Heat and grip are the whole brief
A pool deck has two jobs no other slab has: it gets walked on barefoot in direct August sun, and it gets walked on wet. Those pull in opposite directions from a normal patio spec, and a deck that ignores either one is a deck people avoid.
Lighter colors and textured finishes both run measurably cooler than a smooth dark slab. That is why a dark stamped pattern that looks stunning on a shaded patio can be the wrong call around a pool with no tree cover, and we will say so at the estimate rather than sell you the more expensive finish.
Slip resistance is a spec, not a hope
Sealer is what makes a decorative surface slick. On every pool deck we seal, a slip-resistant additive goes into the sealer as standard rather than as an upgrade. Broom and textured finishes carry their own grip. Either way it is decided before the pour, not discovered after.
Drainage matters just as much. Water has to run away from the coping and away from the house, and standing water on a pool deck is both a slip problem and, over years, a staining and algae problem.
New decks and resurfacing
New pool decks we pour, form and finish start to finish, tied into the coping. Resurfacing an existing deck is a different conversation and it comes down entirely to the condition of what is already there: an overlay is only as sound as the slab it sits on, and putting a beautiful new surface over a slab that is settling is money spent on a countdown.
We will look at yours and tell you plainly which one you are looking at. If it should be replaced rather than resurfaced, we would rather say that up front than take the smaller job and have you call us again in two years.