You don’t need to be a guest at 1 Hotel to access the rooftop pool this summer

This year’s late-blooming summer kept Toronto in a holding pattern: peonies stalled, patio furniture unused and cardigans sticking around until mid-June. But, finally, the mercury is rising. It feels like summer 2025 is officially in session, and water babies everywhere are ready to make a splash.

Of course, the city’s public pools have their charms (the view from Sunnyside never disappoints), but they’re often packed, and they definitely don’t come with bottle service. And while Toronto’s handful of chic child-free pool decks—Soluna, Lavelle, Cabana Pool Bar—offer more adult-friendly escapes, snagging a lounger on the weekend can feel like a full-contact sport.

Related: Ten of Toronto’s best new patios to sit on this summer

This summer, though, there’s a new way to get wet, one that’s typically off-limits to the sunscreen-slathered masses. Sun Club—a globetrotting series of champagne-fuelled pop-ups hitting terraces in Aruba, Capri and Berlin—is unlocking the rooftop pool at 1 Hotel Toronto for anyone who isn’t a guest. Normally, the only way up is a room key for a $700-a-night suite. (Anyone can access Harriet’s, the rooftop restaurant. Pool privileges aren’t included, though.) But, from now through Labour Day, anyone can take a dip in the aerie’s swimming pool—no overnight stay required. The catch? You’ll need to buy some pricey bubbles.

To get in, you’ll need a Sun Club reservation and the willingness to commit to a $750 minimum spend. That number may raise eyebrows, but it’s not a rental fee—every dollar goes toward food and drink. So you’re not paying to just sit there; you’re simply agreeing to eat and drink like someone who uses the word summer as a verb. The only additional rule is that your tab has to include at least one bottle of Veuve’s new Rich cuvée, which is meant to be sipped over ice. (Yes, it’s actually called RICH, styled in all caps.)

Related: Inside the outrageously luxurious Nobu Hotel Toronto

So what does $750 worth of summer look like? Try a private cabana for you and seven friends, access to the usually off-limits rooftop pool and a rotating cast of DJs spinning daytime sets. It won’t take much to hit the minimum spend—three bottles of Rich will do it.

Still, there are a few value plays, relatively speaking. One standout: Harriet’s Tower, a tiered tray of snacky delights (grilled peaches with mozzarella, smoked meat sandwiches, caviar-topped waffles) served with a bottle of Rich for $275. That’s only around $15 more than the champagne alone. It’s basically a boozy, way-less-formal afternoon tea where bathing suits—not fancy hats—are de rigueur.