Renting a vacation condo with a hot tub?

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Going to some vacation spot, taking in the sights and relaxing in the hot tub. It can’t get any better than that.

But wait…there are hot tubs and there are hot tubs.

We learned the hard way last weekend when we booked a condo up at Mt. Baker so we could go hiking and then come back to a soothing soak. We asked for a unit with a hot tub. Yes, there was a hot tub, but it wasn’t fit to use!

The hot tub was definitely NOT a Hot Spring Spa.  It was a no-name brand without identification.  Whoever made this beast didn’t have the guts to put his name on it. If he had, I would have shared it with you.

STRIKE ONE:  THE NOISE. The pump came on for heat 3-4 times during the day and more at night. It was a very hot weekend even in the mountains. The outdoor temperature was 93° every day we were there. The temperature gauge said that the tub temperature was 100°. I’m sure that hot tub had no insulation if it was losing heat during such a hot spell, which required it turning on so often. Too bad for the owners’ who were paying for the electricity!

I measured the decibel level.  It was 78 with that pump running which is at the peak of the danger zone for loud noise. The vibration shook the deck and the whole front part of the condo. I finally flipped the breaker to silence the thing.

STRIKE TWO: THE SMELL.  There was a big sign saying that the hot tub had been treated with chemicals. Now that didn’t sound inviting and one whiff was enough to scare us from getting in. What a stink!!  A nasty odor of chlorine plus a sharp ammonia smell.

STRIKE THREE: IT WAS POSITIVELY CORROSIVE.  I put my hand in and my gold ring turned green!! The jets were on and the foam started to mound up. And, this was after the “chemicals”.

THREE STRIKES AND THAT HOT TUB WAS OUT. So, no hot tub for us. How disappointing. We were really looking forward to soaking after hiking.

Don’t be disappointed next time you rent a condo. If it’s not a Hot Spring Spa, don’t bother. You probably won’t want to use it!  Oh, just in case, take along a bottle of test strips to measure the pH and sanitizer levels. Even the best Hot Spring Spa can be poorly maintained. But your chances of that happening are far less with a Hot Spring Spa than any other brand. They’re so simple to maintain and the filtration is so good that the hot tub will stay clean with fewer chemicals.

And, so you can get your beauty sleep on vacation Hot Spring Spas make no noise and create no vibration when filtering and heating. Priceless.

Wishing you a Happy Vacation at a wonderful vacation with a Hot Spring Spa from Olympic Hot Tub!

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