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They are not made by the same companies. Caldera spas are made in the Caldera plant, HS, Tiger River, Solana are made in the Watkins MFG plant in Vista.
Isn't the only thermoplastic shell that hot springs offers the endurol? B/c I'm pretty sure the other colored shells are acrylic/fiberglass lamanent.
Chas..........the "caldera" plant is the WATKINS plant, the same place where Hot Spring, tiger river, etc are made.......they are just made in a seperate section of the watkins plant.
When I toured the plant this past february they were building the caldera tubs right there, everything from the frames, plumbing, insulation, etc..... The only things that weren't made at the Vista Plant were the shells and cabinetry panels which are made in the plant in Mexico, which I believe is also the case for all of Watkins other spa lines as well.
I don't know how it is on the left coast but out here It's not uncommon for the Hot Spring Dealers to also carry caldera Spas as well.
Yes, I agree that both brands are distinct from one another, but they have a lot more similarities then differences. This becomes more evident when you see the entire manufacturing process, and have seen the spas made from start to finish.
Off topic, but if you are wondering if ISO9001 is a big deal, I was going to Philadelphia from New Jersey, and I passed a manufacturing facility on the highway that was advertising how they just got ISO9001 certified.
Hi, I am new to the forum and new to the idea of a spa. We just returned from a home show and compared Hot Springs and Caldera. Knowing they are the same manufacturer, we were hoping to find honest answers about the differences between the two. Of course each dealer tooted his own horn, and downplayed the spas they were not sellingHas anyone compared these two spas ? Quality? Maintenance ? Performance ? Comfort? We are leaning specifically towards the HS Envoy or the Caldera Geneva Utopia.... and the big question - is it worth the BIG $$$$ ?Thank you in advance for any advice :-/
Both are very good spas but are certainly separate entities. Wet test both and let that be your guide as to which suits you best.