Original subtitles

♪♪

who here is having a good time?!

All: Whoo! Narrator: Ever wonder what

your neighbor's pool really looks like

but just can't see past the fence?

We like to say we bought a pool with a house.

Narrator: Well, don't worry.

We've done all the dirty work for you.

[ glasses clink ] both: Cheers!

Narrator: And what you will see is going to blow your mind.

You could pay admission to get into this place.

It's almost like a mini theme park.

And it really just one big family when everybody's here.

Narrator: So bust out that lounge chair

and soak it all in,

because we're showing you the most epic pools

around the country.

Man: You can see the entire las vegas strip.

Narrator: The only question is, which one will leave you saying,

"best. Pool. Ever!"

man: This pool is all about entertainment.

Narrator: This is a background summer party

you won't want to miss.

These are the best party pools.

I mean, this is way better than the nightclubs. Look at this!

♪♪

narrator: In sunny southern california,

we find this epic adventure pool

that was built for one massive party.

I'm 27 years old, but when I'm here,

I feel like I'm 10 years old.

First thing I do is go jump in the pool.

Yeah! -Women: Whoo!

Woman: You could pay admission to get into this place.

Like, you would never know that this is in someone's backyard.

It's almost like a mini theme park.

Narrator: This adventure party pool

is the main reason owners matthew and marissa

bought this southern california house.

Matt: We like to say we bought a pool with a house.

We love to have people over. We love to entertain.

Marissa: We are literally hosting Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

We will kick off Friday, send out a group chat.

We can instantly get 30 to 50 people here,

including kids, to come and swim.

We'll roll that into Saturday,

and then we'll roll it into Sunday,

and we're just going all weekend.

There's no way that any person could put all the features

into one pool that this pool has. No.

Eric: The design is the first part of this.

Once I had that design laid out, we started doing the dig,

cutting into the slope, putting all those essentials

up front, getting everything done

so I'd be able to come in with the steel,

the plumbing, shoot the gunite into the pool

and then start building on top of that.

Boy: We got a cave!

♪♪

girl: And we got a tunnel!

And we got a skull rock!

♪♪

a lot of people have a cool rock pool

or they have a cool slide.

Nobody has a skull, you know, and we have a skull,

so that's pretty cool. -[ laughs ]

eric: I wanted to make sure the skull would recede out

so that people would be able to swim under the skull

into a hidden cave.

The fun part about that skull is that you'd be able to walk

from behind, get on top of the skull,

and it's about 15 feet high from the water,

and you'd be able to jump off into the deep end.

The skull was, for me, one of the coolest,

most unique pieces of the backyard.

It gives it a really cool feel

and a cool vibe when you're back there.

And, you know, even as an adult, you get a big kick out of it.

Boy: Whoa! -[ man laughs ]

the island is a pretty cool feature.

You don't realize you're on an island

until you get on it, and then you look around,

and you see water all around you.

It's a nice little place to relax

and get some shade and watch the waterfalls.

And it's also connected to that tunnel

that goes behind the skull,

so it's really the centerpiece of the whole pool.

♪♪

if you are an adult and you come to our house,

you will be peer pressured

into going down that slide every single time.

When you hit the water, you're hitting it

at 30 miles per hour, very fast. [ laughs ]

so, you know, when you get there, it's a rush,

and even for an adult, it's pretty cool.

♪♪

boy: Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Narrator: This maze of hidden passageways

and tropical greenery

is all designed to make it feel like

a one-of-a-kind outdoor adventure park.

I wanted to make this whole backyard

to be as natural as possible,

as if I'd built the house around a natural rock formation.

I've laid it out where you can have an amazing party.

People can enjoy and talk to each other

on all different areas and corners of this backyard.

He went over the top on this pool, for sure.

For the kids, it's got that sense of adventure.

For the adults, it feels like you're in a tropical paradise.

-Man: Whoo! -[ laughs ]

it's, like, the most amazing pool you've ever been to.

You've never seen anything like this.

I think we're extremely fortunate to be able

to experience it every day and to have it for our kids.

-Absolutely, yeah. -Yeah.

Narrator: Deep inside texas, there's a tropical-inspired pool

with some folks who know how to party.

Who here is having a good time?!

All: Whoo!

It really just feels like I'm in a resort,

and I'm not even at my house.

All seven of our dogs...

