Is this a good price for a Hot Spring Aria

[5858Vince]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum. My wife and I are interested in getting a hot tub. Through our research we have decided to go with a new Hot Springs Aria. We live in NH and the dealer we are dealing with has quoted us a price of $10,900 which includes delivery (including crane service), Starter Kit, Cover Cradle Kit and lifetime enrollment as a Tub Club member which gets you 15% off all future accessories and chemicals. Since it is so hard to find price comparisons I just thought I'd ask if anyone knows whether this is a fair price or not.

Thanks in advance,
Vince

[BullFrogSpasMN]

very fair esp. if they are hiring/paying for the crane service which can easily run $250-$1,500 depending on the size of crane/boom distance/possible permits needed/etc.

[Tman122]

Very fair.

[5858Vince]

Thanks for your response. I thought it was a fair price but couldn't be sure.

Thanks,
Vince

[d00nut]

I sell it for quite a bit more, if that makes you feel better

I'm assuming you are going to Energy Savers.  I know the owner, and he is a good guy.  I think his name is Steve, if that is who you are dealing with.

[5858Vince]

Thanks, that does make feel good about it. My experience with Energy Savers has been very good so far. I'm dealing with one of the sales people named Nate. He's been very helpful, and has responded quickly to any email questions I've had.

[pmang]

I bought an Aria last Fall in MA for $10,100+tax with a similar package like you described (no crane service needed though). I did take an in stock model (not floor model) so I wasn't able to select colors (loved what they had and would have picked it anyway). That brought the price down quite a bit. Another MA dealer offered the tub at $10,900. Your price sounds like a decent deal including the crane but you may be able to do a little better. Especially in NH with no sales tax... The tub is amazing and we love it! Great choice!

[AZChillin]

We paid over $11,000 which included the ACE (salt) system.  But if you are considering a Hot Springs spa, beware.  The quality is suspect and the service is really poor.
 
We bought an Aria model about 15 months ago believing that Hot Springs had better quality and a great warranty. This spring, our spa started leaking underneath the spa.  We has a light but steady stream of water running, and it didn't appear that anything was leaking inside the motor/pump compartment.  It took about 3 weeks for get someone out to look at it, several more days for them to come back and put it up on blocks, put blue dye in it to try and trace the leak.  Then several more days to come back, dig into the foam underneath, only to discover that the leak probably really was coming from the motor/pump compartment.
 
At this point, we could now see water in the compartment, and the diagnosis was that the pump seal leaked. The after replacing a pump, the spa is leaking less, and the new diagnosis is that the heater is leaking.  We've now been waiting two weeks for a heater to be ordered (geez, I thought trucks ran from California to Arizona over night). The technician left our filters out in the elements, and our spa door off leaving the motor compartment exposed as well;  we haven't seen him for weeks.
 
So, long story short, we've not had use of our "new" spa for over two months of "prime spa time" in Arizona this spring. Turns out that the company providing the warranty service is independent and not connected with the factory.  Apparently they are not accountable to anyone (least of all us) and if there is any communication about next steps, ordering a heater, and next service visit, anything at all, we have to initiate it and stay after them.  A warranty is worthless with this kind of service.
 
Hot Springs is supposed to be one of the better products out there. It's not been our experience at all and the warranty experience really sucks.  Good luck.

[Isaac-1]

It sounds like most of your problem is with the warranty service company, not with Hot Spring, it is going to come down to the local dealer and how they handle service work when it comes to repair of any hot tub.  As to the leak since the cause has not yet been determined, and somone as been doing a lot of poking around in there, it is hard to say if this is poor workmanship, defective item, or just a hose fitting that shifted when the delivery truck driver had to slam on his brakes.

[Hilldog]

Where in Mass?  I'm looking at the Aria as well and live in Mass.   And where is Energy Savers in NH?  Thanks

[Spatech_tuo]

It sounds like most of your problem is with the warranty service company, not with Hot Spring, it is going to come down to the local dealer and how they handle service work when it comes to repair of any hot tub.  As to the leak since the cause has not yet been determined, and somone as been doing a lot of poking around in there, it is hard to say if this is poor workmanship, defective item, or just a hose fitting that shifted when the delivery truck driver had to slam on his brakes.

Its certainly a dealer service issue and at this point a call to Watkins to relay the situation and your disappointment sounds like a good idea.

[pmang]

Where in Mass?  I'm looking at the Aria as well and live in Mass.   And where is Energy Savers in NH?  Thanks

I bought mine at New England Spas in Auburn (they also have a showroom in Natick). You'll get the best pricing if you like the in stock colors. I was very happy with them as a dealer. The other dealer that was a higher price was Teddy Bear in Chicopee. Good luck!

[Hilldog]

Thanks so much for the info.  I will check them out. 

[Hottubguy]

Where in Mass?  I'm looking at the Aria as well and live in Mass.   And where is Energy Savers in NH?  Thanks

I bought mine at New England Spas in Auburn (they also have a showroom in Natick). You'll get the best pricing if you like the in stock colors. I was very happy with them as a dealer. The other dealer that was a higher price was Teddy Bear in Chicopee. Good luck!

New England Spas is a great dealer. They are a competitor of mine but they have a great rep for taking good care of there customers. Very surprised they were cheaper then Teddy Bear as they always seem to be high priced. They are my favorite company to go against because they sell the right way and usually keep their margins pretty good