Hotspring Vs Sundance

[Jake]

Grandee Vs Optima

Like many before me it has come down to the Grandee vs the Optima.  I have wet tested them both and really like them both.  I would like to hear about the longevity and durability from current owners if possible.  I have heard great things about the Grandee and how well it holds up over the years.  I have not heard the same things about the Sundance Optima.  I’m confused about the Sundance name representing quality, but then coming across several reoccurring issues people tend to have with the Optima.  Please chime in with whatever info you think is helpful.  It’s all appreciated.

[Jet Sitter]

Both are great tubs and equally long lasting.  Assuming both dealers are solid, choose the one that fits / feels best.

[dark rider]

I just went through this decision process myself, and narrowed it down to the exact same two tubs prior to making a selection.  If you like both tubs equally from the wet test, and the dealers are both good, let the features/deal be the deciding factor.  Sundance has been around for about the same amount of time as HotSpring (both over 30 years), so quality shouldn't be an issue.  I think Sundance reliability came into question just before they were acquired by Jacuzzi, but I have heard nothing but positives as of recent.  For me, I was really intrigued by the ACE saltwater system, since I travel fairly often and have a wife who likely would not want to have to mess with chemicals.  The Grandee also ended up being less money overall, so that was the direction I went. 

[Spatech_tuo]

I like both, but if I had to choose then I would choose the Sundance.

...and I'd lean toward the Grandee but both are considered top of class IMO. You'll find proponents of each. As Dark Rider indicates in his post, making the decision on a $10k spa is an involved process.

Test both spas thoroughly, get to know each dealer (how long in business, how long with this product, do they service their own) and get a feel for whether you trust they'll be there for you after the sale, look at the options each comes with and which you want/need, negotiate a deal on both (it doesn't hurt to let each dealer now the other option is sitting there for you) and decide which is best for you.

[Jet Sitter]

I don't own either but have tested both.  You are getting good advice, you can't go wrong with either.  The optima was once a finalist for me but i ended up going a different route.  My reasons for prefering the optima over the grandee (and they may be irrelevant to some, not to others) are that I preferred the four corner seating of the optima to the four person scenario in the grandee - if you rarely / never have four people in the tub it may not matter.  I liked having the foot jets available in the optima from all of the seats - maybe you are not a foot jet guy, but I am.  I thought there was more variety of jetting in the optima - I tend to move around rather than stay in one seat.  I am not a fan of the moto massage, but if you are, thats a big reason to go with the grandee.  In my installation the smaller footprint of the optima was a positive but not an essential.  Also I liked the simpler filter maintainance with the sundance - I like keep a spare filter and just swap it in when it is time to do a filter soak.  Then the old filter is soaked overnight and goes back on the shelf until it is time for another filter swap.  With the grandee you need to have more filters on hand.