Contract Sales job description.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Even in a year as unusual as 2020 was, Hot Spring Spas of Santa Cruz has won the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s Readers Choice Award for Best Pool & Spa Dealer for 2020.

This is the 8^th year in a row that the award has been given to Hot Spring Spas of Santa Cruz.

This year’s award is special because Hot Spring Spas saw a huge spike in demand for hot tubs and swim spas due to people spending more time at home in 2020 than ever before.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded this win again, especially during the year 2020,” said Spa and Sauna Company Owner Scott Clark. “We would like to thank our team, our customers, the community, and the Santa Cruz Sentinel for this award.”

Hot Spring Spas of Santa Cruz carries and services Hot Spring Spas and Endless Pools swim spas, and Freeflow Spas.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel runs a yearly Readers Choice online poll. In the poll, Sentinel readers weigh in on the best of everything throughout Santa Cruz County.

One of the reasons Hot Spring Spas earned the award is because of the dedication of their many long-time team members, who are committed to providing extraordinary customer service year after year.

Hot Spring Spas of Santa Cruz has received dozens of awards from manufacturers and local newspapers over the years, along with the other stores within The Spa and Sauna Company family of stores. To read more about The Spa and Sauna Company and see all of our awards, click here.

More than ever, we know that the hot tubs we provide to the community are truly making a difference in people’s lives by providing stress relief, relaxation, wellness benefits and family time.

“We truly enjoy serving the Santa Cruz community,” Clark said. “We look forward to many more years of excellent service and offering the community only the best in Hot Tubs and Swim Spas.”

To contact us in Santa Cruz, click here.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

The Spa and Sauna Company earned two awards in 2020 from Sundance Spas at their virtual dealer conference this year.

Despite the challenges that the year 2020 presented, The Spa and Sauna Company was awarded The Sundance Gold Club Award for Exceptional Sales Performance and the Exceptional Customer Service Award.

The Gold Club award recognizes dealers whose Sundance Spas sales volume ranked in the top 10% of dealers nationwide.

In a letter from 2 directors of sales at Sundance Spas, Bett Sitton and Paul Garratt wrote: “Your hard work and dedication to the Sundance Spas Brand has earned you special recognition…Congratulations on your success in 2020.”

In a year when The Spa and Sauna Company embraced selling hot tubs over FaceTime and other virtual apps, not having as many hot tubs to display, working with customers while socially distanced and wearing masks, and an increasing in demand for hot tubs, this award truly means a lot.

The Spa and Sauna Company has also earned both of these awards previously, too.

“We’d like to thank Sundance Spas for these awards and their support this year, and we look forward to what 2021 will bring,” said Company Owner Scott Clark. “We’d also like to extend a big thank you to our entire team, especially our sales and customer service teams.”

To read more about The Spa and Sauna Company and see our full list of awards over the years, click here.

The Spa and Sauna Company began carrying Sundance Spas in late 2013 at its Reno area stores. It is one of several high-end hot tub brands that the Spa and Sauna Company is proud to offer.

Other hot tub manufacturers decided not to present awards in 2020, due to the unusual circumstances the year presented.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

2020 has been quite the year, but despite everything happening in the world, The Spa and Sauna Company has been able to find a few positives this year.

Here’s our Best of The Spa and Sauna Company for 2020.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Haydee Acebo has big dreams, and she’s training to get there one mile of swim training at a time, in her Endless Pools Swim Spa.

Haydee, a Reno resident, is training to be the first Latina to swim solo across Lake Tahoe this coming summer, and she will be dedicating each mile of her swim to a different social cause.

She trains daily in the Endless Pools X200 that she bought from The Spa and Sauna Company in 2016. You can find her 6 days a week, currently swimming 4 miles per day.

“There’s no way I could do [this] without my Endless Pool,” said Haydee, now 40.

Haydee has already completed many long and challenging swims, including a swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco, four swims across Donner Lake, and two relays spanning the width of Lake Tahoe.

How Haydee Began Swimming

Haydee, originally from Ecuador, has been swimming since her high school days, when participating in a school sport was a requirement.

She says she wasn’t the strongest swimmer on her high school team, or even her college swim team, but began working with coaches to improve her skills. Over time, swimming became a big part of Haydee’s life. Learning that she personally can overcome obstacles has inspired her to encourage members of the Latin community to feel that same empowerment.

“As long as I can train, I can do so many things,” said Haydee, a former bilingual television reporter and producer, who now works in talent acquisition.

She wants to spread messages of hope to those in the Latin community and the Reno-Tahoe community.

“I see a lot of obstacles within my group. The fact that I have a swim spa, even though it’s the most basic…it’s a privilege,” Haydee said.

