The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle and the Alcazar Hotel Pool in St. Augustine are both iconic early 20th-century (and late 19th-century) examples of luxury inspired by historic design, but they offer very different experiences.
Hearst Castle’s Roman Pool, built between 1927 and 1934, is an indoor marvel of classical design. Its floor-to-ceiling mosaic smalti—deep blues, fiery oranges, and gold-fused glass tiles—create a shimmering, almost celestial effect inspired by the 5th-century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. Marble statues of Roman gods, goddesses, and heroes, including the famous athlete “Apoxyomenos,” lend the pool a sense of ancient grandeur. The pool was heated, and the surrounding complex included exercise rooms, sweat baths, a handball court, and dressing rooms—echoing the function and style of a Roman bath.
The Alcazar Hotel Pool, on the other hand, opened in 1888 and was completed in 1889. At the time, it was the largest indoor swimming pool in the world. Designed as part of the opulent Gilded Age resort, the pool featured a grand ballroom above it, from which guests could dive directly into the water below. Its architectural style reflected Spanish and Moorish Revival influences rather than classical Roman ones. The Alcazar Pool was a social and recreational centerpiece, hosting water polo matches, diving exhibitions, and gymnastic performances. Today, while the pool itself has been repurposed as Café Alcazar in the Lightner Museum, the space retains its sense of grandeur and historic flair.
Both pools showcase luxury, architectural ambition, and the power of design to transport guests to a different era. Hearst’s Roman Pool is an intimate homage to ancient Rome, with classical statuary and mosaic artistry creating a ritualistic bathing experience. The Alcazar Pool reflects the Gilded Age’s flair for spectacle, combining grand engineering, recreation, and European-inspired elegance. Together, they highlight how historic European styles were reimagined in American resorts, whether on the sun-drenched coast of Florida or the rolling hills of California.
