D1 Amore Bay Purchase

[SDspa]

We just purchased the Amore Bay from Dimension One Spas. Since this website was helpful to me when researching spa options I wanted to share my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

Quick disclaimer: I am not a spa expert. I am not in the spa industry. I realize that my approach and analysis may not be what others would recommend. However I wanted to relay my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

My wife and I have owned Hotsprings and D1 spas previously. Since our last D1 Californian Spa didn't transfer with the sale of our house we've been without a spa for a few years. A few months ago we began researching spas -- this forum was actually a big help in that regard. Our final selection candidates were based on features, wet test, dealer proximity, and of course price. Also we have two small children now (7 and 5) that slightly changed our consideration set since last time we owned a spa.

On the features side we were looking primarily at water quality, comfort of seating, and tubs that could seat four adults while not forcing a game of footsie. With good water quality sort of being table stakes for our purchase we initially focused on layout of seating. Our last spa being a lounger we really wanted to just do standard seating this time in order to maximize room within the spa. The other item we found necessary was the rounded foot jet dome center, or something that would provide a natural partition and avoid the aforementioned footsie tendency of some spas. With these criteria we set off on our initial round of largely forum and website research.

The brands we considered were D1, Hotspring and Sundance. We quickly eliminated HotSpring as nothing in their lineup offered the central foot jet dome. This requirement, plus no lounger and our need for optimal water quality narrowed our choices to four spas: Sundance Chelsee, Sundance Optima, D1 Nautilus, D1 Amore Bay.

I must admit, the uniqueness and family/group friendly design of the Amore Bay did captivate us at the beginning. That said we still approached the decision as objectively as possible.

Here are the negotiated final pricing for each spa:

Sundance Chelsee $7,750

Sundance Optima $9,100

D1 Nautilus $9,500 (included LFX package)

D1 Amore Bay $13,500 (included upgraded stairs)

All prices included basic steps, cover, chemicals, delivery but do not include stereo or tax. We live in San Diego, California and I know pricing varies depending on where you are.

On the Sundance side, the prices coincided with a Visa card promo they were running. On the D1 side, those prices required cash payment. I'm sure these prices are in the average range for these spas in the SoCal / San Diego area with or without promos.

For wet testing we were only able to test the Chelsee and the Amore Bay. Sort of bookends in the spectrum of spas we were considering. This was non optimal but this was a limitation of our time and available filled spas.

The Sundance Chelsee wet test revealed a several pros and cons. Pros of the Chelsee, outside of price, were that the jets were powerful and strong and well located. Our kids loved the trickle waterfall and lighting effects. The cons side were that the 36" depth and seating configuration felt a bit more cramped than we'd like to be. Also the water management system seemed a bit below our standards. The cons quickly moved us along to focus on the Optima.

The Sundance Optima dry test seemed to fix the problems of the Chelsee -- seating was deeper and more comfortable, filtration system appeared better, and the waterfall (vs. trickle) seemed like a more usable feature. Another nice feature were the stainless steel grab bars which in the 2011 models are nicely backlit for night time visibility. We also liked the color/cabinet options of the Sundance line more than the D1 options.

The D1 Nautilus dry test compared very similarly to the Optima. Again perceived benefits being water management of Nautilus vs. better cabinet colors and water effects on the Optima. The dealer reduced the price and added the D1 LFX package to offset the feature price delta a bit.

The D1 Amore Bay wet test was, well, amazing. Space wise it seemed gargantuan to the other spas. The layout was very conducive for a family of four. The jets and his/her lounges were ideal for both our sizes and frames (5'11" and 5'4"). I know I said that we weren't looking for a lounger but the Amore's loungers aren't full layout loungers and the way the spa is oriented it doesn't compromise overall space in my opinion. It was the right spa for us with the only downside being the eye popping price.

After wet/dry testing we narrowed our final choices to D1 Amore, D1 Nautilus and Sundance Optima. Now on to other considerations such as water management and price.

