I thought this was interesting...I'm still in the "planning" phase of the hot tub thing (I've got one on lay-away), so I've got some time to really research different options.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/exteriors/article/0,16417,220690,00.htmlI've seen some very nice block pads, and think that may be the way to go for us, since concrete slabs and building another level of deck is more involved than we're able to do ourselves. We've got a minimal grade on the area of lawn we're putting the tub (a couple inches higher toward house than 10-12' out), so I don't think it'll be a major work of excavation wizardry. I've learned a few things while watching the guys on the jobsites (I drive dump truck) about levelling areas using just stakes, a marker and a laser (I've got a laser level already, cost about $10), so I may as well put it all to use! The hardest part that I can see is actually digging or scraping the ground to a relatively uniform level....after that, it should be easy enough (I LIKE my pipe dream, thank you).
Keep up the great work on the site here, I feel like I've learned a lot!
