Here's how you can beat the heat this summer with a no-fuss pool day within city limits

Sunday mid-day Assistant Editor Debjani Paul chilld as the sun sets behind her; (right) The view of the airport from Iconiqa’s rooftop pool

The Sunday mid-day team loves to work hard - in fact, we bring you this 36-page edition every Sunday, because we love it. But we also like to let our hair down - and that's when we decided we would go for a team outing.

But it's summer in the city, and whatever we did had to be one that didn't tire us out. So we decided on a pool day. But, finding a pool in the city that doesn't need a membership or expect you to shell out a hefty cover charge was like finding a needle in a haystack.

The Sunday mid-day team enjoyed their much-deserved evening out

We first tried calling favours from our friends who have memberships at gymkhanas. But, as we found out, gymkhanas take the summer to ban guests at pools - as they are full of kids of members, all enjoying their summer holidays. We then tried to get an in at Soho House, but we were told more than four guests are not allowed at the pool there.

We then chanced upon ICONIQA, a lifestyle hotel near the airport, where you can book yourself a reservation at the Bombay Swim Club, and get to use the pool. There is a minimum spend of Rs 2000 per guest, but that will cover your drinks and food, and seems value-for-money for as many hours in the pool. You can stay in the pool till 11 pm!

We reached the hotel at 5 pm, and the glistening blue water, and the view of the airport beyond, made our hearts soar. The water was just right, and the cool breeze that started in the evening last Wednesday, kept our spirits high. We played a game of truth and dare, as we chilled in the water, and on the deck chairs with beers, and now we know each other much better than we desired. Laugh out loud!

All said and done, the evening was good for our sore weary bodies and hearts. We needed a break from the hustle. If you, your family, friends or team want to do a pool day, you can borrow our plan. It's guaranteed fun!

For reservations at the Bombay Swim Club (located at ICONIQA Hotel, Andheri East): You can call 8655691535 or 8655174224