Prepare now for next year's poolside adventures with your own private cabana. The beach cabin by Mary Bloch was created for Bonacina Pierantonio and offers a hotel style personal cabana. The updated version of a 1960s classic has a honey colored woven base of polycore over aluminum and a brightly striped cover that offers shade and rest with the bonus of two neatly placed viewing windows, one on each side, which can be closed for more privacy (i.e. napping). The fabric is waterproof and the stool and back cushion are extra. The basic cabin is $4,899 with the stool costing $2,123. A variety of colors are available.

Taste is subjective, and one man's dream is another man's nightmare. Take for example this custom pool table. It was crafted by Florida's Hurricane Custom Billiards specially for Unique Autosports South, the Miami showroom of the purveyor of custom rides for Hollywood's finest. Since Unique's whips are all about big wheels and bling, Hurricane built this table out of chromed steel and mounted it on four giant rims with ultra-low-profile tires. They topped it off with black leather trim and a black felt table top, and mounted a custom lighting kit capable of reproducing 1000 colors, just for good measure. And while this may not be your proverbial slice of pie, Hurricane Custom Billiards is capable of crafting a table to suit your taste, no matter how outlandish.

A basic trip to Los Cabos, Mexico implies a large hotel room with a view of the beach. Within minutes of putting your bathing suit on, you'll have sand between your toes. This sort of baseline can make it tough for a hotel to stand out. If every one is within striking distance of that lovely turquoise water – and each has an attentive staff and cozy digs – what can one hotel do differently? Upon entering my room at Hoteles Marquis Los Cabos, I learned the answer: everything.

You realize that Hoteles Marquis is a special resort when you pull into the driveway. A covered outdoor lobby is framed by a dramatic space, with the curved walls leading your eye to a carefully designed display that links the statue to the pool to the water ... and ultimately to the horizon. Practicality is not sacrificed for the sake of design, however, as cool air is corralled to offset the powerful Cabo sun only footsteps away. The registration process is as swift as it can be, and a refreshing drink makes it a bit more enjoyable. Hey, forms have to be filled out and credit cards imprinted – nature of the beast.

The King of Morocco plans to open a new ultra-luxurious hotel, Le Royal Mansour Marrakech, in November. HM King Mohammed VI has spared no expense to create a new icon of Moroccan elegance and establish the locale as one if the world's premier luxury travel destinations. The hotel consists of 53 riads, Moroccan-style dwellings lavishly furnished with silks and brocades, ornate tiles, handcrafted wood and antique furniture and interior gardens, ranging in size from 1,400-sq.-ft. to a palatial 21,520-sq.-ft.

They feature roof terraces (above) with sun beds and private pools provide stunning views of Marrakech or the Atlas mountains. Built into the ancient wall of Marrakech, the resort recreates an historical medina and is punctuated with Andalusian courtyards, winding alleyways, and spectacular water displays and fountains. In addition to the riads, the eight-acre property will feature three restaurants and a 26,900 sq.-ft. spa located in its own glazed pavilion surrounded by a moat with a fitness center, treatment rooms, and an indoor pool.

Provocative fashion photographer David LaChapelle has listed his 1920s Spanish-style house in Los Angeles for $1.65 million. The three-bed, two-bath 1912-sq.-ft. pad, which is adjacent to the famed Chateau Marmont, is screened from the street by palm trees and features an open floor plan, tons of light, great outdoor spaces and a full-sized tiled pool with a secluded spa. It also has a newly remodeled kitchen, beautiful dark hardwood floors and views of the city lights. Considering that Mick Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott and punk god Henry Rollins are also selling their Hollywood houses, we have to wonder whether all the cool people are fleeing Los Angeles. Hopefully they're just trading up.

The house was first put up for sale in January for $1.55 million and quickly listed in the MLS as looking for backup but recently appeared back on the market at its new price.

A company called Crystal Lagoons has announced an ambitious new project, to build the world's largest swimming pool in the Egyptian desert. The pool will consist of twelve giant lagoons at the Sharm El Sheikh beach. The pool is part of a master building plan that includes homes, hotels, a museum and a shopping center. Crystal Lagoons built the current world's largest pool which is at San Alfonso del Mar in Chile. It will be soon be surpassed by its Egyptian relative, which is expected to be finished around July 2009.

Pool tables come in all shapes and sizes, but until recently the technology and design of different brands has remained fairly uniform. But a unique design coming from Australian industrial design student Craig Nottage is changing all that, and revolutionizing the way some look at pool table technology. Its transparent surface is the result of replacing the usual slate with toughened glass and topping it with a patented transparent resin called Vitrik instead of the usual felt. It supposedly feels nearly the same to play on as any other pool table, plus you get the sensation of the balls floating on air as they roll across towards the pocket. $25,000

I like it. What do you think?

Via Dvice

Now that's a pool table.

