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Trekoa, Perranuthnoe
After a day exploring the South West Coast Path, running free on the beach or meandering Cornish towns and their hilly geography, coming back to a holiday home with a hot tub is heavenly.
Here at Cornish Secrets one of our most frequently asked questions from property owners is whether they should install a hot tub. There’s no denying that it’ll elevate your property, setting it apart from a competitive market, but there are considerable costs to weigh up. We’ve found that holiday homes with hot tubs can reach an additional £400-£500 per week.
If you can’t offer desirable features such as sea views or the beach on your doorstep, then having a hot tub will give you something a little bit extra to offer your guests. While a hot tub can be enjoyed all-year round, a bubbling soak can see those off-peak winter bookings rolling in, too.
In 2015, Lucy Bottrell set up OC Spas with her husband Jonny
Lucy Bottrell set up OC Spas with her husband Jonny in 2015 after their own experience of looking to buy a hot tub, which left them feeling compelled to provide Cornwall with a premier hot tub sales and service company. We caught up with Lucy to find out the finer details when purchasing a hot tub.
What’s the price range for a hot tub at OC Spas?
The entry price is £5,500 going up to £7,995.
What are the ongoing costs?
Energy consumption needs to be considered. Choose a good quality manufacturer – our spas are all manufactured by the leading spa company, Artesian Spas – and to heat the spa up on fill-up day will cost between 36-48 kW hours. Standby costs will be between 4-6kW hours. On top of energy costs, you will need someone to fulfil the weekly changeovers, in line with the HSG282 guidelines (they should be fully trained and have completed a BISHTA approved, Hot Tub & Spa Water Hygiene Management course).
How does owning a hot tub affect changeover?
The hot tub needs to be flushed, drained, refilled and doused with the correct chemicals for every booking.
Is there a particular brand or model you recommend for holiday homes?
We recommend any spa from the South Seas range. These spas have been designed to perform to their maximum capability, yet are very energy efficient and most importantly, are HSG282 compliant.
For you, what makes the South Seas range a smart choice?
They have the added benefit of being contemporary yet simple in design, allowing you the peace of mind that the spa is fit for purpose and able to cope with the heavy usage it will be receiving in a high turnover environment. When you buy your spa from OC Spas you have the added benefit and assurance of our same day call out service. We carry all parts in stock so will be able to get to you and get your spa up and running that same day.
Does most of your business come from holiday homeowners?
A very large part of our business is not only selling the hot tubs for holiday let properties, but providing the weekly changeover service. This service is available for anyone, not just people who have bought spas from us.
Can you tell us a bit more about your changeover service?
If the property is empty for a few days, we visit and drain the spa immediately and then return prior to the next guests to complete the valet. Both visits constitute as one changeover, so the owner is only charged one fee of £120+vat.
We also include at least one mid-stay visit to the property to provide a shock treatment to the spa water, water top-up, test and douse chemicals and provide a quick clean.
What are your top tips for maintaining your hot tub?
Having your spa serviced and maintained by a reputable, local spa company, with fully trained spa engineers, is the key to having a hassle-free hot tub.
Where do you recommend locating a hot tub?
Close to the house, so your guests can enjoy it easily. If you have a nice view, try to incorporate that from the spa.
Is there anything to avoid when looking at purchasing a hot tub?
Avoid buying your hot tub from a company that is not local as they will not be able to provide the on-going support that you will need from them. Your guests will not be happy if they have a spa that isn’t working and you are unable to get an engineer to look at it.
If you are looking for ideas to increase your holiday home bookings or want to offer guests more of a luxury experience, and can manage the initial costs, then installing a hot tub could be a great idea.
Click here to check out our selection of hot tub properties.
Waves, near Falmouth
Categories: Owner blogs