About the Endless Pools X200

An Endless Pools X200 allows for year-round swim training in your own backyard. But an X200 can also be used for more than that. It’s the perfect place to train, exercise, relax play and entertain, and of course enjoy the hydrotherapy of a hot tub too.

Coming in at just 12 feet long, it’s compact enough for most backyards, while still offering benefits of larger swim spas from Endless Pools.

“Endless Pools Swim Spas are great for training, relaxation, and family time,” said Spa and Sauna Company owner Scott Clark. “It offers the best of both worlds – a hot tub and a swim spa combined.”

To read more about the Endless Pool X200, click here.

21 miles, 21 causes, 2021

The big event is set for August 7, 2021 beginning at 9 p.m. And this isn’t just a personal challenge for Haydee. She will be dedicating each mile of her swim to 21 different social causes.

Between now and then, there is much to do, including more training and finding her causes.

While Haydee, who lives with her husband and two children, has some causes that are close to her heart, she will be asking her social media following for suggestions. And for those who respond, they will be enrolled in a giveaway.

Some of the causes closest to her heart are:

• Mental health
• Equality
• Child abuse prevention
• Cancer Awareness and Cures

Once her causes are identified, she will be seeking sponsorship. The Spa and Sauna Company has already decided to be one of Haydee’s sponsors.

Haydee’s ultimate goal is to create resources for people, related to each of the causes that get selected.

You can find out more about Haydee at @haydeeadventurer on Instagram or Facebook.

What will Happen on Race Day

It’s a big adventure and Haydee can’t do it on her own.

“I need other people’s support,” she said.

She isn’t swimming in a race. It will just be Haydee and the lake.

Supporting her, between now and the day of the big swim, are her family and friends, The Spa and Sauna Company, her social media following, a swim coach, and many swimming friends.

On the day of the race, a boat captain, crew chief, and two kayakers will be alongside her in one boat. Her husband, a doctor and others will be in a second boat on the day of her swim.

“We are so impressed that Haydee will be working toward this goal in the Endless Pools X200 that she purchased from The Spa and Sauna Company,” Clark said.

Good luck, Haydee!

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

Hot tub, swim spa and pool water care can get tricky sometimes, especially when you add in falling ash and smoke from the recent fires that are happening in California, Nevada, and other areas along the West Coast.

Extra debris falling into your hot tub, swim spa or pool may result in your sanitization system requiring more chlorine. We have a variety of chlorinating products available in store and on our online store. Shop now.

Free Water Testing

At The Spa and Sauna Company family of stores, in Reno, Sparks, San Jose and Santa Cruz, we offer FREE in-store water testing, to help determine exactly how your hot tub, swim spa or pool has been affected by falling ash or intense smoke in the area.

Read more about our computerized water testing that provides instant recommendations here. Look for your nearest store location that provides water testing here.

Recommendations for Water Care after the Fires

• Be sure to test your water frequently, and consider bringing in a water sample to one of our showrooms for a free water analysis. You will want to pay extra attention to pH and sanitizer residuals, and correct any imbalances as soon as possible.
  • Ash coming from trees and other vegetation contains large amounts of carbonate, which can radically increase the pH of your water.
  • Shocking with chlorine if the free chlorine residual is low until a free chlorine residual is successfully maintained
• Be sure to keep your filters running (and clean)
• If your hot tub, swim spa or pool has a cover, keep it on during times of falling ash or intense smoke

We also have an online store where you can pick up a few extra items that you might need. Shipping is FREE on orders of over $75. Just select Free Shipping at checkout.

Spa, Swim Spa or Pool items you might need

• Spa Vac. Click here to purchase.
• Extra Filters. Click here to shop filters.
• Filter Cleaner. Click here to purchase filter cleaner.
• Test Strips. Click here to shop test strips.
• Any of the usual sanitation you normally use for your hot tub. Shop here.

Heavily Affected Areas

Additionally, in areas of particularly bad fallout, or in cases where the entire system was shut down due to lack of power, damage, etc., we recmmend the use of a portable vacuum cart to do the initial vacuuming to pull up as much of the settled debris as possible before re-starting the filtration system.

Request Assistance

Not sure exactly what you need?

Fill out our Water Care Request form and one of our hot tub water care experts will reach out to help you finalize your order.

You can also request a drain and clean from our team of certified service technicians.

We’re here to help.

By Laura Varnon, Marketing Coordinator

That hot tub you are sitting in might have the latest and greatest in terms of technological advancements, but you might be shocked to find out that the use of hot water baths for hydrotherapy and relaxation dates back to ancient times. Turns out people have known for thousands of years that a hot soak had health and wellness benefits.

This blog will highlight some of the early history of hot tubs, but also focus on The Spa and Sauna Company, which is celebrating 30 years in business in 2020.

