Globally and through the ages, communal hot springs and baths have provided relief, relaxation and comfort to rich and poor alike. In 1956 the Jacuzzi brothers applied the healing properties from ancient Roman baths to a family member’s arthritis symptoms with a hydrotherapy pump. With modifications and modern detailing, we arrive at the kind of snazzy selection of home spas one might expect at a prestige auto dealership.

A luxury item, clearly, but given the aggressive work ethic of Calgarians, Darren Jordison, general manager of Jacuzzi Premium Spas of Calgary, sees it as a just reward. “People are so wound up. It’s simplistic for me to say that hot tubs make your life better—but they do!” he says. The combination of warmth, weightlessness, and gentle friction from the bubbles or water jets is said to break down the build-up of lactic acid caused by stress or anxiety. Circulation is improved with the opening of blood vessels, the muscles around arthritic joints are relaxed, and the flow or endorphins increases.

Customized jets to target muscle groups or specific physical concerns are features available with today’s hot tubs. And major manufacturers, like Jacuzzi and like Cal Spas sold through Harbour Spas Home & Leisure, provide a huge variety of seating configurations to suit purposes such as regular hydrotherapy treatment, entertainment centres for parties, or as a space for families to relax and rejuvenate together. Cal Spas are proud of the ergonomic therapy seats available where the “performance jets” are lined up with your aching neck, back or even calves and feet.

Meanwhile, Jacuzzi’s patents on the PowerPro jets and other advancements in pump systems not only deliver the ahh factor, but they also work in conjunction with other design standards to continually address customer fears of the cost and maintenance of a home spa. In fact, having the luxury of a home spa is much cheaper than you might think.

“I can’t stress this enough,” says Jordison adding, “(but) you need the right insulation.”  He explains that by using 100 per cent foam insulation in the tub, the unit holds heat better so you’re not using as much energy to keep the water hot and you’re not replacing heating elements either. He says the cost to run a Jacuzzi hot tub for 30 minutes a day at 1020 F in Alberta is between $5 and $28 a month. On top of that you have a system with a lower power, but more efficient and quiet motor in the pump. “You don’t want to listen to rattle and hum unless it’s rock and roll,” says Jordison.

And speaking of rock and roll, the new generation of hot tubs owners get all the value-added features you’d expect in a “lifestyle” purchase. First on the must-have list from Jacuzzi is the CD stereo system with waterproof speakers, MP3 or iPod hook-ups in some units, and a remote control built into the system. Harbour’s Cal Spas have the auto-rising and auto-storing 20-inch LCD TV and 42-inch plasma screen—a sure hit with soakers who enjoy watching sports playoffs or movie premieres.

Coloured waterfalls, underwater disco lights, LED trays, glasses and pillows, and scent treatments that won’t harm the units are also among selling options that conspire to turn anyone who dares take a test drive/soak in one, into a hot tub wannabe owner.

For those dipping their toes in the tub world for the first time, for others who may not yet have the deed to a property they plan to stay in for awhile (renters and condo owners, for example), or for anyone not ready to make a full-on commitment, there are portable spa options, too. Yes, portable.

Among these are the Watkins Manufacturing lines of HotSpring and Solana offered by Rocky Mountain Pools and Spas. The Solana TX, in the $4,500 range, is designed to get through a doorway and down stairways, is insulated to be operated outdoors as well as in, and yet professes to be comfortable enough to provide a truly relaxing and therapeutic spa. Features of HotSpring Spas are 100 per cent no by-pass filtration, fully foam insulation, and a wide variety of custom jets. These portable, yet rigid models of hot tubs require little more than level ground and a power source, with the option of a 110 volt GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) or 220, and seat two to five adults. Dustin Wildschut at Rocky Mountain says they’re a great alternative until you’re ready to trade it in and upgrade to either a larger model, or style he offers like the custom stainless steel and concrete tubs they’re known for.

Jacuzzi has installed more permanent home spa systems in the range of $5,500 to $12,000, “But people look at that as an investment for the next 20 years so you have to buy the best that you can trust,” says Jordison.

Both Harbour Spas and Jacuzzi Calgary speak to the advantages of installing home spas in the early stages of design or renovations. Howard says that they’re not doing as many indoor installations as they are outdoors lately, but styles have changed to include more gazebos and outer living space concepts. Jordison at Jacuzzi chalks this trend up to the fact that with electrical, foundation and access considerations, it’s easier to put a spa in the backyard before the house is built and to include the design components to suit your décor.

Any worries about maintenance are quickly been answered with explanation of innovations in water treatment. Harbour Spas offers the Genesis Bromine Salt Generator, which creates bromine from the sodium bromide—salt water, in other words. “It gives a nice softness to the water,” says Howard, adding, “It’s a great system for every other day use to minimize the chemicals used,” which is often an issue for people with sensitive skin. The Genesis System claims to reduce chemicals used, cleaning and maintenance time.

Jordison at Jacuzzi isn’t a fan of any system that adds salt and recommends instead a silver nitrate system, which addresses skin sensitivity and maintenance concerns. The company’s ProClear Mineral Spa System and Ozonator is said to help reduce maintenance time to five minutes a week. “They’re great because they’re automated; they’re more forgiving if you’re on vacation or away for a week,” says Jordison. What’s more, the system uses fewer chemicals and the Ozonator works by infusing ozone into the water via an electrical discharge.

As the mad dash to settle into new homes in Calgary calms down and the cold winds of another prairie winter threaten, visions of warm bubbly bliss look better by the minute.