Hot tubs are hot all over the U.S. because they offer a beautiful, often simple way to create a leafy, natural retreat around an inviting water feature. As both a private and a social extension of the home, a hot tub-centered "living room" brings the indoors outside -- for personal relaxation, intimate family time, or the fun of inviting guests for a barbecue and hot tub party. Leading manufacturers such as Jacuzzi Hot Tubs and Sundance Spas offer tips for consumers for back yard renovations, entertaining and more.
One of today's hottest design trends is the "outdoor room," a relaxed environment for private enjoyment or casual summer entertaining. While planning these outdoor living spaces, more and more homeowners are discovering the beauty and pleasure of integrating water features. Many families choose to add a touch of luxury with an easy-to-enjoy hot tub. The inviting sight, natural sound and refreshing contact with warm, bubbling, sparkling water almost magically soothes the senses.

Hot tubs are hot all over the U.S. because they offer a beautiful, often simple way to create a leafy, natural retreat around an inviting water feature. As both a private and a social extension of the home, a hot tub-centered "living room" brings the indoors outside -- for personal relaxation, intimate family time, or the fun of inviting guests for a barbecue and hot tub party.

Large properties and a pond or a brook around a home may have been typical before, but with urbanization, that tradition is fading. Today, Americans build larger houses on smaller lots. "Our customers see that a hot tub, with its compact footprint and range of water features, can provide the pleasures of a water environment in a more space-efficient, cost-efficient way than a larger project, such as a pond or a swimming pool," said Anthony Pasquarelli of Jacuzzi Hot Tubs, the legendary brand that recently celebrated 50 years of hydrotherapy. "A hot tub creates a four-season outdoor room, which is ultimately more versatile than a summers-only pool."

Homeowners don't necessarily need professional landscapers to create the right outdoor environment for luxurious hot soaks. Simple design elements, such as colorful indoor/outdoor fabrics and furnishings, an attractive, easy-to-install gazebo or some natural stone and plantings around a hot tub can make even a small-scale yard rise far above the ordinary.

"Our local dealers can help homeowners design a Sundance spa installation with a luxurious, built-in look, easily and at an affordable cost, by installing the hot tub half-in, half-out of the ground and using stone, brick or wood decking and attractive foliage," says Erica Moir of Sundance Spas, the world's largest acrylic hot tub manufacturer.

"Take time to consider what type of hot tub environment will fit your tastes, your budget and the space available in your backyard," notes Mr. Pasquarelli from Jacuzzi Hot Tubs. Moir from Sundance Spas agrees, "A backyard design doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. Just a few tweaks to a current landscape may be all that's needed to create a personalized, ideal garden hot tub environment." Some additional tips:

    * Consider your family's specific needs and desires. Do you entertain small groups of friends? Do you play with the kids?
    * Do you read or quietly meditate? Identify sun and shade spots as well as wind directions to help ensure maximum enjoyment of the hot tub.
    * Home and garden magazines are a great source for design ideas.

Today's hot tub offers high-tech water massage features that can enhance the enjoyment of a warm bubbling hot tub on a cool evening in a leafy outdoor room. Good for the body and the spirit alike, water massage is an easily accessible, affordable, health-enhancing way to spend leisure time. For more backyard design tips and suggestions, visit Jacuzzi hot tub spa or back yard entertaining hot tub spa.