Ancient Times

Earliest Hot Tubs

The earliest hot tubs were held in calderas, which are large volcanic craters, hence the name of Caldera Spas, linked so closely to the owners of The Spa and Sauna Company (but we’ll get into that later). Those calderas, unlike the hot tubs of today, may have been warmed by hot stones in the water.

Ancient Egyptians

Some Egyptians bathed up to 4 times per day! Can you imagine? The wealthiest Egyptians had bathing rooms inside their homes and as early as 4000 years ago used the therapeutic qualities of hot water in baths, adding flowers and essential oils for aromatherapy. Not too bad in terms of ideas, as essential oils and aromatherapy are still an enjoyable experience for many hot tubers today. They just come packaged as Spazazz aromatherapy products now.

Ancient Greeks and Romans

Ancient Greeks believed water had the power to heal and built thermal complexes, with carved seats from rock. Ancient Romans developed intricate systems to move water from higher elevations to lower elevations and then warm the water and floors and walls of public bathhouses. Some of those baths stood the test of time and still exist today.

Modern Times

Ok, now that we’ve established that hot tubs are not a passing trend, let’s fast-forward a bit.

Native and Early Americans – 1700s

Native Americans in various parts of the United States from New York to Arkansas, embraced the healing powers of water. High Rock Spring in Saratoga, NY, was first used by Native Americans before colonists arrived. Later, Americans, including George Washington, were believed to have visited the area, known for its water healing powers.

Resort Spas – 1880 through 1940

In the late 1800s, spa resorts started popping up in Europe and the US. Many of these resorts were used to promote vitality and health.

Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt owned a spa resort that he visited yearly for decades. Roosevelt had been partially paralyzed at an early age, yet regained some of the use of his legs swimming at the springs. Hydrotherapy certainly isn’t a new concept.

Wooden and Concrete Hot Tubs – 1940 through 1960

Returning from Japan after WWII, American troops brought back the bathing culture used there to inspire the first wooden tubs in the US.

Wine barrels were initially used as hot tubs in the US.

Other people had recessed concrete spas installed next to their pools. By the late 1960s, in-ground spas featured the first jets. These concrete spas took weeks to install and were costly, which made them out of reach for the average American, unlike the hot tubs of today.

Fiberglass and Acrylic Spas – 1960 through 1970

Fiberglass spa shells, which made their debut in the late 1960s, were better at retaining water than wooden spas and easier to install and maintain than concrete spas. These spas were quickly replaced by acrylic.

In the mid-1970s, spa shell manufacturers pulled these acrylic shells out of the ground to create the first portable spa. As the decade progressed, more features – that we have come to expect in today’s hot tubs – were added, including more advanced filtration systems and jets. Easier installation made portable spas attractive to many more homeowners.

Caldera Spas Beginnings – 1976 through 1980s

Here’s where the Ingram and Clark families begin to enter the story. We told you we’d get back here eventually.

In 1976, the founders of Caldera Spas, led by one of the Pioneer’s of the Hot Tub Industry, David Ingram, started building what has become one of the Leading Brands of Portable Spas manufactured today – Caldera Spas.

The hot tubs of the late 1970s and early 1980s were simpler than those of today, but these original hot tubs paved the way for the high-tech features we now take for granted.

Shelley Ingram Enters the Hot Tub Industry

Shelley Ingram-Clark, David Ingram’s daughter, started with the family business in 1983. She has rolled fiberglass, worked in manufacturing, handled accounting and marketing, and later worked as a sales rep. She knows the hot tub industry inside and out.

Later, in the 1999, the Ingram family sold Caldera Spas to one of the largest manufacturers of hot tubs today, Watkins Manufacturing, now known as Watkins Wellness. Watkins Wellness is The Spa and Sauna Company’s primary spa and swim spa manufacturer.

Scott Clark Enters the Hot Tub Industry

Scott Clark began working in the hot tub industry in the late 1980s, selling hot tubs at a Hot Spring Spa/Finnleo Sauna dealership in the Bay Area. In 1990, he opened his own store, in San Jose, called South Bay Spa and Sauna.

These days, even with 5 stores and 2 full warehouses to operate, you’re just as likely to find Scott moving hot tubs or setting the showroom floor, as you are to find him in talking to team members or planning for future endeavors. It’s easy to see his passion for all parts of the hot tub industry.

A Hot Tub Love Story – 1995 to Present

One day, while making sales calls for Caldera, Shelley stopped into Scott’s hot tub business in San Jose, which he had owned for 5 years by then.

Over the next few months, their relationship transitioned from a business relationship to a personal one.

They married in 2000 and have now been together for over 20 years.

