Top-rated product
Grandee - Pre 2019

Product Reviews

Highlife® Grandee - Pre 2019

<ul> <li>7 adults</li> <li>8' 4" x 7' 7" x 38"H/2.54m x 2.31m x .97mH</li> <li>500 gallons/1,893 litres</li> </ul>
Overall rating:
4.453 / 5
4.5
 / 
5
220 out of 248(89%)reviewers recommend this product.
Customer reviews for Grandee - Pre 2019
Review 361 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Bob
fromCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Age:45-54
Gender:male
HOT SPRING GRANDEE
PostedDecember 30, 2012
I recently replaced my HighLife with the new Grandee and what a difference comparing then to now. Following the recommended maintenance program I was able to get over two decades of service from the HighLife and without a doubt Hot Spring is the leader in the field. If you want the best spa out there get the Grandee - you will not be disappointed. Wonderful design - outstanding quality - great experience! Bob - Calgary, AB, December 2012.
Review 362 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
4 / 5
4 / 5
Comfort:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Quality:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
2 / 5
2 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
2 / 5
2 / 5
JLaBar
fromLapeer, MI
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Ace Water Care System
PostedDecember 27, 2012
My Grandee is two years old now and has moderate use. The LED lights are starting to fade, the union holding the jet pump and tubing has been replaced do to a severe crack. Overall the tub is very comfortable and relaxing. The biggest waste of money however is the Ace water care system. I am very diligent doing maintenance on the probe and my water chemistry, however i have had 2 electrodes go bad on me in 2 years. Now my dealer wants $450+ for a new one. I highly recommend not purchasing this product!
4 of 5 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy SteveCustomer ServiceJuly 1, 2013
Thank you for your feedback regarding your Grandee. It's good to hear it is comfortable and relaxing for you. We want to follow up with you regarding your tub's ACE System and have reached out to you via email directly. Thank you for your business!
Review 363 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Eddie82
fromFort Worth, TX
Age:45-54
Gender:male
We love our new hot tub!
PostedDecember 27, 2012
We've had our new hot tub for 2 weeks, and we love it! It's so comfortable, easy to use, and simple to maintain. We love it!
Review 364 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
4 / 5
4 / 5
Comfort:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Big AL
fromRenton, Wa
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Grandee is GOOD
PostedDecember 26, 2012
This is my second Hot Springs Tub. My first tub was the Sovereign. My wife and I loved that tub. It had nice powerful jets. There was one seat that we both fought over. It worked the shoulders and the lower back. We now upgraded to the Grandee. The new salt water technology is great. Your skin feels smooth and not so dry after you get out. My wife and I love the Hot Springs products.
Review 365 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
4 / 5
4 / 5
Comfort:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Quality:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
SorryIboughttheACEsystem
fromRichmond, VA
Age:45-54
Gender:male
Great hot tub but WOULDN'T recomend the ACE system
PostedDecember 24, 2012
We have had our Grandee since March 2011 and really enjoy relaxing in it almost every day. I wouldn't recomend the ACE system though as we are on our THIRD sensor, the last one was installed by the dealer in September 2012. Have to say that it was a waste of $1300 to get this option. I'll be switching back to the original system soon, unfortunately when our Grandee was delivered and they installed the ACE stystem they took all of the other parts with them so I'm sure I'll have to buy them back for this conversion. Love the hot tub, very disappointed with the ACE system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 of 4 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy SteveCustomer ServiceJuly 1, 2013
Thank you for your feedback! We are glad you love your Grandee. We would like to follow up with you regarding your ACE system concerns and do what we can to enhance your experience. Please check your email for a message from our team. Thank you for your business.
Review 366 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
4 / 5
4 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Sam59
fromDes Moines, IA
Age:55-65
Gender:male
One annoying problem
PostedDecember 10, 2012
Thsi is my second Hot Springs Spa and overall they have been great buys and our family has enjoyed them. However, The new spa I purchased in the last year has an annoying feature that an engineer really didn't spend enough time thinking about. When I close the cover, with the new control panel location, at least half of the time the middle cover support kicks on the spas jets. I then have to lift the cover up, turn them off, and try to reclose the cover without hitting the jet button again. And yes, the dealer put in an adapter to try and keep this from happening. This detracts greatly from an otherwise great product.
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 367 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Alby
fromWhangamata, New Zealand
So pleased
PostedNovember 22, 2012
Had grandee for 10 years and its been great. A very well designed spa with plenty of room. It's obviously been well thought out. Not a single problem in 10 years says a great deal about this product. Great fun.
Review 368 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
1 / 5
1 / 5
Comfort:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Quality:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Value:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Dissappointed
fromVirginia
Biggest Mistake
PostedNovember 13, 2012
Have had spa for 2 years, the past year it hasn't worked! Have had to replace FIVE circulation pumps, three sensors, the heater and the Ace cell. It is currently not working AGAIN!
4 of 4 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy HotSpringEnvoy81MarketingNovember 16, 2012
