Best Large Spa

[JimBeam]

The wife and I have a large home with plenty of land. Our goal is to make the property party central for our adult friends and kids friends as they enter H.S. Finally decided to pull the trigger on a hot tub. Had initially wanted a sprayed in Gypcreet sp? hot tub the size of the grand canyon until I found out the price was to be around $30,000. Our local spa dealer told me that for around 10K I can get better jets etc. Question: What the best huge portable spa on the market. Some have video and audio options-don't need that already have sourround sound and a huge plasma monitor. Just looking for the best built huge spa for parties. Someone recommended the HotSpring Grandee. Looks kind of plain Jane from th epictures, but maybe it's a work horse. I also stumbled on the Amore' by Dimension One. What do you all think? Models?

[Water Boy]

The wife and I have a large home with plenty of land. Our goal is to make the property party central for our adult friends and kids friends as they enter H.S. Finally decided to pull the trigger on a hot tub. Had initially wanted a sprayed in Gypcreet sp? hot tub the size of the grand canyon until I found out the price was to be around $30,000. Our local spa dealer told me that for around 10K I can get better jets etc. Question: What the best huge portable spa on the market. Some have video and audio options-don't need that already have sourround sound and a huge plasma monitor. Just looking for the best built huge spa for parties. Someone recommended the HotSpring Grandee. Looks kind of plain Jane from th epictures, but maybe it's a work horse. I also stumbled on the Amore' by Dimension One. What do you all think? Models?

I would stick with one of the major brands out there. HS and D1 are definitely two of them. Some others would be Jacuzzi, Sundance, Marquis, and Arctic Spas. I personally deal with Arctic Spas on a daily basis, and two of the models I would recommend with them would be the Tundra and the Summit. Both large spas, with lots of room for many. The Tundra has some very deep seats in it as well that some people really like for the bigger folks. One nice thing with those two spas is there are six different jetting packages that you can choose from to fit your needs and budget. But, you may check out the other brands as well to see what large spas they have to offer. You can see the two Arctic models at www.arcticspas.com.

[shovelhd]

Check out the Jacuzzi J-470.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

The wife and I have a large home with plenty of land. Our goal is to make the property party central for our adult friends and kids friends as they enter H.S. Finally decided to pull the trigger on a hot tub. Had initially wanted a sprayed in Gypcreet sp? hot tub the size of the grand canyon until I found out the price was to be around $30,000. Our local spa dealer told me that for around 10K I can get better jets etc. Question: What the best huge portable spa on the market. Some have video and audio options-don't need that already have sourround sound and a huge plasma monitor. Just looking for the best built huge spa for parties. Someone recommended the HotSpring Grandee. Looks kind of plain Jane from th epictures, but maybe it's a work horse. I also stumbled on the Amore' by Dimension One. What do you all think? Models?

I would Google some of the better brands out there and use their dealer locator to see who is local. You can check out their products on-line if they are in your area and then visit to see them up close and personal.

I put Caldera, D1, Hot Spring, Jacuzzi, Marquis and Sundance at the top of my list but you'll also see good feedback on this site for brands such as Arctic, Artesian, Beachcomber and a few others.

[JerimiahR]

I'll definitely back what has already been said here. Caldera, Hot Spring, Sundance, Marquis, etc will be the brands to consider.

Keep one thing in mind. Some of the small hot tub manufacturers like to make spas with LOTS of jets in them, so they look impressive. This does not always mean you get anything quality wise. The major spa manufacturers look more closely at what the jets actually do for you, instead of simply putting a ton of them in the spa.

By comparison, with this in mind, the Hot Spring Grandee can be "plain" looking since it isn't filled with holes. I can tell you though, for my dealer the Grandee was the number 1 selling model for us in 2008. Great hot tub if you're looking for leg room for multiple folks.

[Markee]

You might check out the Marquis Euphoria, and all of the other quality brands that were mentioned above.

[kimpur]

As newcomers to the hot tub community, we had the same thoughts when initially checking out the various brands and models. My first impression of the HS models was the same as yours - "looks kinda plain" compared to the others. We did settle on the HS Vista, though, and after 8 months, I think I understand a bit more the nature of these beasts. Now I LOVE the calmer, more relaxing "pool" look of the HS. Looking at the others now, they look more like industrial mixers to me and I can see how much more "hardware" is just the potential for more "stuff" to go wrong. You want some fabulous jet/massage therapy? You'll get it with the Hot Spring. You want a calm, relaxing, pool-soak experience? You'll get that, too! One thing, though.......I do think if I could do it over again, I'd get the Grandee. I have said before that the lounger is just not for me, and I would love to have the openness of the Grandee, and the 2 king seats with the moto-massage. But that's just ME.