The above masterpiece is from the custom Luxury Billiards line available through BallerToys. The Noblesse Luxury Billiards Table (above) retails for $177,000. From BallerToys:

"The legs and ornamental decoration are finished in gold leafs, and the rails feature inlaid 18 carat gold diamonds. This luxury pool table also features high quality professional cloth and microfiber pockets with built-in LED or fiber optic lighting."

The tables in the Luxury Billiards collection are designed by world champion Billiardsman Vincent Facquet, and currently, the neo-gothic "Royal" and "Majeste" are also available at the same price. The tables all include a large cue and ball drawer, as well as back-lit pockets.

More information is available from BallerHouse.

Baller Toys is a new website designed to bring you the very best in glamorous home entertainment--and we're not talking TVs and stereos!

Above is the Climatech 1001 Climate Controlled Cabinet Humidor. At $4,695.00, it is the least expensive of the four humidors available from Baller Toys.

Some exclusive items from the luxury website include:

• Mars Made and MartinBauer custom billiards tables ($35,000-$100,000)
  

• Teckell crystal foosball tables ($7,500-$10,000, other designer foosball tables up to $27,000)
  

• The International Dance Party, one-of-a-kind party machine ($67,000)

• VirtualGT Racing Simulators ($18,995+)

Keep an eye on Baller Toys for great things now and in the future. We love their motto: "Nothing is too extravagant."

The cool design and home blog Apartment Therapy (AT) always has a fresh idea. I've been reading it periodically for a few years, and every time I do, I vow to completely redo my space. Anyway ... The site recently featured a summertime-appropriate post on the Disk Chair, designed by Karim Rashid and made by Ferlea to look like a "spoon folded." AT noted it would be great for poolside or patio, as it's made of fiberglass over a steel frame, but AT commenters had a good point: seems like a sweatfest waiting to happen on a hot day. I think it looks fun and comfortable, albeit maybe with a cushier seat or a towel. Available in black, yellow or white; includes a single foam and polyester cushion. Owo Italia has it for a bit more than $2,000 (European pricing).

Garden and outdoor company Smith & Hawken is offering, for a limited time, free shipping on its premium teak chaise collection when you order online. That's a savings of 11% of the final price of the item plus an additional savings of $50 per item for the chaises in this collection. This means you can buy an additional piece so the family's not fighting over who gets the teak chaise by the pool. The more you spend, the more you save!

I like the Saranac Chaise. Designed by Frederic Spector, it's fitted with a four-position backrest and three-way under-knee support. Wheels make it easy to move from lawn to poolside, and a pull-out tray holds snacks, beverages or reading material. Ecologically farmed teak will withstand rain, snow and sun. Assembly required; $1,499.

Check out the gallery below for the other Smith & Hawken teak chaises that qualify for the free shipping offer.

Thanks, GP, for this tip.

Although here in the Midwest pool season is almost over, there are those lucky to be living in areas where they may just be getting started with the warm season or else it's toasty all year round. For those folks (or those of us in colder climates can put it on our wish list for next year) this Aquapub not only looks like bunches of fun, but it looks like unique fun your neighbors probably aren't offering. It's one thing to enjoy a Mai Tai by the pool, but what about in it? That can be a little awkward unless you have the Aquapub that seats six and comes complete with cup holders, 2 stashes, and an umbrella. It drains water, is a portable 90 lbs and is made of recycled materials. What more could you want?


Via Lussorian

It's the time of year when New York city dwellers make the inevitable trek out to the Hamptons, braving the legendary traffic. The Hotel Gansevoort wants to give you another option with their "Who Needs The Hamptons?" package. The package offers an urban resort experience. Hang out beside the hotel's 45-foot long rooftop pool, and receive a pool bag with Evian water, misting spray, a hat and a towel, suntan lotion and a can of Red Bull, complimentary cocktails, breakfast buffet, lunch for two at Plunge, Hotel Gansevoort's rooftop bar and a bottle of Moet & Chandon. The package costs $565 for a deluxe room and $895 for a suite. The Hamptons are pretty, but the pools don't have a view like this.

This Mini Cooper S Limo doesn't have the traditional "classy" look that most limos do, but it more than makes up for it with unique features and "cute" appeal. Wouldn't it be fun to go cruising around town in a Mini Cooper but get to take more than just 1 or 2 squished friends with you? Some features included inside are leather (a given in any limo), seats for 6, a retractable flat screen TV with DVD player, and a swimming pool.

Yes, that's right. Now they are really using the term "swimming pool" loosely here, but sure enough there is a pool/whirlpool tub thing built right into the rear of the vehicle big enough to fit two adults. Just don't take any fast turns or your guests might slosh right out.

When I saw Paul's post over at A Luxury Travel Blog about the Tank pool at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, I knew I had to investigate. The $20 million swimming pool offer the chance to swim with sharks from a safe distance. The massive pool has a 200,000-gallon shark tank, three-story waterslide and cabanas. The waterslide takes you right past the sharks and there is also a bar. Suites in the hotels start at $159.