Welcome to our forum.
I have been enjoying my new hot tub the last few weeks.It is currently on a concrete slab two feet away from the back wall of my house.I've been sitting in the tub planning things around me. Who better could give me better insight than members of this forum.Here is the background.The deck is attached and will span the back of most of the house. The door coming from the house leads directly to the kitchen. Privacy was very important for my wife when i was planning the deck around the tub.I've planned the tub to be flushed with the deck floor. (not knowing much about using the tubs then) I'm considering raising the tub up 18" above the floor but my wife is still not convinced. My reasons in raising the tubs are, placement of cover lifter- most in the market needs some clearance - I have seen lifters designed for flushed tubs that is installed on the deck, ease of entering the tub - my wife wood rather install a grab handle and still flush it, another reason for me not flushing it is that being so close to the floor might also affect the cleanliness of the water from splashes, I imagine. Aesthetically though I would prefer a flushed tubI'm also considering raising the side near the wall to be a convenient place to rest drinks towels etc. although I was also thinking of a dedicated towel warmer inside the cabinet in the wall where the BBQ is backing
I would absolutely recommend keeping the spa above the deck level but the cover lifter would be my second reason for doing so. My main reason would be the ease of getting in/out of the spa vs having it even with the deck. When the spa sits even to the deck level you'll be crawling in/out of it which sux. When you raise it above the deck level so that the seat and deck are on the same plain its SOOOOOO much easier to get in/out, you're just stepping over a short 18" or so barrier or whatever the height might end up being (I'd measure bar top to seat level on the spa and whatever that is would be how far I'd let it protrude from the deck, whether its 15" 18" ...).
Don't know how old you are, but I can tell you that a deck level spa is THE most difficult to get out of (and even MORE difficult to get into).. First you have to get onto the deck, then basically get up off the ground. Personally, I like just stepping over the side, standing the entire time, and just stepping in and out.