The Morgan Hotel

— Inverted infinity edge, beach pool experience

The recently completed hotel The Morgan Resort on the tropical island of St. Maarten has an architectonic swimming pool designed by DAM Caribbean. Although the island is known for being well endowed with famous sandy beaches, the hotel is situated on one of the rocky coasts. The assignment was to at least match the experience and attractiveness of the sandy beaches with the swimming pool. This task forced us not only to let go of the usual frameworks of a swimming pool, but also to give a different interpretation to the phenomenon of a beach bath. The realized design shows that the primary assignment has been amply fulfilled. Seen from the hotel, it is as if the hotel lobby is located in the Caribbean Sea. The smooth transition from the dry 'platforms' to the playfully designed basin also contributes to an experience that makes you forget the absence of a tropical sandy beach.

Tourism has been the distinctive and predominant character of this location since the 1960s and within this theme the location has been revitalized more than once. The first plans for renovation of the hotel date back to 2016. After the devastating Hurricane Irma in 2017, the start of the renovation has been brought forward. The existing hotel was built at the beginning of this century and recently renovated and extended. A final expansion is planned with completion in 2022, which will also include the spa.

DiLeonardo from New York designed the interior of the rooms and entrance hall. DAM Caribbean has provided the design for the extensions to the front of the hotel with kitchen, spa and gym, as well as the design for the courtyard with the swimming pool. The client's request was to evoke a beach experience with this pool, but even better. Knowing that the competition had to be entered into with 37 tropical sandy beaches on the island, we can safely call this a tough challenge.

The pool has a 70-meter-long infinity edge, so that the sea flows seamlessly into the water of the pool in the field of view from the lobby, giving the illusion that the sea is flowing into the lobby. On the horizon, on the edge of the infinity edge, lies an 'island'. This islet contains the hot tub with some palm trees. The warmer water of the jacuzzi is separated from the pool water, the bathers can enter the jacuzzi via a staircase from the pool. The Jacuzzi also has a shallow reclining platform, perfect for enjoying the beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea with a cocktail in hand.

On the north side of the jacuzzi is the slide, the outer wall of which flows into the inner wall. Through a “cave” in the pool you have access to the slide. The opening of this cave captures the famous Sunset in the winter months. A swim-up bar is located on the south side of the jacuzzi, from which bathers can be served on both the dry and wet side of the pool.

When entering the courtyard, only the low short upright side of the pool is visible. This is covered with a mosaic of azure blue tiles. On both sides, smoothly designed, five-step wide staircases to the raised platforms. The transition of the platforms, just above water level and sand-coloured, is like that from a sandy beach to the sea. The view from the sunbeds, which are partly placed under palm trees, is phenomenal. The water in different shades of blue, palm trees and on the horizon a characteristic small tropical island is visible.

https://www.themorganresort.com/