We are committed to delivering the Absolute Best Hot Tub Ownership Experience. We appreciate that you have taken the time to review your hot tub and provide us with feedback, though we are sorry you are not entirely satisified. Our customer service team reaches out directly to owners when we receive negative feedback to determine what we can do to improve the situation and better meet your expectations. If there is something more that we can do, please feel free to contact us directly at 800-999-4688 X 8432
Review 369 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
4 / 5
4 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
booboo
fromwinnipeg, manitoba
Age:35-44
Gender:male
first tub i've owned. it's great but it's flawed
PostedNovember 11, 2012
I don't have much to compare to but friends tubs that i have been in. I definitely like mine much better. The moto massage jets are fantastic when they are moving. The ace salt water sysem works great now that i have it dialed in. I have no regrets with my purchase but i do have some complaints. The moto massage jets won't move up and down when all the jets are open. More flow has to be deverted to the moto massage jets to get them to work, so much that the other seats are just getting a trickle. The moto massage seats should have their own dedicated pump. The 100% filtration is a novel idea but was not set up very well. it has 5 filters. 1 for the recirc pump and 4 for the jet pumps. The one filter plugs up pretty fast. Using the tub about 2-4 times per week it has to be cleaned every 2 weeks. The other filters don't really get dirty as they only filter while the tub is in use. It would have been nice if all 5 filtered all the time as cleaning them would need to be done less often. A gauge on the panel indicating the restriction in the filters would be a nice plus to know when they need to be cleaned. The ace salt water system requires that the single filter remain clean as it stops functioning if the water flow is too low. One big thing to know about the ace saltwater system is you have to get rid of all the phosphates in the water or it just won't work. Another thing i would have liked to have had with the salt water system is for it to be able to monitor the chlorine levels and self adjust the output. All in all it's a great tub, i'm just a fussy person that sees things that could have been done better.
2 of 2 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy SteveCustomer ServiceJuly 1, 2013
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you've dialed in your ACE System on your Grandee; its a great way to manage your tub! Your comments are appreciated and we encourage you to contact us at 800-999-4688 at any time if you have future questions on your tub's performance.
Review 370 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Jag610
fromCarlisle, PA
Age:55-65
Gender:male
1st time and happy
PostedNovember 9, 2012
This is our first hot tub and we are loving it. Crystal Pools did a great job with installation and explanation. Watching the Steelers in the Grandee doesn't get any better.
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
Review 371 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
3 / 5
3 / 5
Comfort:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Quality:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
2 / 5
2 / 5
Greg
fromSherwood Park, AB, Canada
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Top of Our Short List, Not Any More
PostedOctober 31, 2012
We've had our Grandee for almost three months now and enjoy it. We did a lot of research and tested several tubs before deciding on this one. After getting it finally set up with the ACE Salt System (about one month ago, it finally came in,) we've enjoyed the relative ease of water maintenance, even if the system can't keep sanitizer levels quite as high as they should be - the ACE salt system was probably the biggest selling feature for us, but I don't see it as working as promised - it needs augmentation with chlorine to keep sanitizer levels where they need to be. (Usage is daily, 2 people for about 15 minutes on average.)
Problems we have had:
The tub seems underpowered. You have to shut some of the jets off to get full effect, or in the case of the Moto-Massage jets, to even get them to work -so if you plan on using it with a bunch of people fairly often, there is definitely a compromise with this unit and you may not want to go with the Grandee.
Temperature control has been an issue. It seems to swing between about +/- 4 degrees F instead of having the thermostat keep a more-constant temperature (we keep ours set at 102 and it varies from 99 to 107.
It does NOT stay hot in cooler weather. At the end of October, we're now seeing about a constant -5 to -10 degrees Celsius daily and the tub only stays warm for about 15-20 minutes with the jets on (even with the water feature off, which I figure would only accelerate heat loss.) I must admit, I was surprised a high-end tub can't maintain temperature when my friends' less-expensive (much less expensive) tubs don't seem to have an issue with that. Very concerned to see what we can get out of it in the -20 or -30 weather in January & February....
Overall, we like the unit. With one or two of us in the tub and being able to set specific jets on max output, it is great -but it definitely doesn't seem to have the power you'd expect from a top-of-the-line tub. Once warranty expires, assuming it isn't leaking by then, I will be replacing the pumps with more powerful ones. Obviously, doing their engineers' job and putting the right sized pumps in there would void my warranty and for a $11,000+ unit, I'm not ready to take that step.
After one month, the ACE Salt System isn't able to keep up with chlorine production, and it is now saying, "Contact Dealer for Service." Left a message, still waiting to hear back from them....
The Grandee seems to be a great tub, when it works, and if you don't have too many people in it so you can shut off the jets not currently in use and get good flow to the ones you want, and for short periods of time in the winter. Sigh.
4 of 4 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy Hot Spring Hot TubberMarketingNovember 1, 2012
Dear Grandee Hot Tubber,