Water quality/management is tough to gauge especially for the spa layman. To be honest the mechanical design of the Sundance line looks dated with it's large, horizontally oriented filter along with a gaping opening to the filter compartment. I'm sure people can argue the benefits of this design from a water quality standpoint but aesthetically its a bit of a con for the Sundance line in my opinion. Plus our prior experience with D1 was very good so in this department the D1 line had a slight advantage. This consideration, along with some price reductions from the D1 dealer (coming down to the final prices above) moved us away from Sundance and to D1.

And now to the final decision: Nautilus or Amore. People will say apples and oranges, I know. If priced similarly there wouldn't be a decision; Amore all the way. But the $4k difference REQUIRED serious contemplation. Ultimately we went with the Amore based largely on the unique layout. And not so much for the aesthetics but more for the functional design of the bench seating which gives our kids more barrier-free area to move around but also provides ample room and variable height seating when we have friends over. There were some other perks too that helped sway our decision such as the LFX package being better than the Nautilus LFX, the enhanced water management system, and the fact that the radius design really fit well in our existing paver patio area.

Ultimately in choosing the Amore I feel we broke the price to value ratio that is most likely in the Nautilus/Optima range. However given the amount of money we were already spending and that this would be a 15 year adventure, the pricing delta seemed to fade considerably. From an options standpoint, the Amore is loaded. However we opted for the Terracina cabinet and acrylic shell from an aesthetics perspective to suit our taste. The Ultralife White shell option with lifetime warranty wasn't interesting to us given that we weren't into just plain white, plus if you read the fine print on the lifetime warranty it requires that the spa be shipped to D1 factory both ways at owners expense beyond the 7 year period. Also we went with the upgraded steps as we felt they were much more solid and tied into the overall cabinet design much better than the standard steps.

Here is the final price/specs for the Amore Bay that we chose. This was a custom build and not a floor model. And purchased through the D1 dealer in the San Diego area. If you're still with me at this point, thanks for sitting through my novel of a review and best of luck in your quest to find the ultimate spa.

==

Dimension One Amore Bay $13,495 (cash price, not including tax)

Terracina cabinet, acrylic shell

Upgraded (wood trim) steps

Cover and EZ Lifter

Site inspection and delivery

[masanori]

We just purchased the Amore Bay from Dimension One Spas. Since this website was helpful to me when researching spa options I wanted to share my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

Quick disclaimer: I am not a spa expert. I am not in the spa industry. I realize that my approach and analysis may not be what others would recommend. However I wanted to relay my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

My wife and I have owned Hotsprings and D1 spas previously. Since our last D1 Californian Spa didn't transfer with the sale of our house we've been without a spa for a few years. A few months ago we began researching spas -- this forum was actually a big help in that regard. Our final selection candidates were based on features, wet test, dealer proximity, and of course price. Also we have two small children now (7 and 5) that slightly changed our consideration set since last time we owned a spa.

On the features side we were looking primarily at water quality, comfort of seating, and tubs that could seat four adults while not forcing a game of footsie. With good water quality sort of being table stakes for our purchase we initially focused on layout of seating. Our last spa being a lounger we really wanted to just do standard seating this time in order to maximize room within the spa. The other item we found necessary was the rounded foot jet dome center, or something that would provide a natural partition and avoid the aforementioned footsie tendency of some spas. With these criteria we set off on our initial round of largely forum and website research.

The brands we considered were D1, Hotspring and Sundance. We quickly eliminated HotSpring as nothing in their lineup offered the central foot jet dome. This requirement, plus no lounger and our need for optimal water quality narrowed our choices to four spas: Sundance Chelsee, Sundance Optima, D1 Nautilus, D1 Amore Bay.

I must admit, the uniqueness and family/group friendly design of the Amore Bay did captivate us at the beginning. That said we still approached the decision as objectively as possible.