After a brief period working traveling spa shows, the family and business settled in the Reno area in 2002 and opened their first Reno area store together, The Spa and Sauna Shop. At their first location on Louie Lane in Reno, the store featured Caldera Spas, Finnleo Saunas, and Brunswick and Olhausen Billiards. Today, that location is closed to the public and serves as a dedicated warehouse for the 3 Reno Showrooms. Now, The Spa and Sauna Shop is located in Sparks.

A Family Affair

Scott calls Father-in-Law David Ingram fairly frequently for business advice and conversation.

And co-owner Shelley is more involved with the business, now that their children are mostly grown.

Their children are involved too. Nick Clark helps out with the business in Santa Cruz, while Joey Clark is now the Lead Service Technician in Reno. Jacob Clark helps out in the Reno stores as well, and Carlee Clark stops in from time to time, but is still attending school.

Shelley’s brother, Jason Ingram, also owns a hot tub store in California, San Diego Hot Spring Spas.

“The Caldera Spas of Today, may not be My ‘Father’s’ Hot Tubs, but the foundation he built and the guidance he still gives to the Hot Tub Industry and Us as a Family, will live on for Future Generations,” Shelley said.

The Growth Years – 2013 – 2020 and beyond

The Spa and Sauna Company has grown from a 1 shop location, originally in San Jose, California, to a 5- showroom business, in 2 states, with 2 dedicated warehouses, serving Nevada and California. In 2019, with the addition of the San Jose location, the Clarks have really seen their business come full circle.

In 2013, Scott and Shelley opened Reno Hot Spring Spas, at 6815 Sierra Center Pkwy., across from Target, in Reno, which is dedicated exclusively to Hot Spring Spas and the value line Freeflow Spas.

In 2015, they opened their largest showroom in Reno, at 9748 S. Virginia St., next to WinCo, just 2 miles away from the Hot Spring Store. That location had formerly been a spa showroom, known as Sierra Nevada Spas and Billiards. The Spa and Sauna Company flagship showroom features Caldera Spas and Sundance Spas, as well as Endless Pools, Finnleo Saunas, Saber Grills and Big Green Egg BBQs. Serving as the company’s headquarters, it also includes a service department, concierge valet hot tub cleaning service department, delivery department, marketing department, customer service department, plus offices, and a warehouse.

In 2016, Caldera Spas celebrated its 40^th anniversary.

In 2017, the original Spa and Sauna Shop on Louie Lane was converted to a warehouse and the new Spa and Sauna Shop opened in Sparks, on 250 E. Glendale Ave. in a better retail location on the corner of Glendale and McCarran.

In 2019, The Spa and Sauna Co. of Reno, became The Spa and Sauna Co., as it added two Hot Spring Spas showrooms in California to the family of stores – Hot Spring Spas of Santa Cruz and Hot Spring Spas of San Jose. After taking ownership of the business, most of the team members who had worked there for years remained part of the team.

Later in 2019, Hot Spring Spas of San Jose was relocated and renovated at its current address 2627 S. Bascom Ave. in Campbell.

In early 2020, the Santa Cruz Showroom, at 707 River St. in Santa Cruz, was renovated as well.

And now in 2020, The Spa and Sauna Company family of stores is celebrating its 30^th Anniversary.

And it doesn’t seem like growth plans are slowing down.

Weathering the Storms

The business survived and thrived through the Great Recession of 2008, as people were still looking for backyard and in-home relaxation.

Facing 2020’s global pandemic, The Spa and Sauna Co. continued to thrive, as interest in backyard leisure increased dramatically. Adjustments were made for so team members could work from home or work safely in office, as we provide essential water care for sale in store and online.

Scott and Shelley, who have always embraced advances in technology, used that time to make more technological improvements to all of their stores, and adjust the buying process too.

The Spa and Sauna Company also transitioned its largely in-person sales process, so that customers could shop for and buy a hot tub without ever coming into the store, if desired. Hot tub supplies are also available from our Online Store, and adjustments were made for curbside pick-up options. We are here to help you shop in the way that is most comfortable for you, whether that is in person, online or virtually.

In Conclusion

Through the years, The Spa and Sauna Company has grown and evolved in many ways, from a company of just 2 people to nearly 50 people.

Over the years, The Spa and Sauna Company has won dozens of awards from its manufacturers, the local community in Reno and Santa Cruz, and small business associations. To see a list of all of the awards, click here. The Spa and Sauna Company has also been involved with community events, from local Duck Races and parades, to Toy Drives and Hot Tub Donations to Veterans.

“It’s been an amazing 30 years,” Scott said. “We’re honored to be a part of the hot tub industry. Hot Tubs truly are all about family and creating quality time and memories – especially in our case.”

The Spa and Sauna Company continues to offer the award-winning service that makes it so unique. We hope you have enjoyed learning a bit more about the history of hot tubs and the history of The Spa and Sauna Company.