My parents and I moved a few months back into a flat in an apartment complex called Lodha Bellezza at Kukatpally in Hyderabad. One thing that we were excited about was that every flat in this complex had something they called a ‘spa pool’ in the main balcony next to the living room. In the plan showed in the brochure they cleverly omitted the word ‘spa’ and only had the area shown as ‘pool’. Which leads me to the question, “What exactly the hell is a spa pool?”
A quick search on the internet revealed the following: Typically, spa pools refer to small, heated and jetted pools that are built into the ground.
I pictured myself spending many relaxed evenings in the spa pool. I drew mental images of hot water jets massaging my aching backs after a tiring day at work. Except that the said spa pool was neither heated nor jetted. Ok. Small inconvenience. Who needed hot water in a spa pool in hot Hyderabad, I said to myself.
When we moved in we learnt that most people in the apartment complex had demolished the spa pool and converted the balcony into a deck. We decided to wait for some time and then decide. It’s been about four months since we moved in. How many times have we filled the spa pool? All of once. Filling it took hours. We couldn’t figure out how to empty it. We were asked not to leave the water in it for more than two days. We called the maintenance guys who never showed up despite repeated reminders which was strange because they were very prompt in attending other complaints. Slowly water began appearing in our bedroom walls. We then called the maintenance guys and shouted at them and ensured they came and emptied it promptly. The seepage stopped.
We are soon going to be demolishing the spa pool. So much for the excitement. To be fair, the apartment complex is a very nice place with very good facilities. The place looks like a resort with all the landscaping. The swimming pool, gymnasium and all other sports facilities are all world-class. It’s only the spa pool I have a problem with.
When I look back, I think this was a brilliant marketing gimmick used by the builder. This is something that would excite everyone and be utilised by no one. What a waste of money first in building it and then in demolishing it.
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