering under the hot sun, and cooling off inside your own pool.

• To make memories that last- If you’ve got a family, a cocktail pool is a great way to make memories with them that’ll last  a lifetime, if you’re teaching your kids how to swim, or just chilling out in the pool together, memories can always be made in your pool.

• To add value to your house- If nothing else, a cocktail pool in your backyard will always appreciate the value of your house. Some think of inground pools like an investment, which you could see a return on of if you ever choose to sell your property. 

Average Size And Dimensions

If you ask a pool builder for the standard dimensions of a cocktail pool, you’re likely to get a range of answers.

Round cocktail pools can range from ten feet in diameter to a little bit under twenty. Rectangular cocktail pools are usually no smaller than eight feet by ten feet, and the largest you might see are probably about twelve feet by fourteen feet. 

Square pools start as small as eight by eight and can be up to fifteen by fifteen.

If you are building anything much larger than that, then you’re probably going to be talking about a full-size swimming pool. 

As we’ve discussed, cocktail pools are made for standing and sitting, much more so than diving or underwater swimming when it comes to depth.

And since most cocktail pools offer in-water seating, the interior room of the pool is generally limited if you wanted to swim or exercise in the pool itself.

Make no mistake, the primary focus of this pool is rest and relaxation, and fun of course too.  This makes cocktail pools essentially the opposite of lap pools, which are long in length and built for swimming.

The smaller dimensions of a cocktail pool make it an ideal choice for a small backyard.

And, they are also small enough that some homeowners decide to enclose them or even build them indoors for year-round entertaining and fun. 

Your cocktail pool can be pretty much whatever size you want it to be. But the larger it gets, the more it may feel limited.

For example, if you build a four feet deep pool that is 20 feet long and thirty-two feet wide, you may regret not adding a deep end for diving. 

How Much Do Cocktail Pools Cost?

Constructing a simple, standalone cocktail pool above-ground can be pretty inexpensive.

But, most cocktail pools have the potential to be a little bit fancier and installed inground, Obviously it’ll be different for everyone depending on their garden size, materials they want to use, and their design of pool.

But let’s take a look at how expensive these pools can be…

Just like a full-size swimming pool, a cocktail pool made with a vinyl liner is the least expensive option.

Concrete pools are the most expensive version of inground pool constructions, but they are also the most durable.

You can expect to pay around $25,000 for a small vinyl cocktail pool, but this is largely dependent on shape.

A larger cocktail pool made with a material like concrete,with extra features like heaters, built-in lighting, and other amenities can easily cost more than $50,000.

As the price of your build goes up, you might start asking yourself if all you want is a cocktail pool.

Sometimes ,for you, it might make more sense to install a larger swimming pool with more swimming room and simply add on an integrated spa to enjoy cocktails. This’ll come down to what’s right for you though.

This approach is always going to be the best of both worlds. It’s also the most expensive though.

Loads of different designs allow you to mix the water from your spa and pool together, so you don’t necessarily have to use your spa as a hot tub. It can offer a cool respite from summer heat too. 

Our Favorite Cocktail Pool Design Ideas 

So now that we know what a cocktail pool is, we can take a look at some different design ideas that you might consider when building your own cocktail pool. Even if there’s just a few features you like the look of!

Our first cocktail pool you can draw some ideas from is this one, it’s simple, but is a great starting point to see what a standard cocktail pool looks like.

This particular one is square shaped,is built into the patio floor, and has a raised platform to one edge of the pool for you to relax whilst in the pool. 

Whilst this isn’t exactly a very unique pool, it’s perfect for what you want a cocktail pool to do.

Be a place for you to relax! You can lie on the raised surface, place your drinks there whilst you chill out in the pool, or just sit anywhere around the edge of the pool.

Our next cocktail pool is a circular one that’s been built on top of the patio in what looks like a garden corner.

It screams relaxation doesn’t it? This pool blends style with simplicity with a ultra clean looking white material being used for the wall and floors of the pool, and a nice high floor that you can stand up with whilst you lean over any of the sides of the pool. 

It looks like there’s a nice table around the back of the pool that you can place any drinks on too, great for chilling out.

A slightly different and larger curvy shape with this pool, which is built into the patio which seamlessly connects it into this garden.

There’s a step down into the pool and then one extra where you can sit if you’d like, and obviously there’s a great looking waterfall in the corner of the pool, with a small bench under it too for you to sit.

This is a great pool that’s Perfect for relaxing, and shows how you can fit your pool to work around the garden that you have!

One of the smaller cocktail pools on this list, this one really shows how you can use whatever materials you like, as the owners of this pool used stones on the outside of the pool wall to continue with the theme that’s around their garden.

The pool is raised too which looks great, especially with this stone combination they’ve got going on. 

The pool itself is relatively simple but fits the garden it’s in incredibly well, notice how large the garden is too, sometimes there’s no need for a full sized swimming pool, when one as small and convenient as this works so well!

Another really small one here! But this cocktail pool really showcases the different features you can use to personalize your pool.

There’s a handrail and stairs for ease of access going down into the water, A bench at the very end where you can sit and relax, and a waterfall that adds some definition and personality to the pool.

You can see how you can either sit on the side and dip your feet in the pool, or chill out on the bench, as you can do with many of the other pools in this list. The blue tiles really contrast with the white outline of the pool too, and with it being built into the ground, it really fits the space which it’s in.

Whereas if it was build above the ground the space might feel tighter, and less spacious. 

Our last cocktail pool design example on our list… is an example of an extravagant cocktail pool, multiple fountains lined up on the side of the pool look great with the theme of the garden, and the plants hanging over look great too.

If you look at the close right of the pool too you can see that there’s a higher up pool which extends past the scope of this picture.

But this is absolutely something you can do too. Joining two smaller pools together allows you to get the best of both worlds, as one can be used for relaxing, and the other for swimming in.

These pools really showcase how easily you can connect them together whilst looking great still.

Our Team’s Final Thoughts on Cocktail Pools

These days more than ever, it’s easy to see the benefits of getting a pool in your backyard, and a cocktail pool allows you to live out that dream!

Whether you’re relaxing after a long day, or having some friends over for some drinks, there’s not many things that scream a good time as much as a pool does, and the cocktail pool is the king of this.

Check out Beth Speck’s Cocktail Pool video for some inspiration!