Next time you’re on the verge of collapse from the city’s unrelenting summer heat, refer to this list: We’ve picked three swanky hotels (and one better-than-expected Holiday Inn) to have a drink, sit poolside, and pretend you’re hanging out on the Amalfi coast. Some will cost you, some – if you’re slick enough—you can enjoy for free. But, all offer at least some reprieve from what looks to be a hellaciously hot summer. And, who knows, you may want to stay the night.

The QT
The pool at Andre Balazs’ chic, wood-planked, youth-hostel-inspired Hotel QT is free every Tuesday after 5pm. The rub? It’s indoors. Still, there’s something to be said for the swim-up window to the bar where you can order a drink while you dip. With rooms starting at $175 a night, many guests are actually New Yorkers looking to get lost for a bit. And, like Balazs’ L.A. Standard hotel, the QT lobby also features a daily DJ. “It’s the sub-Standard,” he notes.

The Gansevoort
For people-watching, one of the best views of the Hudson River, and the only 45-foot pool in Manhattan, check out the Gansevoort Hotel. The pool is technically for hotel guests only, so start out by ordering a drink at the attached rooftop bar. Then casually make your way poolside. As long as you keep ordering drinks (tell them you’d rather pay cash than charge it to your room), you’re golden.

Le Parker Meridien
For a day of true luxury, there’s the Le Parker Meridien.  For $50 a day, you have access to the glass-enclosed indoor pool, a sundeck equipped with fake grass (but views of the real grass in Central Park), and the hotel’s massive “Gravity” fitness center -- one of the city’s best hotel workout facilities.  Start off with a power breakfast at Norma’s, off the lobby.  Or, one of the best burgers in town -- the no-name burger joint is tucked behind a curtain in the lobby’s corner. 

Holiday Inn
Forget that the customer reviews of this locale complain of bed bugs, smelly rooms, and a rude staff. Their outdoor pool is perfectly fine. And pretty affordable. For a $35 day rate, you’ll get a basic city-pool experience, with awesome midtown views. 

~Sara Costello

Go There:

Le Parker Meridien, 119 W. 56th St., (212) 708-7340

Gansevoort, 18 Ninth Ave., (212) 206-6700

Hotel QT, 125 West 45th St., (212) 354-2323

Holiday Inn, 440 W. 57th St., (212) 581-8100