Spa Vs Stand Alone Hot Tub? Help! Save my marriage.

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Vukota12

Vukota12

Well-known member
Jul 3, 2020
85
New Jersey
In the process of interviewing PB’s and narrowed down to in Central N.J. to A&S and Blue Haven. Pool will be 20x40 freedom with tanning ledge. Here is the problem. I want an elevated spa and wife is concerned about 10K more already on a very expensive project. She counters with a Hot Tub off to the side on pavers. I understand the appeal of not spending 10K more and the year round usage of Hot Tub. Sorry for long post but we are having some real blow outs about this. You guys are the best so please some plus/con’s on both?
 
Integrated looks great and is easy to jump in straight out of the pool. Otherwise, a stand alone beats it in all areas. It is always hot. Cheaper to heat. More comfortable. More jets. Do you really want to be in the middle of winter (when a hot tub is best) and have to think ahead to turn on the heat, or sit there and wait?...Or do you wanna just walk out and jump in and have it always ready?
 
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It'll cost a bunch to heat an attached spa. Even if you isolate the water (you'll have to) from the pool, you'll still be trying to raise the temperature of the concrete walls. And the elevated portion is ALL going to be above the frost line so it will be the same as air temperature.

Freestandings are insulated a bit better. I've been hot tubbing during a snowstorm in Lake Tahoe after a day of skiing. The only drawback was the last one out has to wrestle the cover on and that aura of warmth doesn't last ,long enough.
 
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V,

Have you ever been in a spa that is attached to a pool? If not, you really need to try one out before buying one.. Spas are the most oversold and underused items in a pool build. My guess is that at least 50% of integrated spa users actually only the spa once or twice a year, if they use it at all. Of course that leaves about 50% that love their spa, but you need to make sure that you will love it before spending $10K or more on something you may never be happy with or actually use.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Total agreement with all. I have a stand alone hot tub that is ready to go 24-7 and cost about $5,000. I have it a good distance from my pool on elevated concrete under a stand alone pergola. Looks great but not as nice looking as an attached pool/hot tub. If I could make a suggestion..... If you decide to do the separate hot tub and can wait. You may enjoy the pool so much, you may forget about the hot tub. I had my hot tub 5 years before the pool. Since the pool was finished, the hot tub use has gone way down.
 
My wife and I both grew up with attached spas, then we had a freestanding spa at our first house. For the build we just completed we went with an attached spa. We are the ones that will heat the spa and use it every time we are in the pool. The reasons we wanted an attached one were, looks first of all, but also ease of maintenance. One set of equipment, one power service, one heater that can pull double duty and warm the pool, and one body of water to maintain. The standalone spa might be a bit more comfortable, but they never hold as many people as an attached one and now a days a good standalone one will cost close to $10k for a decently sized one.
 
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Had the same conversation with my wife tonight (It’s been a real Ralph & Alice kind of day) we are in N.J. and my argument for it is that it can extend the season substantially particularly when we get past the threat of snow and ice in early April. That’s potentially 6 weeks till Memorial Day. That doesn’t include the fall.
 
Forget the aesthetics. For $10k, I will stand by your pool and look pretty for you. How would you like to use the tub ?

Entertaining friends with a hot bath and maybe 1 jet per person is for the built in. Nobody is comfortable sitting on plaster benches and nobody is enjoying the 'full spa experience/massage', but everybody is laughing and having fun so nobody notices.

If you want a deep tissue, hot as can be, full body massage that's more intimate for a family member or 3, the standalone is the way to go.
 
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What about the paying me $10k part ??? I could really use it right now so I'd be *extra* pretty, I promise. :ROFLMAO:

All jokes aside it is a hard choice for alot of people, (its even harder when Mr/Mrs disagree) but it literally comes down to form or function. My own $.02 is the pool has been a non stop riot of entertainment for friends and a built in would have been used occasionally if we had it, but was never needed. The standalone was for us to enjoy.
 
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Newdude said:
What about the paying me $10k part ??? I could really use it right now so I'd be *extra* pretty, I promise. :ROFLMAO:

All jokes aside it is a hard choice for alot of people, (its even harder when Mr/Mrs disagree) but it literally comes down to form or function. My own $.02 is the pool has been a non stop riot of entertainment for friends and a built in would have been used occasionally if we had it, but was never needed. The standalone was for us to enjoy.
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Thanks for the advice and laughs! 10 K to pool model? Measurements lol?
 
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