On your paver surface question, either one is probably just fine. I'm sure with non-pruned feet, both would be super. I suppose for very sensitive feet, and pruned feet at that, the one with the natural cleft surface may have some feeling to it. But again, it looks so modest, that its likely more of an appearance thing. I think on the appearance side, if you are going with a very geometric setting and tile that leans contemporary, I'd go with contemporary (smooth). While our pool is geometric, everything around it is a bit more rustic and certainly our garden is on the cottage garden style, so our stamped concrete (similar to the Alpine Ridge) is a good fit.
But essentially I'm saying little to no performance difference in my view. Either will certainly not be slippery since they are pavers that absorb water. The only thing there is if you have shaded areas that could get green over time (from not being cleaned), they can get slippery when wet, or even when not.