Come on, puppies!

...They love the pool just as much as the kids do.

♪♪

whoa!

This is my dream pool back here, for sure.

Narrator: This would be just about anybody's dream pool

because there's two with a stone bridge,

wet decks, and upper pool that's 32 feet long

and a lower pool that's even bigger and deeper.

And every bit of it is a nod

to homeowners jessica and tim's family trips to the caribbean.

We kind of had a little bahama flair in our heads

when we brought chad in.

Chad: Tim's expectations were he wanted to feel like

he was out on the ocean, in a coral reef

or in deep water, and wanted a place for all of his kids

and family and friends to congregate

and hang out and enjoy the backyard.

A 2-level pool in this backyard was ideal.

The upper pool is 4 1/2, 5-foot deep,

and that pool was designed to look like a coral reef,

so it's green, and as you walk down around the pool,

you get to the lower pool, that pool is about 10 foot deep,

so we wanted that to look like deep ocean water,

so we went with a dark blue down in that area,

and it worked out perfectly.

Tim: Here in front of grill, family all around,

everybody having a great time.

We're about to eat some good fajitas.

Whoo-hoo!

Jessica: We have four kids, and they have lots of friends,

and it's a madhouse, so I want to feel like

I'm at a resort or at a beach or somewhere not where there's,

you know, a laundry room and a kitchen and all those things.

So I love that it's just sort of a getaway and an oasis,

and we can just walk right out the back door.

Tim's biggest requirement was he wanted

to use some holey boulders.

We hadn't used them.

They're difficult to use. They're porous.

They let water through them, so we had to figure out

a way to incorporate those in there.

That was a major concern.

Tim: It's limestone that has holes in it.

Out in nature, they collect dirt and then which flowers will hit,

and then it's really a live rock.

I like the limestone color

and the irish mist color of that upper pool,

and that combination, I fell in love with.

Chad: Fire was the other option that was not really an option.

He needed it in there. He wanted it in there.

Jessica: I love the fire bowl.

That's definitely one of my favorite things.

We're super proud of what chad has done

and all of the other guys, too.

Girl: My favorite thing about this backyard is just how

it brings everybody together, and it really is just

one big family here when everybody is here.

It's just awesome.

It's really been just a great way to get people together

and enjoy each other.

♪♪

narrator: This next pool is an intimate tropical getaway

right where you least expect it...

David: I just really wanted everything to feel like it

was ripped out of the islands and put in my backyard.

Narrator: ...And double the levels, double the fun.

Man: It has so many different areas that you can have fun in.

[ growls ]

♪♪

narrator: This pool is the ultimate getaway,

right in the heart of los angeles.

It feels like we're in hawaii, but we're in the middle of l.A.

It's like being on vacation.

Man: Crazy, awesome sweetness,

I would never expect this would be in los angeles.

The goal when I designed it was to make sure that I had a space

that was entertaining for me and my friends.

We could all just relax and enjoy.

Narrator: And what better way to relax

than to watch your favorite movie

while floating in the pool?

There's a 120-inch 4k retractable movie screen

hidden within the waterfall.

I conceptualized it, came up with the crazy idea of doing it,

designed it, and then built it.

The waterfall is pretty big.

It had to be high enough to house the screen

in a waterproof housing

which allows that water to go over the screen

and then down into the pool.

Narrator: Even though he's right in los angeles,

david wanted to make this pool

feel like a private tropical island,

separated from the hustle and bustle of big-city living.

I love hawaii, I love scuba diving,

so I wanted to have a great hawaiian theme

with natural rocks and free-flowing lines.

I just really wanted everything to feel like it

was ripped out of islands and put in my backyard.

This pool is 15x28 feet,

and it has three separate waterfalls.

The system that we developed has two pumps

which are variable speed,

which will allow you to design the speed

and sound that you wish whenever you want to.

I just turn on the waterfalls, and I sit out back

and I enjoy it.

You look at the pool during the daytime.

It's a great place to have friends over,

barbecue, and just enjoy the space.

-Woman: Whoo! -[ laughs ]

as soon as the sun sets,

it's almost like you have your own sort of hollywood premiere.

It's movie time! -Yay!

-Whoo! -[ speaks indistinctly ]

basically during the daytime,

you can enjoy the pool in the sun,

and then in the nighttime when the screen drops down,

it's just straight-up movie night.

