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By Laura Varnon, Marketing & Special Projects Manager

The Spa and Sauna Co. won the 2024 Aqua 100 award from Aqua Magazine this year! The award recognizes the best pool and spa dealers in the industry. To date, over the past several years, 60 spa and pool dealers have won this award.

The Spa and Sauna Co. submitted a written application, photos, and a video, explaining its History, Core Philosophy, Customer Service, Store Design, Charitable Contributions and more. An independent panel of judges evaluated and selected this year’s winners.

Read Excerpts from Our Nomination Below

Spa and Sauna Co. History

The Spa and Sauna Co. has grown from a one shop location, originally in San Jose, California, to a business with six convenient showroom locations and several dedicated warehouses, serving Nevada and California.

The Roots at The Spa and Sauna Co. run deep. In fact, they go all the way back to the Early Days of the Portable Hot Tub Industry itself, with company co-owner Shelley Clark’s father, David Ingram. Back in 1976, in El Cajon, California, Ingram, one of the Pioneers of the Hot Tub business, started building one of the first Portable Spas. Since those early days in the Hot Tub business, we have taken pride in offering the Best Overall Customer Experience to our Hot Tub customers.

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 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 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, marking the beginning of The Spa and Sauna Co. as it is known today.

Scott and Shelley met when Shelley visited his store as a sales rep. They married in 2000.

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.

Quick growth occurred between 2013 and the present, with new store locations opening every couple of years, initially in the Reno area, and later in different geographical regions serving California and Nevada.

• Reno Hot Spring Spas – Reno (2013)
• The Spa and Sauna Co. – S. Reno (2015)
• The Spa and Sauna Co. – Sparks (2017)
• The Spa and Sauna Co. – Santa Cruz (2019)
• The Spa and Sauna Co. – San Jose (2019)
• The Spa and Sauna Co. – Carson City (2021)
• The Spa and Sauna Co. – Las Vegas (2023)

These days, even with many convenient store locations and several 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 talking to team members or planning for future endeavors. It’s easy to see his passion for all parts of the hot tub industry.

Scott and Shelley’s children are involved in the business, too. Nick Clark participates in the hot tub industry, while Joey Clark is now the Service Technician Supervisor in Reno. Jacob Clark works within the service department in the Reno stores as well, and Carlee Clark stops in from time to time, but is still attending school.

Core Philosophy

The Spa and Sauna Company’s Core Philosophy is to Enhance our customers’ Space, Homes and Lives with the Premier Home Leisure and Wellness Products, while embracing innovative ideas, processes and technology and serving our customers with integrity, effectiveness, and competency.

Customer Service

Our entire team takes customer service seriously and we’ve won awards for it over the years.

We have a dedicated customer service team of two Customer Engagement Reps who follow up with our customers after their hot tub purchase to make sure they are having the best possible customer experience, from sales through delivery and into their ownership experience.

The Spa and Sauna Co. also receives many 5-star reviews from customers on Google.

Store Design

Our stores have a similar feel, regardless of which city you might be in. The layout of The Spa and Sauna Co. stores makes sure that dozens of hot tubs can be viewed at all times. Whether you are in a store in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Las Vegas, Santa Cruz or San Jose, you can tell you are in a Spa and Sauna Co. store.

Team Philosophy

Our team follows the philosophy of Marcus Sheridan, “They Ask, You Answer.” We try to provide as much information about hot tubs as possible in the store, and through our website, blogs and video content.

Our marketing team has won many awards, including the Alice Cunningham Marketing Award from Caldera Spas and Hot Spring Spas two years in a row, including its inaugural year in 2019 and again in 2021.

Other Activities – Charitable Giving

Our team enjoys giving back to the community. This year we donated two hot tubs to veterans and a hot tub to a local Make-A-Wish child. We also participate as a Toys for Tots drop off location at many of our locations, sponsor local sports teams, and donate to organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the Children’s Miracle Network, and more.

