Hot tub guests just won’t go?

We received a letter recently:

Dear South East Spas,

Recently, we had several friends over for an evening of food, and hot tub time. It was a blast! We really enjoyed spending time with our friends. But, as my husband and I were ready to wind things down, our friends seemed to be settling in to stay. The evening grew late – very late – before they finally said goodbye.

We want to continue entertaining and sharing our hot tub with friends, but how can we make sure the festivities wrap up at a decent hour?

Sincerely,

Feeling tired in Florida

Of course, when you have a hot tub from Master Spas, it’s not surprising that your guests want to stick around. With fun features like lighting, fountains and sound systems, to relaxing features like powerful hydrotherapy jets, people do tend to settle in. But, thankfully, there ARE a few things you can do to help your guests know it’s time to go, without breaking any etiquette rules.

Start cleaning up

Start cleaning up the party mess. That’s a pretty clear signal to your guests that it’s time to wrap things up. Put away the food, pick up any wet towels that are laying around – you get the idea. And your guests are likely to as well.

Turn off the tunes

Do you have music playing? Go ahead and turn it off. Few things end a party faster than when the music dies.

Turn on the lights

If you’ve had the hot tub lights and maybe some party lights on, shut those off and turn on the harsher outdoor lights instead. Beyond holding a sign that says “Please Leave Now” (Which you would never, ever do.), this is the clearest you can be that the party is over.

If all else fails, just be honest. If they’re close friends, there’s nothing wrong with telling them you’re tired, and it’s time for the party to end.