Recently completely renovated (re-opend 2014), this 50 Meter Pool in the les Halles complex will be only one thing when you go there for the first time: hard to find. Right now (Summer 2015) during the constructions, you want to be heading for the entrance of the UGC Cinema, Sortie Porte du Louvre and search for the very few signs. I´ll be honest: I was walking around for 10 Minutes like an Idiot and I´ve been in Les Halles a couple of times before that. Don´t give up if you cannot find it straight away, it does exist.
Showers and changing rooms are separated for men and women, but the showers are not separated from the pool, which is a bit odd, but I didn´t mind. Speaking of odd - the basin is an odd one too. (claimed) 80cm at one End, 1 Meter 60 at the other and bang in the middle of the pool there is a trench of 1 Meter 80+ depth.
Lanes are specifically assigned to certain swimming speeds - something that is seen as merely a suggestion for the swimmers as (perceived) Olympic gold medallists see no problem swimming in the "slow" lane, while the lane for the really fast swimmers is occupied by floaters who let the current carry them to the other side of the basin. But this is pretty much the same everywhere in Paris.
Positive:
Despite being a basement-pool, the windows let a lot of natural light in on a sunny day. Staff was really friendly and everything was in good condition and clean.
I personally don´t mind paying more for this pool than for most of the others in Paris (4,50€ instead of the more common 3€) since it was really clean and new.
Negatives: Only pool with hairdryers you have to pay for (20 cent) that I´ve ever seen. Not only in Paris, but anywhere in Europe. In one Word: Ridiculous.
Also concerning money: If you buy a Card for 10 entrances, they demand a 5€ security deposit for the card. These cards literally cost a couple of cents when you buy them in a big batch, a 5€ security deposit on something like that is either silly or a cash-grab.
Basin very shallow at one end, I think the 80cm they claim is optimistic. Some of the changing cabins have holes in the walls, but since men and women are separated, that may not be such a big issue here. read more