Since 2018, we have donated a total of six hot tubs to veterans through the Hot Tubs for Heroes program. Our entire team gets to vote on who those recipients will be, and appreciates the opportunity to support our local veterans.

Future Plans

We intend to continue to Enhance the Spaces of our customers’ homes for many years to come.

The Caldera Martinique hot tub has been voted the Best Saltwater Spa by Better Homes & Gardens. The Spa and Sauna Company sells Caldera Spas from its locations in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and Santa Cruz. The magazine praised the fully customizable model and the FreshWater Salt System that keeps the water fresh and clean for up to a year.

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Click here to read the full article from Better Homes & Gardens.

Spa and Sauna locations that do not offer Caldera Spas, do offer Hot Spring Spas, which feature the same Freshwater Salt System and are also manufactured by Watkins Wellness.

Thank you, Better Homes and Gardens, for this special award!

The Spa and Sauna Company donated a Hot Spring Spa to a 4-year-old girl named Hadlie. Hadlie has a nervous system disorder. The Hot Spring Limelight Beam was donated to Hadlie and her family. Over 20 people attended on hot tub donation day, including team members from Make-A-Wish Northeastern & Central California and Northern Nevada. KOLO 8 News also attended to feature the donation.

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The Spa and Sauna Co., Sundance Spas and Wish for Our Heroes have teamed up to award a local veteran, Kelly Kollar, a free hot tub as a thank you for her military service. Kelly served in the Navy from 1986 to 1993 and currently works remotely for the Defense Health Agency in Washington, D.C. The Hot Tub for Heroes program has donated nearly 100 hot tubs to veterans and their families. Kelly, who had back surgery previously, is looking forward to the soothing therapy a hot tub can provide and using it to relax before going to sleep. The Spa and Sauna Co. has donated all 6 of the Hot Tubs for Heroes hot tubs that have been donated in Nevada.

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By Laura Varnon, Marketing & Special Projects Manager

The Spa and Sauna Co. has recently expanded to Las Vegas, with the acquisition of Spas By Renee.

Spas by Renee has joined The Spa and Sauna Co., which has locations in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Santa Cruz and San Jose.

Spas By Renee History

Spas by Renee was previously owned by Casey and Renee Gibbs, who have dedicated their lives to the spa, hot tub, and sauna industry since 1978.

Renee and Casey stumbled into the Hot Tub industry after a career in show business with NBC and Disney on Parade. Renee, a dancer and aerialist, played Tinkerbell. A hot tub was something they grew accustomed to having during that time. Casey said when they relocated to Las Vegas, they got a pool right away, and added an in-ground spa. On a trip to California, they spotted a portable hot tub on a flatbed truck and the idea for their business was born.

“Over the years we have been committed to the education and development of our business. When you select one of our spas for your home, we are confident that we have provided you with a product that will give you years of enjoyment, hydrotherapy, and service,” Renee had written on their website’s About Us page.

Looking to the Future

The Spa and Sauna Co. is looking forward to serving the Las Vegas community, with as much dedication and commitment as Casey and Renee had.

“We appreciate Renee and Casey’s decades of serving the Las Vegas area and intend to continue providing an exceptional customer experience,” said Scott Clark, owner of The Spa and Sauna Co. “Interestingly enough, in the early days of Renee’s spa career, she actually bought custom spa shells from Caldera Spas, which is linked closely to my family.”

The roots of The Spa and Sauna Co. run deep. Scott and Shelley Clark have been involved in the hot tub industry for decades. Shelley’s father David Ingram, a founder of Caldera Spas, is one of the Pioneers of the Hot Tub Industry. Scott opened his first store, South Bay Spa & Sauna, in 1990 in San Jose. The first store in the Reno area opened in 2002, with growth in additional Nevada and California cities occurring since 2013. To learn more about The Spa and Sauna Co, which is headquartered in Reno, NV, click here.

