Grandee purchase. Good deal?

[BullFrogSpasMN]

I would NEVER buy a Grandee without wet testing it....I'm 5'11 190lbs and can sit like a rock in a Vanguard but when I get in a Grandee it's a nightmare, floating all over the place with no spot to "plant" my feet, very uncomfortable for me....doesn't make it a bad spa, this can obviously apply to any spa brand its just I have direct first hand experience with the Vanguard and Grandee...so ya basically like everyone has mentioned make sure before you drop 10-14k that you wet test, wet test, wet test

[amy2421]

I would NEVER buy a Grandee without wet testing it....I'm 5'11 190lbs and can sit like a rock in a Vanguard but when I get in a Grandee it's a nightmare, floating all over the place with no spot to "plant" my feet, very uncomfortable for me....doesn't make it a bad spa, this can obviously apply to any spa brand its just I have direct first hand experience with the Vanguard and Grandee...so ya basically like everyone has mentioned make sure before you drop 10-14k that you wet test, wet test, wet test

This was what sold us on the Jacuzzi J-470. The center foot dome with the foot jets acts like a "seatbelt", both because there is a comfortable place to plant your feet and also because the foot jets create a jet flow pushing backwards so you stay in your seat. It isn't really noticeable, but I was playing around in our tub the other night (while my husband made dinner - heaven!) and I noticed when I turned off the foot jets it was easier to float out of my seat.

[pinhead]

A couple of things to consider when testing a spa - the same spa will sit very differently with and without a bathing suit. With a suit I slide and float a bit, w/o I sit like a rock.
Also, at first we liked lower intensity jets - after a few weeks we prefer full intensity jets, I think we got used to the jets after a short while.
I hope this is not TMI but something you may want to consider....

[amy2421]

A couple of things to consider when testing a spa - the same spa will sit very differently with and without a bathing suit. With a suit I slide and float a bit, w/o I sit like a rock.
Also, at first we liked lower intensity jets - after a few weeks we prefer full intensity jets, I think we got used to the jets after a short while.
I hope this is not TMI but something you may want to consider....

I'll add to that if you don't have a private enough yard for that (which unfortunately we don't!) the type of suit can make a difference too. I wear a "tankini" in public for self-consciousness but a bikini in our own tub because the extra fabric creates more buoyancy.

[Tman122]

The Moto Massage didn't blow me away but it does a lot of folks.

[CCC]

So I went back to the local Bullfrog/Marquis dealer and talked to the owner. I sympathize with her plight as they are a small store that can't really floor a lot of inventory. They got some incentives in the Bullfrogs, it seems, and thus they only have one small Marquis on the floor. I still want to look at them, but I don't want to waste a salesman's time in Portland just to come back and buy it from somebody else. Perhaps I should be a little more ruthless but I've been in sales before and know what it's like. I don't think I care for the Bullfrog even though I haven't wet tested it. It still smells kind of musty. Perhaps that's just from the walls soaking up moisture, but the Hot Springs store didn't stink.

A question about leg/foot jets. Looking at the Grandee I reserved, it doesn't seem to have much going on for the legs. I have a lot of calf problems and achilles tendonitis. How much do people appreciate dedicated leg/foot jets?

I know, I should wet test. The vibe I'm getting is that the vast majority of people buy without doing that and the attitude is kind of "well, okay, if you really want to come in and try one, you weirdo, we'll figure something out". I know, it's my money and I shouldn't care. But there isn't a Grandee in the Portland area that is filled, only a Vanguard, and they aren't going to fill one. As BullfrogSpaGuy said, they feel different. The moto massage looks cool, but I've read a lot of mixed reviews about it.

Also, thank you Markee for the phone conversation and info about Marquis.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Just an FYI it's not the spa's fault that it stinks..  But that would also tell me something about the dealer not taking care of things.   It's like showrooms I have been in where there is dead bugs in a spa and has not been wiped down in awhile.

[MarKee]

No problem, let me know if you want to make the trek over here and we can have an Epic, Euphoria, or any other model filled up for you to try out.

[CCC]

I wet tested a couple of hot tubs last weekend, but neither that were on my list. I tried a Hot Springs Vanguard and a Marquis Wish. I really liked them both. The Hot Springs ambiance was first class. They just feel like quality. I really like that. I liked the Moto-Massage. It was at a different store than where I had put the deposit down, but the people there were friendly and knowledgable. It seems to me that the Grandee would be the Vanguard only bigger and better.

The Marquis was also very nice. It had a jet in the footwell that was f**ing amazing! Nothing to compare to on the Hot Springs. They didn't have an Epic that I could wet test, which is the one I would probably be interested in. It didn't quite have the solid feel of the Hot Springs as far as fit and finish and just overall ambiance IMO. Not knocking it, but I think the Hot Springs Highlife just looks like a higher end product. One thing that the Marquis guy said is "look at the equipment bay, see how it's laid out? Why don't they open theirs?" Well, I admit, the Marquis has a nice clean area where their panel is open, but that says nothing about what everything else looks like. I am a high voltage substation electrician. I work on electrical equipment for a living. I know crappy layout and cheap design. I googled videos of Hot Springs repairs and they aren't a ghetto tub. Everything looks easy to get to to me. I wasn't going to be a sheep and go ask the Hot Springs guy to open the panel for me. I have a smart phone and I'm sure they've heard that challenge a million times.