Here are the negotiated final pricing for each spa:

Sundance Chelsee $7,750

Sundance Optima $9,100

D1 Nautilus $9,500 (included LFX package)

D1 Amore Bay $13,500 (included upgraded stairs)

All prices included basic steps, cover, chemicals, delivery but do not include stereo or tax. We live in San Diego, California and I know pricing varies depending on where you are.

On the Sundance side, the prices coincided with a Visa card promo they were running. On the D1 side, those prices required cash payment. I'm sure these prices are in the average range for these spas in the SoCal / San Diego area with or without promos.

For wet testing we were only able to test the Chelsee and the Amore Bay. Sort of bookends in the spectrum of spas we were considering. This was non optimal but this was a limitation of our time and available filled spas.

The Sundance Chelsee wet test revealed a several pros and cons. Pros of the Chelsee, outside of price, were that the jets were powerful and strong and well located. Our kids loved the trickle waterfall and lighting effects. The cons side were that the 36" depth and seating configuration felt a bit more cramped than we'd like to be. Also the water management system seemed a bit below our standards. The cons quickly moved us along to focus on the Optima.

The Sundance Optima dry test seemed to fix the problems of the Chelsee -- seating was deeper and more comfortable, filtration system appeared better, and the waterfall (vs. trickle) seemed like a more usable feature. Another nice feature were the stainless steel grab bars which in the 2011 models are nicely backlit for night time visibility. We also liked the color/cabinet options of the Sundance line more than the D1 options.

The D1 Nautilus dry test compared very similarly to the Optima. Again perceived benefits being water management of Nautilus vs. better cabinet colors and water effects on the Optima. The dealer reduced the price and added the D1 LFX package to offset the feature price delta a bit.

The D1 Amore Bay wet test was, well, amazing. Space wise it seemed gargantuan to the other spas. The layout was very conducive for a family of four. The jets and his/her lounges were ideal for both our sizes and frames (5'11" and 5'4"). I know I said that we weren't looking for a lounger but the Amore's loungers aren't full layout loungers and the way the spa is oriented it doesn't compromise overall space in my opinion. It was the right spa for us with the only downside being the eye popping price.

After wet/dry testing we narrowed our final choices to D1 Amore, D1 Nautilus and Sundance Optima. Now on to other considerations such as water management and price.

Water quality/management is tough to gauge especially for the spa layman. To be honest the mechanical design of the Sundance line looks dated with it's large, horizontally oriented filter along with a gaping opening to the filter compartment. I'm sure people can argue the benefits of this design from a water quality standpoint but aesthetically its a bit of a con for the Sundance line in my opinion. Plus our prior experience with D1 was very good so in this department the D1 line had a slight advantage. This consideration, along with some price reductions from the D1 dealer (coming down to the final prices above) moved us away from Sundance and to D1.

And now to the final decision: Nautilus or Amore. People will say apples and oranges, I know. If priced similarly there wouldn't be a decision; Amore all the way. But the $4k difference REQUIRED serious contemplation. Ultimately we went with the Amore based largely on the unique layout. And not so much for the aesthetics but more for the functional design of the bench seating which gives our kids more barrier-free area to move around but also provides ample room and variable height seating when we have friends over. There were some other perks too that helped sway our decision such as the LFX package being better than the Nautilus LFX, the enhanced water management system, and the fact that the radius design really fit well in our existing paver patio area.

Ultimately in choosing the Amore I feel we broke the price to value ratio that is most likely in the Nautilus/Optima range. However given the amount of money we were already spending and that this would be a 15 year adventure, the pricing delta seemed to fade considerably. From an options standpoint, the Amore is loaded. However we opted for the Terracina cabinet and acrylic shell from an aesthetics perspective to suit our taste. The Ultralife White shell option with lifetime warranty wasn't interesting to us given that we weren't into just plain white, plus if you read the fine print on the lifetime warranty it requires that the spa be shipped to D1 factory both ways at owners expense beyond the 7 year period. Also we went with the upgraded steps as we felt they were much more solid and tied into the overall cabinet design much better than the standard steps.