You basically go from hawaii to a movie theater

in, like, 5 hours.

Designing an entertainment space with a unique pool,

I definitely nailed it.

♪♪

narrator: From l.A. To vegas,

get ready for a pool that's larger than life.

This pool is all about entertainment.

I wanted a place where if you have a big party,

people felt comfortable no matter where they were.

It's so modern and futuristic.

If I was a kid, and you showed me this pool,

I wouldn't even believe that it existed.

♪♪

it was made to entertain.

Narrator: And that was mark's first priority -- entertaining.

The second priority?

Building a pool that was similar in scope and style

as the rest of this futuristic home off the las vegas strip.

We had, like, four or five different designs

that we went through,

and we finally came up with this one,

and I think it really ties in with the house.

There's a lot of details that go into making this a perfect spot.

Every which way you turn, there's a wow factor.

The doors slide back and really do blur the line

between inside and outside.

♪♪

as you come out of the living room/kitchen area,

you'll see there's a swim-up bar.

There's a water feature.

You can see the entire las vegas strip

over the swim-up bar.

And it has a tv that pops up out of the fountain in case

you need to watch the game.

The pool is 1,400 square feet.

Narrator: And it is a complete play pool.

It's flanked by two wet decks

and starts at a shallow 3-1/2-foot depth.

The pool slopes down to only 5 feet in the middle,

comfortable enough for the average adult

to stand and chill.

This project has two spas, one hidden in the pool.

You really have to look for it to even notice it.

The other is actually on the master patio.

That spa is all stainless steel

with a 2-inch-thick acrylic window

all across the front with a perfect view of the city.

We are really proud of how we were able to integrate the fire

and the water in so many different places.

Narrator: There are five fountains

that fall 14 feet from a canopy into the hidden spa.

Across the pool, four more decorative fountains

shoot up from the catch basin over a custom-made fire bar.

It's 55 feet long, and it has 30 feet of fire

that comes up from beyond the infinity edge.

So when you're in the home and you look out,

it actually looks like the fire is coming out of the water.

David: A little bit of sleight of hand there

that just really has a cool feel.

We had to really work to make that backyard amazing,

and it took a long time.

This is definitely the best spot in vegas.

I mean, this is way better than the nightclubs for god's sake.

Look at this!

You got a great view of the city,

and you don't have any crowds.

This pool is great. It has great architecture,

of course an amazing view, good company.

What else can you ask for?

This house was built to party.

There's no question about it, that's for sure.

♪♪

narrator: You won't believe how these people transformed

an average backyard in dallas

into a modern playground and palace.

You've got two fire bowls sitting there.

You've got the waterfall at your feet.

Cheers!

And in the hills of texas, if two pools weren't enough,

the hidden features are what keep the guests

coming back for more. -Aah!

♪♪

♪♪

I'm a designer. I always want the wow factor.

♪♪

I'm feeling like a king. Crown me.

Just kick back and relax, like this.

How can you not feel like royalty?

You've got two fire bowls sitting there.

You've got the waterfall at your feet.

It's a beautiful setting.

A setting that you wouldn't believe is just

outside of dallas, texas.

I certainly don't feel like

we're in the middle of texas, you know?

I feel like we're on a resort.

When you look around the yard, every area

has a fantastic element to it, fire, water,

and it balances beautifully.

To make it a primo party pool, the design and build team

transformed a flat suburban yard into an ultramodern pool

with a dramatic landscape and multiple areas to entertain.

My inspiration, I think, came from kind of boutique hotels.

What I wanted to do was create an area

that rivaled the best resorts.

But to get the feel of a dream-caliber resort,

they had to double the current backyard space.

The homeowner actually purchased the property next door,

which was a vacant lot, so that they could expand

their house and outdoor living space.

They had a small pool that was existing on their lot

but just not quite up to snuff for the life

that they wanted to live here.

♪♪

with this property,

we really had the challenge of a pretty flat lot.

We don't have an ocean view.

We don't have a mountaintop view,

so we really had to try to create some interest

and some elevation changes.

Narrator: The pool is framed

by a transparent wall with fountains

and fire that look into the spa.

Across the spa is a large deck that overlooks everything.

They created interest belowground

by adding a sunken firepit, with seating

that puts you at eye level with the pool.

The sunken firepit is not a space

that I've had in another project before this.

