I've been interested in a hot tub for many years. However, I wasn't quite sure if I could afford one or how much maintenance they'd require. I regularly get massages, acupuncture, & visit a chiropractor to help destress from my busy work schedule and to assist in my back area where I had previously broke riding snowmobiles when I was 17. I enjoyed getting massages, but by the time I was finally able to start relaxing the 1.5 or 2 hour massage was over. I finally decided if I could get a hot tub, one that would help my aches & pains, then I could have a massage every day in the comfort of my home and I could put that money I'd be saving from the massages towards the hot tub.
With most purchases I make, if I feel like I'm getting a good value, I usually don't take much time in making a decision. However, with a hot tub purchase I knew very little. I started researching and visited a few local places. I felt very overwhelmed and my initial budget of 5k seemed undoable for what I was wanting. I wet tested Jacuzzi, Bullfrog, & Sundance. I was impressed initially with the idea that Bullfrog was made in my home state and appeared to have a unique jet pack system. However, after the wet test I felt disappointed with Bullfrog with their lack of power from the jets. I've been used to getting massages for several years know and I wanted a deep tissue massage coming from the jets. With bullfrog it felt like more of a light tickle to bubbler effect in the tub. For the price I didn't just want a tub of hot water to soak in. The upper end on Sundance felt more in line of what I was expecting, and I was just about to make the purchase after I swallowed the unexpecting price tag.
Then, that night, I was searching online again and came across Royal Spa, and the YouTube videos. I had never heard of Royal Spa. I found the videos very helpful and increased my understanding of what to expect out of a hot tub. I then went back to the Sundance & Bullfrog models to compare with what I had learned from bob's rules for buying a hot tub: non-computer, 24/7 circulation, no 2-speed pumps, etc.
I decided to call Royal Spa and see if they had any local dealers in Utah. To my disappointment they hadn't. I talked with Trent Bunch. He was very nice and helpful and very patient. I'm in retail sales and I strive to give excellent customer service. So I'm very picky and expect the same when I got shopping and I pay close attention to how I'm treated. Trent, was very informative and I didn't feel any pressure like most salesmen. Over the course of about 3 months, going back and forth, emails & phone calls I felt more and more inclined to buy a Royal spa. I was going to be in Indiana on a company trip, Jasper. However, I didn't have enough time to drive to Indianapolis, however, there was local dealer in Jasper that carried Royal Spa's and they were very nice, even though I was an outsider from Utah. They didn't have one filled with water that I could test, but I was able to look at the construction and sit in one.
Even without trying, and having to pay for freight to get it all the way to Utah, and the task of setting up myself, I felt inclined to go ahead and make the purchase. I called Trent up and he helped me to get this underway. He went the extra way in answering all of my questions, putting my fears at rest and helping to encourage me that I'd be able to get it setup. We arranged for delivery, I had my work forklift there at my residence to unload and move into place. He taught me the importance of make sure my concrete pad was level and gave me the useful tip of using asphalt singles to do the task. I'm very glad I took the extra time to level out the 1" or so of sloping pad before I filled the hot tub. Between phone calls and emails I got the hot tub setup. It was a little extra work doing it by myself, compared to buying from a local dealer, but non of these facilities had these key items that really swayed me over to purchase from Royal Spa and have it shipped to my home where I'd have to setup myself.
I've had the spa now for almost 3.5 months. Any issues or questions/concerns Trent has always been there to help answer. I had a few concerns with the way the access door was in place, but I was able to modify and add some Nylon Windshield Single Wing Latches along the sides to help hold the access door secure and tight up against the outside from variance in temperatures. I noticed from the cool nights to the warm day, the material appeared to expand/contract and cause the door to bow out and then be tight once it cooled down. By adding the wing latches it keeps the door tight up against the outside panels, avoiding the cool air to be pulled inside the box.
I've noticed some of the joints that have opened up on the outside trim that I think come Spring I can reseal with some silicone. There was a few trim pieces that seemed like they needed a few more small finish nails just to keep them tight, so while I was modifying the read more