Las Vegas Showroom Offerings and Locations

The showroom will feature:

• Hot Spring Spas
• Endless Pools
• Finnleo Saunas
• and more.

The Spa and Sauna Company now includes many convenient showrooms in Nevada and California, each offering a unique shopping experience:

The Spa and Sauna Co. – S. Reno – located at 9748 S. Virginia St., Ste. C-D, Reno, NV

The Spa and Sauna Co. – Sparks – Clearance Center – located at 250 E. Glendale Ave., Sparks, NV

The Spa and Sauna Co. – Carson City  – located at 3355 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV

The Spa and Sauna Co. – Santa Cruz – Home of Hot Spring Spas – located at 707 River St., Santa Cruz, CA

The Spa and Sauna Co. – San Jose – Home of Hot Spring Spas – located at 2627 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell, CA

Spas by Renee – A Spa and Sauna Co. Brand – located at 6280 S. Pecos Rd., Ste. 600, Las Vegas, CA

Spas by Renee – A Spa and Sauna Co. Brand is The Spa and Sauna Company’s first location in Southern Nevada! We look forward to serving the greater Las Vegas community.

Find out more about the Las Vegas store here.

Teanna Calloway is 21 and about to undergo her second open heart surgery, along with a pacemaker change. Without the pacemaker, Teanna’s heart wouldn’t be able to beat on its own.

Teanna has been a valued member of The Spa and Sauna Co. Team for nearly 2 years. She will be out of work for 13 weeks to recover from her surgery.

Teanna’s GoFundMe

The Spa and Sauna Co. is sponsoring a GoFundMe to help Teanna and her boyfriend, Michael, pay for their rent and medical expenses, while she can’t work. So far, the fund has already raised several thousand dollars to help Teanna.

You can read more about Teanna or contribute to her fundraiser here.

Teanna’s Health Journey

Teanna was born with Pulmonary Stenosis, a heart defect that affects the pulmonary valves within her heart. Those valves allow proper blood flow to go about the heart.

She has had several surgeries, aside from open heart surgery, over the years, involving heart catheters. These are routine surgery she gets every 4 years to prevent her pulmonary heart valves from closing.

She and her family will travel from Reno to Las Vegas to have the specialized doctor, who has cared for her throughout her entire life, perform the surgery.

During her last surgery, in 2020, her doctor discovered the leak in her heart.

How We Feel About Teanna

Team members at The Spa and Sauna Co. have been supportive of her journey.

Teanna works as a retail specialist and has worked at our Reno, Sparks and Carson City locations. Everyone enjoys working with her because she is so upbeat, helpful and friendly.

“She’s like another daughter to me – very special,” said Mark Petersen, a sales rep at The Spa and Sauna Co. who has worked closely with Teanna. “I just wish her all the best.”

Bob Piper, another sales rep, said “Prayers are with Teanna for a successful procedure and a smooth recovery.”

How You Can Help Teanna

Let’s all pitch in and help Teanna through this difficult time. To donate to Teanna’s GoFundMe that The Spa and Sauna Company created for her, Click Here.

Wishing you all the best, Teanna!

About the Highlife Photoshoot

The Hot Spring Spas team selected a luxury Airbnb in Reno, not far from the Washoe County Golf Course, to be the location for their photoshoot this year. It was one of two product photoshoots that Watkins did in 2022.

On the day of the photoshoot, many members of the Hot Spring Spas marketing team attended to make sure the delivery, set up, and photoshoot went exactly as planned.

In addition to our delivery team, several members Spa and Sauna Co. team were able to attend portions of the photoshoot to meet the Hot Spring Spas team and see just how much work goes into getting these photographs. Dozens of people were involved in the photoshoot. There were teams of talent, photographers, makeup artists, drone operators and more.

The house was beautiful and had room for two Highlife Spas – the Aria and the Vanguard – to be placed on the grounds.

