Punta Cana International's new VIP airport lounge to feature an outdoor swimming pool, Dominican Republic

As far as airport amenities go, Punta Cana International's latest offering might be the coolest one yet.

From this December, travellers waiting to fly out from the Dominican Republic-based airport will be able to go for a dip or lounge around an outdoor pool just steps from the runway.

The pool will be one of many luxury features offered at a new lounge, which will be the airport's third VIP lounge, Travel and Leisure reports. Its existing ones, located in Terminal A and B, are open to "select elite status fliers on participating airlines" as well as Priority Pass members and passengers who purchase a pass to access both lounges.

The size of the pool as well as who will be able to access the airport's newest lounge, how much a day pass will cost, and what other facilities will be available at the new VIP lounge, are all yet to be confirmed.

Designed by Dominican architect, Antonio Segundo Imbert, the new pool feature is the latest in a series of expansions the airport has seen since the early 2000s. Built in 1983, the airport has a traditional Dominican architectural style with a tropical and contemporary feel, featuring open-air terminals with thatched palm-covered roofs and modern interiors.

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Punta Cana is operated by Corporación Aeroportuaria del Este, S.A, a corporation run by the Puntacana Resort & Club. While its new pool might be the first one offered in an airport lounge, it is one of many pools available on site at airport hotels around the world.

Singapore's Changi Airport, which was recently named the world's best airport for the fifth year running, features a rooftop pool at the top of the Aerotel Airport Transit Hotel at Terminal One. The luxurious facility, which overlooks the runway, also has a Jacuzzi, poolside bar and shower facilities.