The Hashtag
#InfinityPool captured luxury resort pools where the edge appears to merge with the horizon, creating the illusion of endless water—Instagram’s ultimate travel flex.
Origins
Infinity pools existed since the 1960s, but Instagram turned them into status symbols. Bali’s Ubud Hanging Gardens and Santorini’s cliffside pools became must-photograph destinations.
The trend peaked 2015-2018 when travel bloggers realized infinity pool photos generated massive engagement. Hotels started designing pools specifically to be “Instagrammable.”
Cultural Impact
The perfect infinity pool shot:
- Person (usually woman in bikini) at pool edge
- Arms stretched wide or floating peacefully
- Pool appearing to blend with ocean/valley below
- Golden hour lighting mandatory
- Often aerial drone shot
What it represented:
- Ultimate luxury travel flex
- “Living my best life” at its peak
- Hotel marketing gold (infinity pools = bookings)
- Unattainable aspirational lifestyle
- Wealth inequality on display
The reality behind the photos:
- Fighting other influencers for the shot
- Tiny pool swarmed with tourists
- Shots taken at 6 AM to avoid crowds
- Hotels charging $500+/night minimum
- “Infinity pool” sometimes just a regular pool with strategic cropping
Hotels caught on:
- Designed pools purely for aesthetics over function
- Created “Instagram walls” and photo spots
- Offered “day passes” to non-guests for photos ($50-$150)
- Some banned photography during peak hours
By 2020, infinity pools became performative luxury. But they remained Instagram catnip—the aspirational image that drove both bookings and envy.