HotSpring Spas of Atlanta offers a little stress relief
The husband-and-wife owners of three HotSprings Spas of Atlanta showrooms love to bring a little R&R to busy execs - or anyone who needs a little break.
"Our motto is 'relaxation has found its ultimate expression,'" says Shelli Graves. "Once you're a spa owner, you sleep better at night."
The couple got into the business "by accident," according to Gene Graves. "I worked in the business for 13 or 14 years under the previous owner," he says. "The opportunity came up to purchase it, and it seemed like a golden opportunity for us." The company has its main office in Duluth, additional showrooms in Norcross and Newnan and a new showroom scheduled to open this month in Kennesaw.
Currently, HotSpring Spas has a customer base of approximately 7,500 - which the Graveses hope to double in the next four to five years. "Our goal is to improve every one of our store outlets to make it very comfortable for customers to come in, to provide service on tubs and ensure they have confidence in us," Gene Graves says.
Bring your bathing suit along when visiting the showrooms - you can take a quick soak in a test tub in a private room to find out if a particular tub is right for you.
The spas are also a big draw because they are smaller than pools - and require far less maintenance. "Swimming pools are monumental with the care you have to take," Shelli says. "The self-cleaning spa units are a frontrunner in the industry. They disperse chemicals as needed and always keep the water at the levels it should be."
More and more people are also seeking tubs for the therapeutic benefits.
"A good percentage of people are buying hot tubs for medical reasons," Gene Graves says. "It's such a relief to get out of the hot tub and go to bed - I sleep like a baby. And if you're achey in the morning, soak for 15 minutes and you'll be ready to go."
In fact, Shelli's doctor wrote her a prescription for a hot tub after neck surgery. "It relieved a lot of pain around the surgery site, and we were able to deduct it for medical purposes," she says. "A lot of doctors do prescribe hot tubs to people with various aches and pains." In fact, HotSpring Spas has partnered with the Arthritis Foundation.
They also offer a new builder incentive program. "When a builder is building a subdivision, we put one of our tubs in the model home and it assists the builder in selling the other homes," Gene says. "They go in and see the tub and decide they want one in their home. After a certain number of tubs are sold, the builder benefits from it." Details depend on how each deal is set up with the builder. "When building a house, the wiring is done right then and prevents an additional cost to install later. It goes to the total cost of the home and doesn't really increase the owner's payments."
"We intend to just make it a very classy place to work, for customers to feel good about themselves and to know they are dealing with people who care about them and know what they're talking about," Gene says.