See photos of the Aria in Reno here.

See photos of the Vanguard in Reno here.

Highlights of the New Highlife Collection

The collection features some really exciting updates, including a groove for phones and other electronic devices, a newly designed cabinet and shell, a new pillow design that matches the footwell, and a logo that lights up yellow when it needs attention or red when it goes into protection model.

It was amazing to see how much care and effort was put into all the design elements. The team was still making final adjustments to small details when we first got to see the spas in October.

Years of work went into the new design. You can tell a lot of thought and time went into the new changes to this gorgeous new collection.

The Highlife Collection will continue to feature the Freshwater Salt System, 100% No-Bypass Filtration and the Moto-Massage along with other features.

Read more about the advantages of the Highlife Collection which include superior massage, water care, energy efficiency, quality, and design here.

The 2023 Highlife Collection will be coming to The Spa and Sauna Co. soon.

Select 2022 Highlife models are also available for a limited time at The Spa and Sauna Co., while supplies last.

About The Hot Tub for Heroes Program

This is the fourth time since 2018 that The Spa and Sauna Co., Sundance Spas, and Wish for Our Heroes have worked together to award a local veteran a free hot tub, through the Hot Tub for Heroes Program.

“We’re honored to be able to give back to our community in this way,” said Company owner Scott Clark.  “Helping veterans is a cause that is close to us personally at The Spa and Sauna Co., as we have team members who have either served or who have family members in the military. We thank Trent for his service and we wish him and his family many years of enjoyment in their new hot tub!”

Nationally, Sundance Spas, Wish for Our Heroes and spa dealers around the country have donated 77 hot tubs to veterans, since they began collaborating.

Wish for Our Heroes is “a national 501(c)(3), dedicated to providing resources to the “average” active-duty military member, in order to make their deployments a little easier, and to improve the quality of their family lives while home or during deployment,” according to their website. Learn more about Hot Tubs for Heroes or nominate someone here.

Hot Tub Donation Day

Trent, now 36, was awarded a Sundance Hamilton 780 Spa. From their new hot tub, Trent and his family will be able to view Mt. Rose and an American Flag and Flag of the United Sates Marine Corps.

The Robbins Family have a newer home and are currently renovating their backyard. One day, Amanda googled Hot Tubs in Reno and found The Spa and Sauna Co. website and learned about the donation and nominated Trent.

Not long after, Trent received a call saying he had been selected as this year’s recipient.

“We were very excited when we got the news,” Trent said, explaining how he initially didn’t even pick up the phone call and how surprised he, his wife, and their three children, Logan, Karlee and Brylee, were when they found out about the donation.

That excitement carried over through the delivery day, as he and his wife and children watched the hot tub being delivered into their yard.

“We’re excited,” Trent said. “Still in shock, I think.”

About the Recipient

Trent and Amanda were high school sweethearts and when Trent signed up to enroll in the Marines, he joined the Delayed Entry Program, since he was still in high school. He left for boot camp one week after graduating from high school.

In her nomination, Amanda wrote: “Trent receives disability for his knees. He served two tours oversees as a machine gunner which caused him to have to carry his weapon, ammo, and gear on foot through villages and up and down mountains for days, weeks, and months during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Carrying such heavy equipment for so long wore down the cartilage in his knees, which has caused him chronic knee and back pain. A hot tub could help Trent to be able to relax his muscles, allowing him to have less pain and be able to do more with his kids.”

He was deployed in Afghanistan from 2005 – 2006 and in Iraq from 2006 – 2007. The couple married between his two deployments.

Back in the mid-2000s communication with members of the military was still quite difficult.

“I would go months without talking to him,” Amanda recalled.

The couple had their children after Trent completed his service.

Trent, who works at Western Nevada Supply, gives back to the local community by coaching the Spanish Springs youth wrestling program. His son is a member of the team.

