The big question – Should I have a hot tub in my Holiday Property?

Well, the answer is it depends!

Before deciding if you want to purchase a Hot tub for your holiday property you need to weigh up all the pros and cons. Everyone’s circumstances and properties are different. For this article I am assuming we are talking about smaller establishments not commercial holiday parks or hotels as they fall under different rules.

We all know staycations have been massive over the last few years due to the covid restrictions on travel. Then we have had the added disruptions at airports trying to get back to full capacity.
So staycations will be around a little while longer. The truth is that one of the most searched for amenities on booking sites like Airbnb is a Hot Tub.

But like everything else there are pros and cons so we listed the main ones below:

PROS

• Increased bookings, like I said earlier it is one of the most searched for amenities that people search for. Just take a look at the home page on Airbnb
  
• Increased earnings, properties that have hot tubs can enjoy a premium of at least 10% uplift over those that don’t have one
• Extended your letting season, the British weather can’t ever be guaranteed, but you will always be cosy and warm in the hot tub so hot tubs can be used all year around. In fact, I prefer the hot tub in the colder weather, imagine sitting a steaming hot tub with snowflakes falling around you.
• Your guests should leave your property happier. Hot tubs are known to have health benefits, they encourage relaxation, reduce muscle tension, reduce stress and can even improve sleep.
• Some properties that don’t have the luxury of scenic or costal views so you can enhance your guests stay with the use of a hot tub.
• You also can’t forget the power of social media for increased bookings. There is nothing people like more than posting their holiday shots relaxing in a hot tub. They are doing the advertising for you. Let your guests work for you to help increase your bookings.
• The hot tub can be an optimal extra to cover the running costs, so only those that want to use it pay an extra fee for it. This means it doesn’t rule out those guests that don’t want it

CONS

• Initial outlay to purchase the hot tub, prices vary but I wouldn’t recommend one of the inflatable ones that are around to be used commercially.
  
• The hot tub doesn’t come without extra work (especially at changeover) and responsibility.
• The hot tub has to be emptied between guests or weekly whichever comes first. It has to be checked and tested for pH and chlorine levels twice daily.
• You will incur increased energy cost to maintain the require heating levels between 37-40 degrees and to run the pumps. Also, the cost of the water and chemicals to maintain safety.
• It will have to be maintained, you will need a reliable maintenance company/person in case of breakdowns

 

Increased occupancy + Increased rates = Increased revenue

 

To add to this if you decide to go ahead or you already have a hot tub then make sure your guests know the rules for use.

There are some environmental issues around hot tub that I won’t go into here in this article. We have a hot tub in our own Airbnb, but we also have a rain water collection tank. When we empty our hot tub we empty it into the tank, the water is then reused to flush our toilets so it’s a win-win for us.