It's very relaxing, for sure.

[ glasses clink ] both:Cheers!

Narrator: In the center of it all is a 700-square-foot pool

made entirely out of custom materials.

The coping that you see around the pool,

it's a cast concrete product called hardstone.

That was a unique challenge.

It was one of those elements that I really wanted.

Step treads, stair treads.

We have radius pieces on the sunken firepit area.

It had to be all custom-made.

The designer made things difficult. [ laughs ]

there's fire in a couple places.

On the raised not-wood deck behind the pool,

there's two fire bowls

and then in the sunken firepit, obviously.

At the entryway, there is a see-through firepit

that is viewable from both the auto port and the spa.

In the end, it's stunning.

Woman: This pool is absolutely amazing,

and I don't imagine spending my Friday anywhere else.

Jump in the pool!

You come in here, and it's just...Ahh.

It is absolutely about creating dreams,

and that really is, I think, the fun part of what we do.

At the end of the day, it's about creating a space

where our families and friends

can just relax, have fun, make memories together.

I make art that people swim in.

Narrator: This pool has it all.

Man: We have a top pool and a bottom pool,

and we have two hot tubs.

My favorite space is the grotto.

The slide is my favorite.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

narrator: When one pool and one hot tub isn't enough,

you double it

and spread the party out over two different levels

just like betty and chris did in the texas hill country.

We have a top pool and a bottom pool,

and we have two hot tubs, one on each level.

John: I definitely set the bar pretty high with this one,

nothing about this pool that's cookie-cutter.

Narrator: Starting with a 14-foot drop

that's built to take advantage of this hillside property

and create a dramatic negative edge

between the two separate pools,

the wall is 40 feet long and tiled top to bottom,

a feat that took this builder 3 months alone to finish.

Chris: We wanted that negative-edge look

where you can sit on the water

and it just looked like the water never ends,

and the blue just kind of tied everything together.

The two pools are separate in location, size

and even how they get used.

The upper pool is all about relaxation,

and the lower pool is made to party.

The upper pool, you can sit there and have some cocktails,

and then it's got two steps going into the pool.

Cheers! Cheers.

We were able to do things

I've never done before like the rain curtain.

It took about a year to build.

John was great to work with.

It was great.

This was very challenging.

It took us 12 months to build it because nothing was normal.

Nothing was standard.

Everything had to be thought out.

Narrator: But when it was all done, he created a pool

that accents the beautiful hill country view.

I make art that people swim in.

The lower pool is 9 foot deep.

Narrator: Perfect for cannonballs

and all of the fun stuff,

like a must-have lightning-fast slide.

Betty wanted to have a slide.

The slide is my favorite.

-Whoo! -[ laughs ]

most slides are unattractive, so we designed this

to where it kind of blended in naturally,

couldn't see it from the house or from the back porch,

but yet when you're over in that area, it fit perfectly.

This place is awesome, and I love the pool!

Go, caleb!

Narrator: Here is the best part of the lower pool.

Head under the waterfall, and you'll find a hidden spa

that from up top you would never know existed.

My favorite space is the grotto.

With the hot tub, it's very peaceful.

It's about 20 foot by 22 foot, so it's quite large.

The grotto spa is about 15 feet in diameter.

He wanted to be able to have a lot of people get in it

when he was entertaining.

We have stamped cement that arcs on the ceiling.

It's very secluded. It's very private.

It has its own tv.

It has a sound system down there as well.

It has so many different areas that you can have fun in.

That's the real unique thing about this.

You can get in the pool. You can get in the spa.

You can sit by the fire.

It's just the perfect ambiance.

John: He has a lot of people here quite often.

Everyone that's seen it, they think it's stunning.

Going up!

We have parties almost every weekend.

We've had up to maybe 75, 80 people here at one time,

and it doesn't feel crowded or busy or anything like that.

You walk out your back door, and you're in your spot,

and you don't have to go anywhere else.

It's all right here.

It's a place to come have fun, relax.

This is a stress-free zone.

We have a lot of entertaining going on.

♪♪

narrator: These pools are not for your average lazy Sunday.

-Yay! -Whoo-hoo!

Narrator: By taking on the unthinkable,

these homeowners dared to create a backyard experience

second to none.

Their pools are larger than life,

fearless in their vision, and built for one epic party.

♪♪