Here is the final price/specs for the Amore Bay that we chose. This was a custom build and not a floor model. And purchased through the D1 dealer in the San Diego area. If you're still with me at this point, thanks for sitting through my novel of a review and best of luck in your quest to find the ultimate spa.

==

Dimension One Amore Bay $13,495 (cash price, not including tax)

Terracina cabinet, acrylic shell

Upgraded (wood trim) steps

Cover and EZ Lifter

Site inspection and delivery

[masanori]

We just purchased the Amore Bay from Dimension One Spas. Since this website was helpful to me when researching spa options I wanted to share my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

Quick disclaimer: I am not a spa expert. I am not in the spa industry. I realize that my approach and analysis may not be what others would recommend. However I wanted to relay my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

My wife and I have owned Hotsprings and D1 spas previously. Since our last D1 Californian Spa didn't transfer with the sale of our house we've been without a spa for a few years. A few months ago we began researching spas -- this forum was actually a big help in that regard. Our final selection candidates were based on features, wet test, dealer proximity, and of course price. Also we have two small children now (7 and 5) that slightly changed our consideration set since last time we owned a spa.

On the features side we were looking primarily at water quality, comfort of seating, and tubs that could seat four adults while not forcing a game of footsie. With good water quality sort of being table stakes for our purchase we initially focused on layout of seating. Our last spa being a lounger we really wanted to just do standard seating this time in order to maximize room within the spa. The other item we found necessary was the rounded foot jet dome center, or something that would provide a natural partition and avoid the aforementioned footsie tendency of some spas. With these criteria we set off on our initial round of largely forum and website research.

The brands we considered were D1, Hotspring and Sundance. We quickly eliminated HotSpring as nothing in their lineup offered the central foot jet dome. This requirement, plus no lounger and our need for optimal water quality narrowed our choices to four spas: Sundance Chelsee, Sundance Optima, D1 Nautilus, D1 Amore Bay.

I must admit, the uniqueness and family/group friendly design of the Amore Bay did captivate us at the beginning. That said we still approached the decision as objectively as possible.

Here are the negotiated final pricing for each spa:

Sundance Chelsee $7,750

Sundance Optima $9,100

D1 Nautilus $9,500 (included LFX package)

D1 Amore Bay $13,500 (included upgraded stairs)

All prices included basic steps, cover, chemicals, delivery but do not include stereo or tax. We live in San Diego, California and I know pricing varies depending on where you are.

On the Sundance side, the prices coincided with a Visa card promo they were running. On the D1 side, those prices required cash payment. I'm sure these prices are in the average range for these spas in the SoCal / San Diego area with or without promos.

For wet testing we were only able to test the Chelsee and the Amore Bay. Sort of bookends in the spectrum of spas we were considering. This was non optimal but this was a limitation of our time and available filled spas.

The Sundance Chelsee wet test revealed a several pros and cons. Pros of the Chelsee, outside of price, were that the jets were powerful and strong and well located. Our kids loved the trickle waterfall and lighting effects. The cons side were that the 36" depth and seating configuration felt a bit more cramped than we'd like to be. Also the water management system seemed a bit below our standards. The cons quickly moved us along to focus on the Optima.

The Sundance Optima dry test seemed to fix the problems of the Chelsee -- seating was deeper and more comfortable, filtration system appeared better, and the waterfall (vs. trickle) seemed like a more usable feature. Another nice feature were the stainless steel grab bars which in the 2011 models are nicely backlit for night time visibility. We also liked the color/cabinet options of the Sundance line more than the D1 options.