Recently, The Spa and Sauna Co. checked in with two previous Wish for Our Heroes recipients, Daniel Rogers of Reno and Kevin Vogt of Sparks. Both said that having a hot tub has been life changing, providing muscle relaxation, stress relief and opportunities to connect with their children and relax after a long day.

“It’s a lot of extra time with the family which is what I was really looking forward to,” said Kevin, who received his donation in 2019 and is now retired from the military after 20 years of service.

We wish the Robbins family many years of happy hot tubbing in their new Sundance Spa!

About The Hot Tub for Heroes Program

This is the fourth time since 2018 that The Spa and Sauna Co., Sundance Spas, and Wish for Our Heroes have worked together to award a local veteran a free hot tub, through the Hot Tub for Heroes Program.

“We’re honored to be able to give back to our community in this way,” said Company owner Scott Clark.  “Helping veterans is a cause that is close to us personally at The Spa and Sauna Co., as we have team members who have either served or who have family members in the military. We thank Trent for his service and we wish him and his family many years of enjoyment in their new hot tub!”

Nationally, Sundance Spas, Wish for Our Heroes and spa dealers around the country have donated 77 hot tubs to veterans, since they began collaborating.

Wish for Our Heroes is “a national 501(c)(3), dedicated to providing resources to the “average” active-duty military member, in order to make their deployments a little easier, and to improve the quality of their family lives while home or during deployment,” according to their website. Learn more about Hot Tubs for Heroes or nominate someone here.

Hot Tub Donation Day

Trent, now 36, was awarded a Sundance Hamilton 780 Spa. From their new hot tub, Trent and his family will be able to view Mt. Rose and an American Flag and Flag of the United Sates Marine Corps.

The Robbins Family have a newer home and are currently renovating their backyard. One day, Amanda googled Hot Tubs in Reno and found The Spa and Sauna Co. website and learned about the donation and nominated Trent.

Not long after, Trent received a call saying he had been selected as this year’s recipient.

“We were very excited when we got the news,” Trent said, explaining how he initially didn’t even pick up the phone call and how surprised he, his wife, and their three children, Logan, Karlee and Brylee, were when they found out about the donation.

That excitement carried over through the delivery day, as he and his wife and children watched the hot tub being delivered into their yard.

“We’re excited,” Trent said. “Still in shock, I think.”

About the Recipient

Trent and Amanda were high school sweethearts and when Trent signed up to enroll in the Marines, he joined the Delayed Entry Program, since he was still in high school. He left for boot camp one week after graduating from high school.

In her nomination, Amanda wrote: “Trent receives disability for his knees. He served two tours oversees as a machine gunner which caused him to have to carry his weapon, ammo, and gear on foot through villages and up and down mountains for days, weeks, and months during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Carrying such heavy equipment for so long wore down the cartilage in his knees, which has caused him chronic knee and back pain. A hot tub could help Trent to be able to relax his muscles, allowing him to have less pain and be able to do more with his kids.”

He was deployed in Afghanistan from 2005 – 2006 and in Iraq from 2006 – 2007. The couple married between his two deployments.

Back in the mid-2000s communication with members of the military was still quite difficult.

“I would go months without talking to him,” Amanda recalled.

The couple had their children after Trent completed his service.

Trent, who works at Western Nevada Supply, gives back to the local community by coaching the Spanish Springs youth wrestling program. His son is a member of the team.

Recently, The Spa and Sauna Co. checked in with two previous Wish for Our Heroes recipients, Daniel Rogers of Reno and Kevin Vogt of Sparks. Both said that having a hot tub has been life changing, providing muscle relaxation, stress relief and opportunities to connect with their children and relax after a long day.

“It’s a lot of extra time with the family which is what I was really looking forward to,” said Kevin, who received his donation in 2019 and is now retired from the military after 20 years of service.

We wish the Robbins family many years of happy hot tubbing in their new Sundance Spa!