Help! which one-Marquis Promise or Hot Springs Sovereign?

[jc1952]

Hello everyone,

Looking to buy and both of these companies have local stores. Prices on both units $8995 with steps, cover, delivery, chemicals and breaker included with the Sovereign. Have wet tested the Soveteign and am wet testing the Promise today.

I know the Sovereign is a one pump system, but we just have my wife and 23 yr old son. How big an issue is the one pump?

Thanks for all the help I've already received from these forums!

JC

[Spatech_tuo]

Hello everyone,

Looking to buy and both of these companies have local stores. Prices on both units $8995 with steps, cover, delivery, chemicals and breaker included with the Sovereign. Have wet tested the Soveteign and am wet testing the Promise today.

I know the Sovereign is a one pump system, but we just have my wife and 23 yr old son. How big an issue is the one pump?

Thanks for all the help I've already received from these forums!

JC

Its not about the number of pumps, its about the jets and how they feel as well as how you fit in the spa. If the jets were to feel better on a 1 pump spa than a 2 pump spa would you pick the 2 pump? The wet test overrides things like pumps, pump size, jet type... so with the deals the same and assuming both dealers are someone you could see doing business with, let the wet test results be your guide.

[MarKee]

Both good quality brands but The Promise is a much better value in my opinion. ABS plastic base on the base on the Marquis vs wood and exposed foam bottom, more jets on the Marquis, heavier duty DuraWood cabinet on Marquis, look at the equipment area and you will see the fit and finish is much nicer on the Marqus underneath the hood, more gallons filtered per day on Marquis, inline SpaFrog system on Marquis, I could continue. 

[hottubdan]

Both good quality brands, but the Sovereign is a much better value in my opinion.  Tried and true insulation with hard foam on the bottom allowing nothing to infiltrate. Moto Massage on Hot Spring, a jet like no other.  Clearly fit and finish better on Hot Spring; look under the hood.  Check out the pump shroud.  Check out the silent circulation pump vs. noisy filtering with jet pump. Varieties of sanitation systems available; not locked into SpaFrog Bromine system. I could continue.

[castletonia]

As Markee and hottubdan said, both are top tier brands.  I am a Marquis dealer, so I have a bias. 

Both have been around 35+ years and most everything they do is tried and true, not just Hot Springs.  To correct hottubdan, you are not locked in to the Spa Frog Bromine system.  There is now a chlorine version called @ease but more importantly, you are not forced to do either.  I have customers that will use the mineral cartridge only and then either regular old dichlor or bromine tabs in a floater, or whatever else they want.  With the exception of Hot Springs have the Ace system, which is technically still chlorine, no differences in water maintenance.

The circ pump Hot Springs uses is quiet, no question there.  Pump 1 filtering on a Marquis does have more noise (its a full size pump moving a lot more water), but unless the hot tub is right next to your bedroom window, probably not going to matter.  I have sold hot tubs with both systems, and pros and cons.  Circ pumps fail more often because they run 24/7, but they are quieter and no nonsense because usually there is no programming to them.  They are more likely to get airlocked and if there is scale buildup or other junk in the plumbing somethings they get hung up because they are less powerful and do not have a traditional impeller.  Main jet pumps filter a lot more water, can be programmed to run as much or as little as you want, are in my opinion more reliable due to not running 24/7, are repairable/rebuildable, but they are a little louder and do use more electricity.  How it filters probably should not be too high up on your reasons for deciding one vs the other.

The Promise is no lounge and the Sovereign has one.  Your going to have to figure out which you prefer.  Its hard to do an apples to apples comparision especially when the layouts are not similar.  I would think that a 1 pump Promise would be more comparable to a Prodigy and the Sovereign should be more compared to the Mirage, but that's just me.  Do a wet test and see which one is for you.  You may like both and may not.  FWIW, the price on the Promise is a good price.  Can't comment on the Sovereign though.

[Spatech_tuo]

As Markee and hottubdan said, both are top tier brands.  I am a Marquis dealer, so I have a bias. 

Both have been around 35+ years and most everything they do is tried and true, not just Hot Springs.  To correct hottubdan, you are not locked in to the Spa Frog Bromine system.  There is now a chlorine version called @ease but more importantly, you are not forced to do either.  I have customers that will use the mineral cartridge only and then either regular old dichlor or bromine tabs in a floater, or whatever else they want.  With the exception of Hot Springs have the Ace system, which is technically still chlorine, no differences in water maintenance.

The circ pump Hot Springs uses is quiet, no question there.  Pump 1 filtering on a Marquis does have more noise (its a full size pump moving a lot more water), but unless the hot tub is right next to your bedroom window, probably not going to matter.  I have sold hot tubs with both systems, and pros and cons.  Circ pumps fail more often because they run 24/7, but they are quieter and no nonsense because usually there is no programming to them.  They are more likely to get airlocked and if there is scale buildup or other junk in the plumbing somethings they get hung up because they are less powerful and do not have a traditional impeller.  Main jet pumps filter a lot more water, can be programmed to run as much or as little as you want, are in my opinion more reliable due to not running 24/7, are repairable/rebuildable, but they are a little louder and do use more electricity.  How it filters probably should not be too high up on your reasons for deciding one vs the other.

The Promise is no lounge and the Sovereign has one.  Your going to have to figure out which you prefer.  Its hard to do an apples to apples comparision especially when the layouts are not similar.  I would think that a 1 pump Promise would be more comparable to a Prodigy and the Sovereign should be more compared to the Mirage, but that's just me.  Do a wet test and see which one is for you.  You may like both and may not.  FWIW, the price on the Promise is a good price.  Can't comment on the Sovereign though.

As a dealer there will always be a bias toward the brand you sell but in the end your post was very fair and balanced!