The D1 Nautilus dry test compared very similarly to the Optima. Again perceived benefits being water management of Nautilus vs. better cabinet colors and water effects on the Optima. The dealer reduced the price and added the D1 LFX package to offset the feature price delta a bit.

The D1 Amore Bay wet test was, well, amazing. Space wise it seemed gargantuan to the other spas. The layout was very conducive for a family of four. The jets and his/her lounges were ideal for both our sizes and frames (5'11" and 5'4"). I know I said that we weren't looking for a lounger but the Amore's loungers aren't full layout loungers and the way the spa is oriented it doesn't compromise overall space in my opinion. It was the right spa for us with the only downside being the eye popping price.

After wet/dry testing we narrowed our final choices to D1 Amore, D1 Nautilus and Sundance Optima. Now on to other considerations such as water management and price.

Water quality/management is tough to gauge especially for the spa layman. To be honest the mechanical design of the Sundance line looks dated with it's large, horizontally oriented filter along with a gaping opening to the filter compartment. I'm sure people can argue the benefits of this design from a water quality standpoint but aesthetically its a bit of a con for the Sundance line in my opinion. Plus our prior experience with D1 was very good so in this department the D1 line had a slight advantage. This consideration, along with some price reductions from the D1 dealer (coming down to the final prices above) moved us away from Sundance and to D1.

And now to the final decision: Nautilus or Amore. People will say apples and oranges, I know. If priced similarly there wouldn't be a decision; Amore all the way. But the $4k difference REQUIRED serious contemplation. Ultimately we went with the Amore based largely on the unique layout. And not so much for the aesthetics but more for the functional design of the bench seating which gives our kids more barrier-free area to move around but also provides ample room and variable height seating when we have friends over. There were some other perks too that helped sway our decision such as the LFX package being better than the Nautilus LFX, the enhanced water management system, and the fact that the radius design really fit well in our existing paver patio area.

Ultimately in choosing the Amore I feel we broke the price to value ratio that is most likely in the Nautilus/Optima range. However given the amount of money we were already spending and that this would be a 15 year adventure, the pricing delta seemed to fade considerably. From an options standpoint, the Amore is loaded. However we opted for the Terracina cabinet and acrylic shell from an aesthetics perspective to suit our taste. The Ultralife White shell option with lifetime warranty wasn't interesting to us given that we weren't into just plain white, plus if you read the fine print on the lifetime warranty it requires that the spa be shipped to D1 factory both ways at owners expense beyond the 7 year period. Also we went with the upgraded steps as we felt they were much more solid and tied into the overall cabinet design much better than the standard steps.

Here is the final price/specs for the Amore Bay that we chose. This was a custom build and not a floor model. And purchased through the D1 dealer in the San Diego area. If you're still with me at this point, thanks for sitting through my novel of a review and best of luck in your quest to find the ultimate spa.

==

Dimension One Amore Bay $13,495 (cash price, not including tax)

Terracina cabinet, acrylic shell

Upgraded (wood trim) steps

Cover and EZ Lifter

Site inspection and delivery

Congrats on your Amore bay. I bought the Amore bay with cattails skirt and jasper shell.It is a great tub. looks good at night too with Iwatch and perimeter lighting. If you should have any problems the D1 Techs are great.

[THE SPA GUY]

SDSpa,

great to see you hot tub purchase, very detailed,,, i will say great purchase, you will love the Amore Bay, there is nothing like it in the look,, Our customers are very happy with that model... Great to see you using the forum...

Masanori. glad to see your still enjoying the Amore Bay.

[spawn]

Nice report SDspa - sounds like you found the right tub!

[SDspa]

Thanks Masanori, The Spa Guy, and Spawn. The dealer just called and supposedly it's done next week. Will post some pictures and some follow up comments once we're up and running.

[THE SPA GUY]

SDspa,

Great to hear,, definately show some pix when you get it in.. We would love to see them...