We’re sorry for all the issues you have had with your Grandee hot tub. Our customer service department will be in contact with you and we are committed to ensuring you have the absolute best experience. We believe in the benefits of ACE and quality of our products and do not take this lightly. We appreciate you sharing your review so that we can address your issues personally and you can enjoy the all the benefits of owning a Hot Spring spa.

Sincerely,
Hot Spring Hot Tubber
Review 372 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Marty & Sue
fromFrankfort, IL
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Love the Grandee and the ACE System
PostedOctober 9, 2012
My husband researched the heck out all different spas. He felt strongly about the ACE Salt Water Sanitizing System for the ease of care. He found it very difficult discussing the salt water sanitizing system with sales associates and dealers who do not carry the ACE system. The sales associate and dealer we purchased from was helpful but my husband wanted reassurance the ACE system was a good. He called Hot Springs directly and spoke to a technician. My husband then felt confident the salt water sanitizing system was right for us. Set up was a little difficult to balance the levels but our sales associate, Geoff, was VERY helpful. My husband is very satisfied with the ACE system and says it is very easy caring for the spa water. The women who use the spa love the way the water doesn't dry your skin. There are plenty of jets and intensity to message your muscles. It's the perfect size for 2 couples or 5 - 6 women. We hightly recoomend a test soak at the dealership. It's been fun having friends over to enjoy our spa!
1 of 2 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy SteveCustomer ServiceJuly 1, 2013
Thank you for your feedback and support! Hearing the support you've received from us here at Hot Spring and via your local dealer is wonderful. We are all here for you, and are excited for years of relaxing ahead! Thanks for your business!
Review 373 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Panolabear
fromLindstrom, Minnesota
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Sweeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttttt
PostedOctober 7, 2012
Great tub. My family is very impressed with the quality of this product. Great family relaxation, like going on vacation without leaving home.
0 of 1 found this review helpful.
Review 374 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
4 / 5
4 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
SteveF
fromWinona Lake, IN
The control panel needs upgrading
PostedSeptember 19, 2012
I have an older model, and the only diagnostic is a single red light: solid is good, blinking is bad. Well, it is blinking today, and that does not give me much info to go on...
Also the way you control it is not-obvious combinations of buttons: temp+light, light+jet, temp+temp, all mean things that have nothing to do with temp or lights, like activating the summer timer and panel lock...
But the spa itself is great, it just needs a new control panel design.
0 of 2 found this review helpful.
Review 375 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
TheTuckers'
fromCrowley, TX
Age:35-44
Gender:male
The GREATEST purchase we have made so far!
PostedAugust 16, 2012
My parents owned a Hot Spring Sovereign 20 years ago and I remember using as a kid. My wife and I decided to buy one here recently. We went to our local Hot Spring Dealer in Fort Worth Texas. Coleman was Great!
Such a nice group of people to work with. They were very patient with us on our decision making process. We never felt rushed. We went in on a Saturday and this store was very busy. This allowed us to look around a little. We talked with Chris, the Service Manager, and he answered all our questions. His product knowledge was superior. We soak in our spa every night. It is our get away without leaving the house.
Thanks again!
The Tuckers
1 of 2 found this review helpful.
Review 376 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
2 / 5
2 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
2 / 5
2 / 5
Value:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
relax79
fromBoise, ID
Wonderful spa, but it leaks, and leaks, and leaks...
PostedJuly 30, 2012
We purchased a new 2010 Grandee in 2009 to replace our 1990 Grandee. There was no question as to which tub we were going to purchase because we had been extremely satisfied with our old spa and couldn't wait to get the new one because of all the new bells and whistles. The old spa leaked one time (it had a crack behind one of the lights) and was easily fixed. For us, the decision to choose Hot Spring for our new spa was a no-brainer because of the reliability of the old Grandee. Our new Grandee has had 3 separate leaks now and was finally taken back to the spa shop for extensive repair on a leaking seam. I am not satisfied with the spa itself because I feel like we purchased a lemon. It is beyond inconvenient to deal with this many leaks in such a short period of time. It scares me as to how much this will start costing once warranty is up. I would not recommend a Hot Spring to a friend, sad to say. They are too expensive to have this many problems in such a short period of time. Thank goodness the business we purchased it from is awesome.
5 of 7 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy HotSpringEnvoy81MarketingNovember 8, 2012
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. We are very sorry to hear that you've had these issues. They are not common, and we believe that your experience with you 1990 tub is more representative of the quality that you can expect from us. Your local Hot Spring dealer and our customer service team are both committed to providing you with the Absolute Best Hot Tub Ownership Experience. Our customer service team tries to reach out directly to customers when we receive this type of feedback. We are hopeful that this issue has since been resolved and that you now back to enjoying your hot tub. We are also happy to know that you feel your local dealer is awesome (we do too). If you need additional support please feel free to call us at 800-999-4688 X 8432
Review 377 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
maggs
fromMarlboro, NJ
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Love the feel. May cost more but was worth it!
PostedJuly 28, 2012
Love it. Best hot tub we have ever been in. We have the salt system and it's so much easier to use. I absolutely love the massage and moving jets the best. The only suggestion I have is they put handles in as just keeping yourself in, can sometimes be an issue.
I've owned it over a year now and the original chemical package is all I've used and I think I can get another whole year out of them.
I've had 3 other hot tubs and this one was the best. All my friends and family say the same thing.
Pay the extra, you'll be happy in the long run.
1 of 2 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy SteveCustomer ServiceJuly 1, 2013
Thank you for your feedback! It is wonderful to hear you are enjoying your Grandee and ACE system. If we can ever assist you, please contact us at 800-999-4688.
Review 378 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
1 / 5
1 / 5
Comfort:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Quality:  
1 / 5
1 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Value:  
2 / 5
2 / 5
cruxsola
fromPortland, OR
began to break down early
PostedJuly 23, 2012
very shortly after buying 11 years ago...the hot tub parts began to go...not so bad when under warranty, but became costly later. haven't used for a couple of years because it has a number of leaks. wouldn't buy again.
2 of 6 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy Hot Spring Hot TubberMarketingNovember 1, 2012
Good afternoon - Thank you for providing feedback about your HOT SPRING SPA ownership experience a few month ago. I appreciate your time in providing that feedback and would like to learn more so that, hopefully, we can work with your local dealer to get the spa up and running again for you.

