The Hotel Pool Theory

the social magic of our vacation selves

I have a theory: a special kind of social magic happens at hotel pools.

Take a little trip with me and hear me out….

You’re there, you settle into a lounge chair and take one big exhale. You spend a few unhurried hours under an umbrella, finally open the book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for months, watch your children swim, or better yet, swim with them like you’re a kid again. You order lunch in a bathing suit and somehow anything brought over on a cute little tray feels impossibly perfect.

No one is trying to get through their inbox, in fact, they’re actively avoiding it. Phones are shoved deep into the bottoms of straw bags, naps are had, maybe a drink or two is ordered and no one has a hard stop to rush off to the next thing. The collective energy is happier, less stressed, more generous. People are lingering and lingering has become a surprisingly rare luxury.