(Clockwise ) A jacuzzi; steam room; sauna chamber. Pictures by Rashbehari Das Courtesy: Solace and The Park

A visit to the spa once a month to use the sauna or jacuzzi might be your idea of luxury. But the time is right to think beyond the once-a-month pamper session, with bath stores around town tempting homeowners with personalised steam rooms or whirlpools.

The pocket pinch is sure to be quite sizeable, but the sheer luxury that these exotic bath items promise justifies every bit of it.

“The luxury bath items, particularly the jacuzzi, are becoming quite popular in Calcutta now. I have done the interiors of at least 15 residences in which a jacuzzi has been fitted in the master bathroom,” says interior designer Manjari Sahay.

The entry of a few Chinese brands in the market offering cheaper options has resulted in the spurt in demand. “While the basic jacuzzi kit costs around Rs 28,000 to Rs 30,000 for reputed brands, the Chinese ones slash it down to Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000. But, of course, after-sales service usually suffers,” she adds.

Gaurab Ghosh, proprietor of the Calcutta franchisee of Water Works, vouches for the popularity of these “hydrotherapy facilities”.

“All these have various therapeutic benefits and are no longer restricted to spas and health clubs. We regularly sell jacuzzis and steam chambers for private homes,” he says.

Jacuzzi

Hydro massage is the key idea here with jets of water applying pressure on various parts of the body. The water is released through specially-designed nozzles with air and water mixers.

“The jets are positioned on various pressure points of the body like the upper back, lower back, feet and so on,” explains Ashok Chawla of Watco India, which manufacturers swimming pools and indoor water fixtures.

Jacuzzis are primarily of two types ? concrete and Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP), the basic mechanism of both being the same. The readymade ones offered by the brands come in FRP, pre-fitted with the required nozzles, pump and blower.

The other variety can be tailor-made to your specifications with a concrete base covered with tiling material. The jacuzzi fittings can be incorporated into this.

“The concrete ones can be built to suit the size of your bathroom and in any shape you want. You can even opt for a big one on the terrace,” says Ghosh, whose company takes orders for customised jacuzzis.

The FRP variety comes in rectangular, circular as well as triangular shapes, perfect to fit into corners. The minimum size of a rectangular one is five-ft by two-and-a-half-ft for a one-seater. The size goes up to accommodate more than one user at the same time.

The diameters of the circular designs vary from six ft onwards.

The concrete jacuzzis start at Rs 60,000 for the whole package and can go up to several lakhs depending on the size. The FRP ones are about 25 per cent more expensive on an average.

Whirlpool

While many manufacturers and interior designers opine that whirlpools are just a variant of jacuzzis, some point out a fine line differentiating the two.

“In a whirlpool, the pressure is created through air only, whereas in a jacuzzi it’s combined pressure of water and air,” explains Ghosh.

He further elaborates: “In a whirlpool, air is pumped from below into a tub filled with water.” This variant, however, has failed to catch on in Calcutta, he observes.

Whirlpools cost around the same amount as jacuzzis.

Steam room

“Steam is another form of hydrotherapy that helps open the pores of the skin through moisturised heat. Sauna, on the other hand, does so with dry heat. In India, steam chambers have proved more popular than sauna,” reveals Ghosh.

Steam chambers come in varying sizes with either square or rounded bases. Fibreglass walls, glass doors and FRP base and ceilings make up the cubicle, which comes complete with a boiler that generates the heat.

“You can buy just the generator and get your own steam room made with concrete walls, tiled flooring, sealing the top with a FRP ceiling. The door should be made of glass, however,” advises Chawla.

The readymade ones come fitted with various add-on features like anatomically-designed seating, electronic control panel with remotes, programmable body massages, overhead and hand-held showers, exhaust to get rid of excess steam, rhythmic jet functions, hands-free telephone receiver and even speakers for music.

Steam chambers start at a lakh for the basic model and go up to several lakhs depending on the features provided.

Sauna

In a sauna, heat is generated by warming stones in an electric heater and then pouring water on them. The walls, floor and ceiling must be made of wood to withstand the constant heat.

“Sauna originated in Scandinavian countries where pinewood is easily available. Hence this particular variety of wood has become associated with saunas and is used all over the world,” adds Chawla.

The size for home saunas is around four-ft-by-four-ft for a single-seater to an eight-ft-by-eight-ft chamber where one can lie down.

They are priced higher than steam chambers, at around Rs 2.5 lakh for the basic models.