It's obviously a Celebrity Death Match type of rivalry between those two brands here. I've been in sales for many years in my past life. So one has to take a giant tablet of salt and do their own thinking in the end.

I'm trying to convince my wife to shed her modesty and wet test with me. I don't think she'll go for it but we shall see. I don't think I can go wrong either way but I think if I had to make up my mind right now I would get the Grandee. I like the controls, and the space is amazing. I am 6'4 with a long torso, and I don't think that the Marquis is going to give me as deep of a soak as the Grandee after measuring them both. I also like the open lay out which makes transitioning from seat to seat more seamless. I wish I had more experience hot-tubbing so I could know what features were more important to me. The Hot Springs seemed quieter, but that could have to do with the acoustics of the showrooms. That fact that the dealers are over an hour away and I am in my busy time at work makes this a logistical challenge to shop.

I am stoked to get this, whatever I decide in the end. Isn't it wonderful to have such dillemas?

[Chief Kyle]

Both are great brands...As far as wet testing see if they'll let you test after the store closes (not hours after they close, but when they close😀)  We went on a Saturday, When they opened for business it was nice and quiet...at least the day we went.  If you can, try the Epic.

[amy2421]

We wet-tested in the last hour they were open on a Sunday and we were the only ones there besides the 2 salespeople. Our salesperson showed us the controls and then left us to our own devices. It did feel a little weird being in my bathrobe and bathing suit in a showroom, but honestly they couldn't care less so it wasn't so bad. This was a Jacuzzi dealer and they had a nice big change-room/restroom with sage green towels rolled up like a spa.

[CCC]

No Jacuzzi dealer near me, I'm afraid. I have eliminated the Bullfrog because I don't want to wet-test a hot tub that stinks. It says too much to me about the professionalism of the dealer. Service is everything to me. Next nearest one is in Salem (2+ hours away).

With the holidays coming and work demands I won't get a chance to wet-test until the new year. The Grandee I reserved will arrive on the 18th, ready to deliver the following week, and from what I have read I am getting a pretty good deal on it at $12,100 + tax.  The Epic is so close in price that at this stage the money isn't really a deciding factor. I thought the Epic would be considerably cheaper but was quoted $11,100 + tax. Both dealers seemed like they would give good service after the sale. Hot Spring said they wouldn't charge me a trip fee for warranty service for the first year, but Marquis would right off the bat. Both trip fees for warranty service are about $60 because I live so far away, and I figure most nit-picky issues would be found in the first year. Another plus for Hot Spring. It shows confidence in their product.

[MarKee]

CCC:  The Marquis stores in Clackamas/Beaverton/Salem do not charge a trip fee the first year of warranty, even if you are out of the normal 30 mile radius, so it would be the same as the HotSpring dealer.  We can put that in writing for you.  It's unlikely that you're going to need the warranty because of how reliable they are, but it's nice to have for peace of mind.

I'm glad you wet tested both brands.  The Marquis Wish is a cramped layout if you're a bigger guy.  The Epic is much roomier and has 2 of the foot geyser jets that you really liked.  They are stacked on top of eachother in the Epic so you can get them on your feet or you can put your back against them and have those hit your upper and lower back (that is one of my favorite features on the Epic).  It will vary from seat to seat, but the overall water depth between the Epic and Grandee should be very similar when you consider that the HotSpring has plumbing running underneath the footwell for the drain, whereas the Marquis has no plumbing underneath the footwell.  That is the main reason the Grandee is 38" tall and the Epic is 35" tall.  If you do end up wanting to come in and test the Epic, let us know soon because all of our Epic floor models are sold and scheduled to be delivered, and there is a hot tub shortage with holiday shut downs at the factory.  If you end up coming back, come talk to me and I can get you a better price like we had discussed on the phone.

[CCC]

Yesterday I fractured my fibula and Tibia, snapped in two at the ankle. Had surgery today to bolt the bones together. I don't think I'll be able to submerge the wound for awhile. While I realize a hot tub is the least of my worries at the moment, I'm lying in a hospital bed bored and in pain so am looking for distractions. Sooooooo........

I have this Granderle reserved at this great price. If I cancel it I'm told that I will not get the same deal. I would be crazy to buy a hot tub that I won't be able to get into for probably, what, 2 months minimum? (haven't had post op follow up appointment yet).

Dang it. I was so looking forward to winter hot rubbing! (and winter walking, for that matter!)

[JustAnotherNewbie]

Oh man sorry to hear about your leg, that is a bad break. Get well soon!