Hot-tub sales once again are growing across the country, companies report, and builders and remodelers would do well to know how this equipment can aid the projects they're creating. With sales spurred by both an increase in remodeling work and the popularity of outdoor living in general, hot tubs are, well, hot.
"Outdoor living is huge, and hot tubs are becoming a part of that," says Kathleen Carlson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the nine-store Aqua Quip retail chain in Seattle and a member of the Retail Council and board of directors of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP). "Remodelers should definitely bring up the idea of including a hot tub and suggest options."
Many homeowners think of hot tubs only for Sunbelt locations or resorts, but they are flourishing across the country, says Steve Gorlin, president of Gorlin Pools & Spas in Lakehurst, N.J., and the chairman of APSP. "Hot tubs have deep roots in California, but sales are constantly going up in my area and throughout the Northeast," he says. Sales have been flat in past years, but they've begun inching up again, he notes, and that interest is coming from across the nation.
"You might think it would be stronger in the Sunbelt, but that's not the case," he says. "Many homeowners in other areas are seeing hot tubs at ski resorts and other vacation spots. They come in tired and cold and get into a hot tub, and they're sitting in heaven."
Not for adults only
Many customers originally are drawn to hot tubs for their therapy and relaxation aspects, Carlson says, but they end up enjoying it for another reason. "Many end up using it for the quality family time it provides," she says. "As parents, we used to try to sneak into our hot tub without the kids. But we finally gave up, because they always wanted to join us." That type of relaxing experience with children can't be duplicated, she says. "Contractors should be sure that they put the hot tub in an advantageous position so the entire family can use it, because many customers won't even realize that benefit before they get it.