If you would, please, hit “reply” and send me more details about the spa, including the serial number and any information that you have about the last time the authorized spa dealer has evaluated and/or serviced the spa. Also, is your spa sitting on a deck, recessed into a patio, on the grass? How do you know it is leaking? Dramatic drop in water level? Water standing around the spa or in the equipment compartment? I appreciate you being my eyes in this situation as you help me understand what’s going on.

If you would prefer to call in this information, I welcome your call! Please call me at my direct line.

Many thanks again. I look forward to working with you if you’re interested.

Hot Spring Hot Tubber, Customer Service
Review 379 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Value:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Dee
fromStrafford, NH
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Grandee Hot Tub
PostedJuly 15, 2012
It took us over 2 years to find the right tub for us and we found it with the help of Custom Pools in Portsmouth NH Sales staff is extremely knowlegable and helpful. Thank you
1 of 4 found this review helpful.
Review 380 for Grandee - Pre 2019
Overall rating 
3 / 5
3 / 5
Comfort:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Quality:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
Ease of Water Care:  
5 / 5
5 / 5
Energy Efficiency:  
4 / 5
4 / 5
Value:  
3 / 5
3 / 5
littlerockfarms
fromNortheren Indiana
Age:55-65
Gender:male
love the tub...but
PostedJune 12, 2012
we have had our grande for 6 years,love the tub,love the dealer,EXCELLENT service.This is our first tub,we have several problems,repairs,maybe this is normal for a hot tub but it seems excessive so we dont know about recommending the product,again beautiful tub
2 of 3 found this review helpful.
Response from HotSpringBy Hot Spring Hot TubberMarketingJune 21, 2012
Dear Hot Tubber,

Good afternoon! Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback about your spa ownership experience. I am glad to hear that you enjoy the spa and that the dealer is providing prompt, professional service to you. I would like to look more closely at the specific types of problems you have been having with the spa to see if there is anything we can do from Watkins to ensure that the spa does not present further challenges to you.
If you will, please do write to me directly at the factory where your spa was built. If you have a serial number for the spa, that will help me to look up the warranted repair history for specific dates and details. I can then speak with your dealer to see what we might improve.
Thanks again for writing. I look forward to helping where I am able.

Hot Spring Hot Tubber,
Watkins Consumer Service Center