If you need to relax after a long day, then soaking in a bubbling outdoor hot tub will offer you one of life’s greatest pleasures. Designing a hot tub in your backyard can be a huge dilemma, presenting a challenge to make it aesthetically pleasing within your landscape. Deciding whether to integrate an above or in-ground spa and have it look good can be a challenge in of itself. We have put together a fantastic collection of ideas to help you decide on how to incorporate a hot tub into your backyard. So have a look below and prepare to be inspired… Readers, don’t forget to let us know in the Comments which one of these ideas was your favorite and why!
1. A patio in Santa Barbara features this naturalist hot tub surrounded by flagstone. Other highlights includes a stone fire pit, adirondack chairs and built-in seating to make a superb outdoor living space. (via Grace Design Associates)
2. This Jacuzzi hot tub dimensions are 84×84”x36”, complimented by a wooden decking surround. (via Adventure Hot Tubs & Pools)
3. The hot tub is from Hot Spring Spas. The 8′ by 14′ pergola covering the hot tub is an all fiberglass structure including the 8″x8″ posts, sourced from Arbors Direct. The panels are made by DEGLAS, a double layer plexiglass used a lot in greenhouses. The stone flooring used here is called Natural Blue Pennsylvania Bluestone. They are found in the northern part of Pennsylvania. (via Fine Decks Inc.)
4. For this spa, the client wanted it to appear as a mellow moonlight glow; lighting was intentionally understated as a reflective glow. The spa and pool are custom designs made of gunite concrete. The bluestone is specified as Blue/Blue, while the surface was specified as Thermal. The sizes range from 36″x36″ to 12″x18″. (via James Martin Associates)
5. A handcrafted Western red cedar barrel hot tub is surrounded by wood decking. String lights add ambiance, while a vertical planter garden adds a privacy screen. (via Wolf Design Studio)
6. A redwood hot tub is set in a deck amongst walls and stone pillars, overlooking the property. The hot tub is a Western Red Cedar tub from Roberts Hot Tubs in Berkeley, California. (via Simmonds & Associates)
7. A pergola provides shade to the hot tub, along with Sunbrella fabric drapery curtains. The pool decking is standard concrete, but it has been coated with a broom finish to prevent slipping when wet. (via Choice Designs)
8. The spa was constructed as an integral unit with the pool. Both are shotcrete structures with Wet Edge and Sicis Tile finishes. (via Riptide Construction)
9. Set against a dramatic backdrop of the Sydney harbor and skyline, this penthouse offers a rooftop deck with a low-maintenance garden and entertaining spaces. The garden is enchanting with ponds; walkways and an entire entertaining level, complete with a hot tub. (via Secret Gardens)
10. Not all hot tubs need to be integrated, this unique above-ground round tub is in the backyard of a Melbourne, Australia home. (via Urban Angles)
11. This contemporary backyard oasis in Toronto features a concrete paver hot tub. The walls are Indiana limestone and the stone landings are silver valley. (via Gib – San Pools)
12. To re-create this design in your own backyard, you would need a minimum of 5 meters wide x 10 meters long. Approximate cost including fully tiled self cleaning pool, spa, solar and gas heating, paving and landscaping would be $120k. (via
Neptune Swimming Pools)
13. This London penthouse has a rooftop deck with a private hot tub and breathtaking skyline views. The candles gives this space a magical glow. (via KWB London Limited)
14. The spa is a Hatteras Stainless steel 83″ polygonal Spa with a depth of 3′ made by Bradford. The “007 Spa Deck” was created using a stainless steel frame with Cedar exposed decking material. To make it operable, there is a remote control! (via Projects General Construction)
15. The walls of this hot tub are concrete and the stone is mortared to the outside. As an added bonus, there is an outdoor shower to rinse off after getting out of the hot tub. (via B. Jane Gardens)
16. This Mediterranean style spa in Texas was built like a in-ground pool with steel and concrete. The stone is a Lueders Limestone that’s been saw cut. (via RJ Aldriedge Companies)
17. This is a Coast Spa North-Wind Series. The model is Freedom. It is placed in an in ground vault with remote pumps. The spa is a grey fiberglass acrylic, the color is called sterling silver. (via Tyner Construction Co)
18. This is a custom built spa, not one you can purchase. It is over-sized at 10′ diameter so it can also function as a kiddie pool. The wall around the spa is 18″ high on the outside so you can sit and flip your legs over into the water. Then inside there is a bench to sit on that is down under the water about 16″. The stone is a natural granite fieldstone from Connecticut installed as a veneer to the concrete shell of the hot tub. TIP: If you want to save on costs, purchase a hot tub and then build a stone wall around it. First thing to do is select the tub, such as Sundance Spas. (via Timothy Lee Landscape Design)
19. This backyard spa in San Diego, California has rough dimensions of 6’x10′ and a 3.5 depth. (via Falling Waters Landscape)
20. A modern deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean features an in-ground hot tub with a rolling cover that doubles as a sundeck. (via Fulcrum Structural Engineering)
21. The spa on this Carmel Valley, California property was designed by the architects and installed by Wildwood Aquatech Pools out of Fresno. (via Zeterre Landscape Architecture)
22. This cedar tub also makes for a focal point, featuring a relaxing waterfall that can run even when the tub is not in use. The fountain’s drainage system requires some clever integration, built into the vault that houses the tub. (via Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture)
