Resorts catering to the high-end market are offering unique and opulent swimming pools to help attract guests. The pools often cost millions to build and take on Olympic proportions.

Fueled by unprecedented competition for guests, hotels are pouring millions of dollars into pools—not bathtub-size afterthoughts, but sybaritic, resort-style pool complexes and waterside amenities. These new ersatz beach clubs go beyond the well-stocked cabana to add acres of real estate, residential design and furniture, gadgets, and increased staffing.

The Tuscan-villa pool at the Bellagio (shown above) in Las Vegas features misting fans and fountains. Pools at the Bellagio are kept at different temperatures so sensitive swimmers can find the perfect fit. At the Burj Al Arab resort in Dubai (shown below) the pools -- one for men and one for women -- feature large windows offering panoramic views of the Persian gulf.
• Photo Gallery of Pools

"Atop six stories of parking lots, Antilla's living quarters begin at a lobby with nine elevators, as well as several storage rooms and lounges. Down dual stairways with silver-covered railings is a large ballroom with 80% of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers. It features a retractable showcase for pieces of art, a mount of LCD monitors and embedded speakers, as well as stages for entertainment."
- Via Canoe: Home & Garden

It's time to step out of the cattle car and into luxury on your international travels. Many foreign carriers are raising the bar on personal service by including private cabins, cavier and vintage champagne on their flights. Qantas passengers (shown above) are treated with fine wines, espresso and a personal phone. Travelers on Emirates (shown below) can stretch out in a private suite while enjoying a private mini bar, desk and a 23-inch TV with more than 600 channels. Newsweek offers a tour of the most exclusive and luxurious international carriers on their site.
• Newsweek photo gallery

"The Sackners say that moving their archive -- the largest private collection of its kind -- into their new apartment resulted in something unexpected: Both the house and the apartment were the same size, 5,100 square feet, but the apartment provided more art space. 'We were only able to hang 240 works in our house. There are 640 works hanging in this apartment,' Marvin said."
- Via Miami Herald

Residences at 20 Pine, the former location of Chase Manhattan Bank's headquarters in downtown Manhattan, start at $715,000 for a one-bedroom condo. Two penthouses in the building are being offered for $3.1 and $3.2 million. The Terrace Lounge on the 25th floor (shown above) is open to all residents who want to take in the city views and enjoy the reflecting pool and gardens. The building also features a Library Lounge adjacent to the lobby where residents can read and reflect in a sofa-filled environment.
• 20 Pine

" 'Acting is my career, architecture is my passion,' Pitt said in the statement. As 'my first major construction project,' the Dubai hotel will feature 'environmentally friendly architecture, but also embrace my career in entertainment.' "
- Via Bloomberg

The Random Weave chair ($599) from West Elm looks like its clean lines were sculpted out of a thicket of vines. The chair and stool were made from abaca bark, a banana tree relative. To see more contemporary wicker and rattan furniture, be sure to check out a photo gallery from the Los Angeles Times.

This surrealistic building was found in Israel by Andrew Dupont and posted to Flickr. Does anyone know anything about this building or the architect? We'd love to share more of their work.

This contemporary styled Palm Springs home was built in 1974 and was recently renovated by designer Xorin Balbes and architect Paul Ashley. The home makes extensive use of glass on the exterior and is in a walled compound for privacy. As you can see in the photo above, the home is a fine example of blended indoor and outdoor living. There are a total of 4 master suites and the house has mountain views.
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 5.5
• Listing Price: $3,775,000
• View Listing
• Via Luxist: Crescent Drive, Palm Springs, Estate of the Day

"As they swell, the suburbs are changing. Perhaps none ever quite resembled the colourless domestic enclaves popularised by 1970s television programmes such as “The Brady Bunch”; now, they look nothing at all like them. America's suburbs are ethnically and demographically mixed—sometimes more so than its cities. Many are less dormitories than economic powerhouses."
- Via The Economist