OK, I guess I'm sounding like a HS salesman now. I'm not, though........right, Uncle Jeremiah?

NO, NO........that was a JOKE! Just a JOKE!

[JerimiahR]

LOL

Thanks for your input kimpur, great to see another Hot Spring lover on the forums. I really hate to say though, I've seen a few folks buy a Vista that later told me they wished they'd gotten the Grandee. Really has nothing to do with the Vista itself, other than it has a lounge. Those lounge seats frankly work for about half the population.

Some folks tell me they can't do without the lounge seat. Some folks, well lounges just don't work for everybody. How about that corner seat in your Vista though? The one with the arm rests.

But like kimpur said, Hot Spring has never been about the number of jets. If you just want lots of jets, go buy the least expensive spa you can find, cause they usually have a ton. Hot Spring focuses more on what the jets do, and how they feel. They've stuck with a specific set of jet types for quite a while now, simply because they are popular and enjoyed.

But everyone has a different taste. And that's why there's so many brands of spas out there.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

One thing, though.......I do think if I could do it over again, I'd get the Grandee. I have said before that the lounger is just not for me, and I would love to have the openness of the Grandee, and the 2 king seats with the moto-massage. But that's just ME.

Everyone agrees that wet testing before you buy is important but we all know the majority don't. However, if the spa in question has a lounge it's doubly important to wet test because lounges are not for everyone and they take up a lot of space and if the customer does not want to wet test I always advise that they go loungeless to be safe.

Don’t find out if the spa is right for you when it's in your back yard, find out how it fits you while its still in the showroom.

[goofysteves]

Another vote for the Hot Springs Grandee, which my wife and I and friends and family have been using since last November. Besides the moto-massage and the price (given its size), the other thing we liked about the Grandee was the footwell. We wet-tested with 3 people in the tub and never had to share leg or foot space. To be fair, that is true for a few other spas like the Artic Tundra (which we also liked a lot but not for the price). As for the number of jets, I go around 200 pounds and with the jets on full, I get pushed out of my seat (folks call that 'floating') somewhat. I can't imagine why I would want even more jets! And like many spas, the jet configuration varies from seat-to-seat, so that different parts of you are massaged depending on where you sit.

[UK Arctic Dealer]

The wife and I have a large home with plenty of land. Our goal is to make the property party central for our adult friends and kids friends as they enter H.S. Finally decided to pull the trigger on a hot tub. Had initially wanted a sprayed in Gypcreet sp? hot tub the size of the grand canyon until I found out the price was to be around $30,000. Our local spa dealer told me that for around 10K I can get better jets etc. Question: What the best huge portable spa on the market. Some have video and audio options-don't need that already have sourround sound and a huge plasma monitor. Just looking for the best built huge spa for parties. Someone recommended the HotSpring Grandee. Looks kind of plain Jane from th epictures, but maybe it's a work horse. I also stumbled on the Amore' by Dimension One. What do you all think? Models?

Take a look at the Coyote Spas Chieftain. It is manufactured by Blue Falls (They make Arctic Spas) and is huge. It measures 290cm x 229cm and will seat up to 10 people. Its a similar shape to D1's Amore Bay but for half the money.

[TomG]

The wife and I have a large home with plenty of land. Our goal is to make the property party central for our adult friends and kids friends as they enter H.S. Finally decided to pull the trigger on a hot tub. Had initially wanted a sprayed in Gypcreet sp? hot tub the size of the grand canyon until I found out the price was to be around $30,000. Our local spa dealer told me that for around 10K I can get better jets etc. Question: What the best huge portable spa on the market. Some have video and audio options-don't need that already have sourround sound and a huge plasma monitor. Just looking for the best built huge spa for parties. Someone recommended the HotSpring Grandee. Looks kind of plain Jane from th epictures, but maybe it's a work horse. I also stumbled on the Amore' by Dimension One. What do you all think? Models?

Much like you, we wanted a hot tub that would accommodate a large family with plenty of room for guests; we had looked at the Hot Springs Grandee, but opted instead for the slightly larger Beachcomber 750 with deluxe package with Turbo, Eco4Wall, Ozonator, Reflex foot massge, built-in stereo, Everlite, etc. Both units were very similar in terms of amenities available, but the 750 easily accommodates 8-9 people and its insulation/energy efficiency capabilities were well documented. We absolutely love this hot tub; it has been the hit of many barbecues and is the center of attraction on our patio. My only cautionary comment is that Beachcomber is a Canadian company and its dealer network may not be extensive in all geographies; we're on the East Coast of the US and did find a dealer in our area.