If the promise of a swim without sharing loungers with strangers is what sells you on a booking, Condé Nast Traveller UK has just published a curated shortlist you'll want to bookmark: 27 Airbnbs with private pools spread across six continents. The common thread is that none of them ask you to compromise on style to get your own water — several come with infinity edges, spa-grade Jacuzzis or pool setups that would look at home at a full-blown resort.

The editors have matched picks to traveller types, which makes the list unusually practical. Couples get pointed towards a traditional villa in South Kuta, Bali — an easy base for the island's beaches and temples with a plunge all to yourselves. Families are steered to Villa Almedina in Marbella, on Spain's Costa del Sol, where a private pool solves the eternal problem of keeping kids entertained between meals. Big groups have Villa Blue in Ibiza, which sounds built for villa-holiday crews who want space to spread out. Design lovers get Trulli Salamida in Alberobello, Puglia — one of those distinctive cone-roofed stone houses southern Italy is famous for — and anyone who books mainly for the view is sent to Javalina in Portugal's Douro Valley, where the pool comes with terraced vineyard country as a backdrop.

The selection isn't random, either. The listings were vetted on Superhost status, ratings, amenities, location, previous guest reviews and decor, so you're not gambling on a misleading photo set. Worth remembering that Condé Nast Traveller picks these independently but earns an affiliate commission if you book through their links — standard practice for this kind of roundup, and no reason to doubt the curation, but good to know.

Why it matters: a private pool is one of the few upgrades that genuinely changes the shape of a holiday. It turns downtime into part of the itinerary — early laps before breakfast, a midnight dip, no scramble for sunbeds — and often costs less per person than a resort of equivalent standard, especially when the bill is split between a group. The spread of destinations here also means there's something for most seasons: Puglia and the Douro for European summer, Bali when you need winter sun, Marbella and Ibiza for classic Mediterranean breaks. If you've got a trip loosely in mind but no accommodation yet, working backwards from a great pool villa is not a bad way to plan it.

For the full gallery of all 27 properties — including the ones beyond Europe and Asia — the original roundup is the place to look.