[SDspa]

Got the spa in last week, a couple weeks early at that. Really enjoying the spa and happy with my purchase despite a few minor issues on delivery. Will post more about that in a follow up post detailing my delivery and initial impressions. As promised here are some pictures I snapped before, during, and after install. They are from web albums on Google's Picasa. Let me know if there are any problems viewing them.

Here is the link:

Amore Bay Pictures

Or you can try copy and pasting this into your brower:

https://picasaweb.google.com/104133177457127893990/AmoreBay?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKXp6fC4hurpNQ&feat=directlink

[THE SPA GUY]

SDspa, nice pictures, looks good, it really is a great looking spa. enjoy that spa...

[armyguy]

SDspa,

How about a follow up on this bad boy? I really like the color scheme you chose. Also, do you think you could record a quick video of this thing at night with the lights on and the water streams/fall going so we can all drool over the coolness? =)

[bcudone]

We just purchased the Amore Bay from Dimension One Spas. Since this website was helpful to me when researching spa options I wanted to share my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

Quick disclaimer: I am not a spa expert. I am not in the spa industry. I realize that my approach and analysis may not be what others would recommend. However I wanted to relay my experience to help others who may be considering a spa purchase.

My wife and I have owned Hotsprings and D1 spas previously. Since our last D1 Californian Spa didn't transfer with the sale of our house we've been without a spa for a few years. A few months ago we began researching spas -- this forum was actually a big help in that regard. Our final selection candidates were based on features, wet test, dealer proximity, and of course price. Also we have two small children now (7 and 5) that slightly changed our consideration set since last time we owned a spa.

On the features side we were looking primarily at water quality, comfort of seating, and tubs that could seat four adults while not forcing a game of footsie. With good water quality sort of being table stakes for our purchase we initially focused on layout of seating. Our last spa being a lounger we really wanted to just do standard seating this time in order to maximize room within the spa. The other item we found necessary was the rounded foot jet dome center, or something that would provide a natural partition and avoid the aforementioned footsie tendency of some spas. With these criteria we set off on our initial round of largely forum and website research.

The brands we considered were D1, Hotspring and Sundance. We quickly eliminated HotSpring as nothing in their lineup offered the central foot jet dome. This requirement, plus no lounger and our need for optimal water quality narrowed our choices to four spas: Sundance Chelsee, Sundance Optima, D1 Nautilus, D1 Amore Bay.

I must admit, the uniqueness and family/group friendly design of the Amore Bay did captivate us at the beginning. That said we still approached the decision as objectively as possible.

Here are the negotiated final pricing for each spa:

Sundance Chelsee $7,750

Sundance Optima $9,100

D1 Nautilus $9,500 (included LFX package)

D1 Amore Bay $13,500 (included upgraded stairs)

All prices included basic steps, cover, chemicals, delivery but do not include stereo or tax. We live in San Diego, California and I know pricing varies depending on where you are.

On the Sundance side, the prices coincided with a Visa card promo they were running. On the D1 side, those prices required cash payment. I'm sure these prices are in the average range for these spas in the SoCal / San Diego area with or without promos.

For wet testing we were only able to test the Chelsee and the Amore Bay. Sort of bookends in the spectrum of spas we were considering. This was non optimal but this was a limitation of our time and available filled spas.

The Sundance Chelsee wet test revealed a several pros and cons. Pros of the Chelsee, outside of price, were that the jets were powerful and strong and well located. Our kids loved the trickle waterfall and lighting effects. The cons side were that the 36" depth and seating configuration felt a bit more cramped than we'd like to be. Also the water management system seemed a bit below our standards. The cons quickly moved us along to focus on the Optima.

The Sundance Optima dry test seemed to fix the problems of the Chelsee -- seating was deeper and more comfortable, filtration system appeared better, and the waterfall (vs. trickle) seemed like a more usable feature. Another nice feature were the stainless steel grab bars which in the 2011 models are nicely backlit for night time visibility. We also liked the color/cabinet options of the Sundance line more than the D1 options.

