When we bought our house six years ago, the pool house had a large, broken built-in hot tub.  Years previously, it stopped working, but couldn’t easily be fixed because it was in the ground.

Ben cut apart the old tub with a saw, leaving a huge hole behind.

We filled it with dirt, followed by a layer with crushed gravel at the top before pouring a layer of concrete.

With the concrete done, we took several days to tile the floor throughout the pool house.  Finally, we created board and batten walls, painting everything clean white.

While all of those steps are exciting in their own right, none of it made the space function as it is intended: as a pool and hot tub hang out.  Though we do have the pool liner and the supplies necessary to complete it, time is in short supply lately, so it hasn’t been finished.  However, we do now have water in here other than the bathroom and kitchen sink.

After months of research of different brands of hot tubs, we pulled the trigger and bought a spa over the weekend.  Before getting the spa in place, Ben installed an outdoor rated connection box.

Earlier than we expected, four guys and a hot tub showed up.  They put the hot tub on a special cart, pushing it up the hill, with a few Catmint plants getting pushed down in the process.  Luckily, they’ll grow back just fine.

Ben pulled out both panels of the back sliding door, giving them a 6 foot wide opening to get it inside.

Once inside, they tipped the cart to the side, setting the tub on the floor, easily sliding it into place.  Ben hooked up the electrical connection while their installer put the lift and cover in place.

As previously mentioned, Ben had been researching options for months.  Our biggest requirement was a tub small enough to fit in our 6 foot deep by 7.5 foot wide space (before the back angled walls begin).  From there, we found three tubs locally available.

First, the Jacuzzi J-315 2/3 seater with the shell in Silver Pearl and Brazilian Teak for the cabinet.  $6,300, including a cover, cover lift, and delivery.  This one measures 76″ by 66″ by 32″, has 21 jets, and 2 filters.

Next, the Dover from Sundance Spas (Sundance is a sister company of Jacuzzi) with the shell in Platinum and an Autumn Walnut cabinet for $6,000, including delivery.  Measuring 60″ by 84″ by 29.5″, it has 22 jets, and 1 filter.

 

Finally, the Nashville from Marquis with a Glacier shell and Slate cabinet surround.  This one was $5,800 including a cover, cover lift, and delivery.  This one is 69″ by 82″ by 30.5″, has 23 jets, and 1 filter.

 

Based on looks alone, I preferred the Jacuzzi interior and the way the Sundance cabinet goes to the floor.  Being the cheapest, the Marquis also looked the cheapest to me.  From a maintenance/function stand point, Ben liked the Jacuzzi jets and filters.  Another main selling point came down to the warranty.  Jacuzzi and Sundance, being sister companies offer the same warranty.

Marquis offers a 5 year warranty on the shell structure, 3 years on plumbing and equipment, 2 years on the shell surface, 1 year on the cabinet, components, and parts.  We ruled out the Marquis pretty quickly.

With the Jacuzzi and Sundance being sister companies, the tubs are pretty similar.  The biggest tipping point for one over the other was the jet construction, so Jacuzzi won.

Unfortunately, due to the way the cover lift works, the tub couldn’t be placed with the longer side along the back wall.  Well, technically, it would work, but would have to be pulled out from the wall about 16 inches to allow the cover when open.  Instead, we rotated it 90 degrees and it sits about 4 inches away from the wall.

The tub came with a Prolast fabric cover in Sienna, but I’d like to get a gray cover down the road.

At the original fill level, just below the headrests, the water level was too high for me.  I scooped out a few buckets of water and now it is the perfect way to relax.