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Dallas' swankiest hotel pool makes splash as TikTok's 3rd most popular U.S. swim spot

There’s no better cure for the unbearable summer heat than a dip into the chilly waters of some of Dallas' best pools. And you can’t forget to snap a cute photo for your TikTok and Instagram feeds. The place to be this summer? The pool at The Joule.

The distinctive cantilevered pool, which sits on the 10th-floor of the hotel overlooking downtown Dallas, is the third most popular U.S. pool on TikTok, according to a new report.

The study by BonusFinder.com analyzed data from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to find the most mentioned, photographed, and viewed pools from around America. The Joule finished 14th in the overall rankings for "most picturesque U.S. pool," which included pools from across the country, earning a score of 8.82 out of 10.

But it came in third among TikTok users alone, garnering over 122 million views.

First place went to Mirage Pool at the Mirage, Las Vegas (over 754 million TikTok views), and second place went to the historic Neptune Pool at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California (over 350 million TikTok views). Right behind the Joule, two Vegas pools, The Backyard at the Red Rock Casino and the pool at Resorts World, rounded out TikTok's top 5.

"The Joule's unique 8-foot cantilevered pool provides guests the sensation of swimming out beyond the hotel's edge - equally voyeuristic for those swimming or those standing on the street below," touts the Joule's website. "With 360 degree views of historic Downtown Dallas, The Joule gives 'hanging out by the pool' a whole new meaning."

Lucky for Dallasites, you don't have to be a hotel guest to visit the pool. Limited day passes can be booked, Sundays through Thursdays.

When it comes to over rankings for "most picturesque," a popular Austin swimming hole made a splash. Austin's Barton Springs was named fourth most picturesque overall, and was actually the most Instagrammed pool in the U.S., the study says.

The study revealed that videos of Barton Springs had been viewed over 28.5 million times on TikTok and hashtagged over 15,000 times on Instagram.

In total, Las Vegas hosts six of the top 10 most photogenic pools on BonusFinder’s list. Mandalay Bay Beach and The Mirage in Las Vegas were deemed the No. 1 and No. 2 most photogenic pools, and just above Barton Springs in the third place rank was The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. Other pools on the list were found in Glenwood Springs, Colorado (No. 6) and Atlantic City, New Jersey (No. 10).

The top 10 most photogenic pools in the United States are:

No. 1 – Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas
No. 2 – The Mirage in Las Vegas
No. 3 – The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California
No. 4 – Barton Springs in Austin
No. 5 – The Tank at Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
No. 6 – Glenwood Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
No. 7 – The Backyard at Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas
No. 8 – Stadium Swim at Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas
No. 9 – Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas
No. 10 – The Water Club at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey

One other Texas pool earned ranks outside the top 10: the Marriott Marquis Houston (No. 18).

Fintan Costello, the managing director at BonusFinder.com, said Americans are “turning their attention to where they can kick back and enjoy catching some rays by the poolside” with their spring break and upcoming summer holidays.

“Luckily, the study shows that the U.S. is blessed with some of the best and most picturesque pools in the world and there are plenty of idyllic escapes that can be found across America, without ever having to leave the country,” he explained in a statement.

The full study can be found on bonusfinder.com.

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy of The Joule

The Joule's pool is cantilevered out over downtown.

Swimming Pool Texas Hotspot barton springs

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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