The D1 Nautilus dry test compared very similarly to the Optima. Again perceived benefits being water management of Nautilus vs. better cabinet colors and water effects on the Optima. The dealer reduced the price and added the D1 LFX package to offset the feature price delta a bit.

The D1 Amore Bay wet test was, well, amazing. Space wise it seemed gargantuan to the other spas. The layout was very conducive for a family of four. The jets and his/her lounges were ideal for both our sizes and frames (5'11" and 5'4"). I know I said that we weren't looking for a lounger but the Amore's loungers aren't full layout loungers and the way the spa is oriented it doesn't compromise overall space in my opinion. It was the right spa for us with the only downside being the eye popping price.

After wet/dry testing we narrowed our final choices to D1 Amore, D1 Nautilus and Sundance Optima. Now on to other considerations such as water management and price.

Water quality/management is tough to gauge especially for the spa layman. To be honest the mechanical design of the Sundance line looks dated with it's large, horizontally oriented filter along with a gaping opening to the filter compartment. I'm sure people can argue the benefits of this design from a water quality standpoint but aesthetically its a bit of a con for the Sundance line in my opinion. Plus our prior experience with D1 was very good so in this department the D1 line had a slight advantage. This consideration, along with some price reductions from the D1 dealer (coming down to the final prices above) moved us away from Sundance and to D1.

And now to the final decision: Nautilus or Amore. People will say apples and oranges, I know. If priced similarly there wouldn't be a decision; Amore all the way. But the $4k difference REQUIRED serious contemplation. Ultimately we went with the Amore based largely on the unique layout. And not so much for the aesthetics but more for the functional design of the bench seating which gives our kids more barrier-free area to move around but also provides ample room and variable height seating when we have friends over. There were some other perks too that helped sway our decision such as the LFX package being better than the Nautilus LFX, the enhanced water management system, and the fact that the radius design really fit well in our existing paver patio area.

Ultimately in choosing the Amore I feel we broke the price to value ratio that is most likely in the Nautilus/Optima range. However given the amount of money we were already spending and that this would be a 15 year adventure, the pricing delta seemed to fade considerably. From an options standpoint, the Amore is loaded. However we opted for the Terracina cabinet and acrylic shell from an aesthetics perspective to suit our taste. The Ultralife White shell option with lifetime warranty wasn't interesting to us given that we weren't into just plain white, plus if you read the fine print on the lifetime warranty it requires that the spa be shipped to D1 factory both ways at owners expense beyond the 7 year period. Also we went with the upgraded steps as we felt they were much more solid and tied into the overall cabinet design much better than the standard steps.

Here is the final price/specs for the Amore Bay that we chose. This was a custom build and not a floor model. And purchased through the D1 dealer in the San Diego area. If you're still with me at this point, thanks for sitting through my novel of a review and best of luck in your quest to find the ultimate spa.

==

Dimension One Amore Bay $13,495 (cash price, not including tax)

Terracina cabinet, acrylic shell

Upgraded (wood trim) steps

Cover and EZ Lifter

Site inspection and delivery

[Alexsmu]

Very useful and detailed description. I am almost in the same position as you are, with two kids (almost the same age) and looking for a spa that is suitable and enjoyable for all the family members (in particular during the hot summer months here in TX)/

Just as you were back then, it appears that my top options are the Amore Bay and the Nautilus, followed by Hot Springs and Jacuzzi.

I would certainly like to hear what has been your experience as you go into the first year of your purchase, and on whether it was worth to shell out the additional $3K to $4K.

Thanks for your feedback,

[d1dennis2009]

Great feedback,however this is an older post. If you would like assistance with arranging a wet test or even dealer referals for the dealer in your area, I would be glad to assist. Shoot me a PM and I will get you what you need to make the decision easier, you will absolutely love the Amore Bay.

Regards,

D1Dennis2009