Do you have a hot tub in your listing?

[Bhumika]

Hello everyone, 

We've often noticed hosts ask in our community, if it's a good idea to have a hot tub in the listing and whether having one attracts guests. While many hosts have said it's an additional amenity that's attractive to guests, some have debated the cleaning and maintenance aspect of it.

So I am curious to know—do you have a hot tub at your property? 🛁 If so, how has it impacted your bookings?

Do you find it a game-changer for attracting more reservations or just a nice extra?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!

Regards,

Bhumika

[Lisa5102]

OOps forgot to mention contrary to popular belief, It does not need to be drained after each guest. I mean if it's cloudy then yeah, I would. But if not, just top it off & balance the chemicles. If you don't know how to do it properly, hire someone. 

Make sure they are topping off, adding chemicles & rinsing the filters.

Don't rely on your housekeeper to do it correctly, you'll end up with skin irritation IE hot tub foliculittis & and angry guest. 

Hotels don't drain daily, FYI- If you can smell chlorine DO NOT get in, that's an indicator that the bacteria level are high. 

[Yolanda596]

Hello Bhumika,

We are by the beach and although some rentals have pools and hot tubs we don’t consider either a determinant for bookings. The beach is the main amenity but we do provide a few oversized hammocks and a nice view for relaxation. If you don’t have a hot tub or pool, how about you provide another means of relaxing like a reading corner, wine & cheese setup, or sundown viewing location. Find what works for your setup!

[Bhumika]

Hi @Yolanda596 , that's definitely a great insight for our hosts.

As our hosts mentioned on this topic, focusing on unique, cozy touches depending on your listing location makes sense!

Are there any popular sports activities or water sports rental shops near your listing? 

[Jutamas1]

No we don’t have a hot tub. 

[Bhumika]

Thanks for sharing @Jutamas1 ! Have you observed if the listings in your area offer one? 

[Laura6715]

We don't have one but are thinking of getting one. We are on the septic in the rural Siera Nevada Foothills area. I see that a lot of our competitive listings in the area have hot tubs and have more bookings than us.

[Bhumika]

Hi @Laura6715 , that's a wonderful insight! Aligning your listing with the market demand and competitor listings sounds like a great idea.

How did you analyze the competitor listing in your area? Do you follow any specific strategy for that? 

[Lien1943]

Yes, all my properties have hot tubs

[Bhumika]

That's great to hear @Lien1943 ! Our hosts often discuss about cleaning and maintenance costs of hot tubs. Do you have any tips for streamlining maintenance or making the process more efficient? 

Looking forward to hearing your insights!

[Linda-and-Peter0]

Hi @Bhumika 

I think is a great amenity and wonderful to have as a guest, it will certainly benefit your listing.    However, in terms of maintenance, hygiene & cleaning each time I would not consider including one in my listing.  We have natural plunge pools which is also very popular and really easy to manage.

[Bhumika]

Thanks for sharing @Linda-and-Peter0 ! As you said, maintenance and hygiene are definitely the major factors to consider while including hot tubs.

Have you added any pictures or listing description to highlight the natural plunge pools and attract guests to your listing?

[Lorna170]

Yes, we have hot tubs.  Yes, we are able to charge more and we get more bookings than the nearby competition.  Yes, our guests expect to use the hot tub and it is a desirable amenity.

4 Person tubs are the largest we have.  Our properties are well water or spring water, and we drain, scrub and refill between every guest.  We do not do same day turn overs, and the hot tub is ready within 6 hours of re-filling.  It takes housekeeping 2 hours to change the hot tub, and that is accomplished while doing the rest of the cleaning.

The first year we offered hot tubs and treated and chemically balanced the water between guests we had a lot of complaints about smelly, cloudy water and people claiming to get rashes.  Now with a drain and refill between guests we have had NO complaints.

[Bhumika]

This is absolutely brilliant and such a well thought strategy @Lorna170 ! Thanks so much for sharing these insights 🌻 

I'm curious, what are the estimated maintenance costs for keeping the hot tubs in top condition, especially considering the draining, scrubbing, and refilling process between each guest?

[Lorna170]

Housekeeping is $35.00 per guest visit for hot tub cleaning at a property.  This fee is included in my guest charged housekeeping fee, which is less than what I actually pay for housekeeping.

The cost of keeping the hot tub heated is about a dollar a day.