23. A custom-built spa offers a vast variety of options for concealment, even if they are above ground. For this spa, stacked stone clads the tub, concealing it from the patio area. Greenery also helps to provide some seclusion. (via Randy Thueme Design)
24. An above ground hot tub features a custom made privacy screen and an arbor. The panels are a durable corrugated acrylic. They look great when lit up from behind at night, the light filters through the frosted panels with all the leave patterns. The totem pole was custom made in Western British Columbia and hand painted locally (Toronto). (via Avalon Interiors)
25. A contemporary rooftop deck in San Francisco features this serene wooden tub. California-based Robert’s Hot Tub makes wooden tubs in standard sizes. This is the 5 Red Cedar. The Corten ball came from Big Daddy Antiques in San Francisco. (Siol Studios)
26. The cedar tub and cover were purchased from JHTubs. Adding privacy to this outdoor space is Mexican Weeping Bamboo, Otatea acuminata. The flooring is a solid slab of concrete that was scored and individually stained with a mortar joint infill on the cuts. The colors were selected to accent the natural stone. (via Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture)
27. This hot tub is a self-contained Sundance Spa. It is partially set into the ground with the rear (access panels) accessible. An Ipe deck has been built around it. (via Environmental Design Services)
28. This beautiful spa is a Carolina 80″ by Bradford Products. The dimensions are 80″x80’x41.5″. They have various finishes to suit your individual style, this one is the stainless steel option. (via Tyler Engle Architects)
29. An outdoor Western Red Cedar hot tub sits just outside of the sauna on a beautiful Hudson Valley property. (via Andre Tchelistcheff Architects)
30. The spa is a 6′ diameter, Western Red Cedar hot tub, gas heater (any pool heater will do — there are even wood-burning ones!) — this one’s from Gordon and Grant Spas, Santa Barbara, CA. The spa equipment is hidden on the back side of an adjacent structure – about 30′ away. All the stone is local Santa Barbara area sandstone in a wide variety of sizes (and some of it is tooled — salvaged from the 1870’s). The fire pit is natural gas with an underground line. (via Grace Design Associates)
31. Nestled in a lush garden oasis in Berkley, California, this hot tub with a concrete surround offers a modern-tropical aesthetic. (via Garden Architecture)
32. This is a pre-made hot tub unit with a wood surround, stairs and a planter box. It is on a roof deck. The lattice is made up of Cedar Lattice/Frame and Brass rods. The lattice is offset from the columns, attached to them and the pergola above at periodic spacers, giving a floating appearance. (via Colin Smith Architecture)
33. This beautiful hot tub offers sweeping views of Kure Beach, North Carolina. The tile surround of this spa is Vihara in Minka (Silk), by Sonoma Tilemakers. The coping is a bluestone/slate. The plaster is “Tahoe Blue”. (via Tongue & Groove Design+Build)
34. This stunning Dallas, Texas backyard features a custom designed and built concrete pool and spa. (via AquaTerra Outdoors)
35. The SPA comes from the company Fibro at Laval, Quebec. The tub is surrounded by a cozy backyard garden, enclosed by wood fencing for privacy. (via TOPIA solutions jardins)
36. A tropical haven in Costa Rica, this infinity edge hot tub in a semi-circle shape appears to spill out into the ocean. (via
MGC Servicios de Arquitectura)
37. A lake house deck with a hot tub is surrounded by beauty in Portland, Maine. (via Leslie Saul & Associates)
38. A Santa Barbara craftsman style home features this backyard oasis with a deck and spa. The Western Red Cedar hot tub is above ground and features a ledge for sitting and serving food and beverages. (via Giffin & Crane General Contractors)
39. A spa with travertine decking and a stacked slate water wall. The inside diameter of the hot tub is 8-feet. An umbrella helps to provide shade. (via Ferris Land Design)
40. The spa is made by Jacuzzi, one of their top of the line models. The deck in front is made of IPE. A removable trap door was created in case repairs are needed. (via JDS Outdoor Designs)
41. This beautiful property in Quebec, Canada features a built-in hot tub overlooking a lake. The patio features Blu60 slabs from Techo-Bloc, in Champlain Grey. The stone offers a rugged texture, opulent colors and a modern yet eternal look. The coping around the spa is Bullnose in Champlain Grey. (via Techo-Bloc)
42. Who says hot tubs cannot be used year-round? This hot tub is located on a property in New York, designed to melt away the winter blues! (via Haas Habitats)
43. An integrated spa/pool in Jacksonville, Florida offers a beach-chic vibe. The tiles are Bisazza. The driftwood seahorse sculpture on the wall of the outdoor shower is by Ibolili. (via Beach Chic Design)
44. A built-in stone hot tub surrounded by a lush tropical jungle for privacy. (via Raymond Jungles)
45. This hot tub is integrated into a Western Red Cedar deck, raised off the ground. Stone columns helps to delineate the space add adds privacy, while a fireplace adds to the nighttime ambiance. (via Outdoor Living)
46. A hot tub that can also be used for outdoor lounging. This above ground spa features a wood deck surround that doubles as seating. Potted plants adds beautiful blooms to this cozy space, which is surrounded by wood fencing for privacy. (via HGTV)
47. Stone steps lead into a lush garden oasis that surrounds a built-in hot tub, offering plenty of seclusion and privacy for romance. (via Trasolini Pools)
48. A small circular hot tub is surrounded by a coastal rainforest in São Paulo, Brazil. The tub is integrated into a large wooden deck sheltered beneath the body of the house. (via Studio MK27)
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