Thirteen models is a lot to walk past on a showroom floor. Most people start by looking at the biggest one, then the prettiest one, then the one with the most jets, and by the third tub the differences have blurred together. That’s the wrong order.
Three questions narrow thirteen models down to two or three, usually in about five minutes. How much room do you actually have? How many people are really getting in? And what part of your body do you want the water working on? Answer those and the lineup sorts itself.
Start With Space, Not Size
Space is the question that stops more hot tub purchases than price does. People fall for a tub, measure the patio, and discover the gate is 36 inches wide.
Royal Spa footprints run from 63 by 82 inches on the Princess up to 98 by 98 inches on the Monarch. That’s a meaningful spread. A 94 by 94 model needs close to eight feet in both directions plus clearance to open the cover and reach the equipment bay.
Two models exist specifically for tight sites. The Knight measures 71.5 inches wide, which is what lets it turn down a hallway and through a standard doorway for basement and sunroom installations. The Jewel uses a cut-corner shape that tucks into deck corners and angled patios where a square tub would overhang the edge.
Measure your access path before you fall in love with a floor plan. Gate width, the turn at the corner of the house, the low branch over the driveway. Delivery day is a bad time to learn those numbers.
Then Count Who’s Actually Getting In
Seating capacity is where buyers overshoot most often. A tub built for eight costs more to fill, more to heat, and more to treat, every week, for as long as you own it. If two people soak on Tuesday nights and the crowd shows up twice a summer, you’re paying year-round for a party you host in July.
The lineup covers three seats up to eight:
- Solo and couples: Princess (3 seats, 175 gallons). The smallest water volume in the line, so it heats fast and costs the least to run.
- Small groups: Crown and Knight (4 seats, 250 gallons).
- Family sized: Jewel, Royale, Empress, and Regal (5 seats, 375 to 400 gallons).
- Room to spare: Royalty II and Majesty (6 seats), Sultan and Emperor II (7 seats).
- The whole crowd: Monarch (8 seats, 550 gallons), with octagonal free-form seating instead of assigned positions.
One useful test: count the people who will be in the water on an average Wednesday, then add one. That number is your seat count. Buy for your routine, not for your best weekend.
Now Decide What the Water Should Work On
This is the part that gets skipped, and it’s the part you’ll feel every single night. Jet count matters less than jet placement, and several Royal Spa models are built around a specific tension pattern.
Neck, shoulders, and upper back. If you spend your day at a desk or behind a wheel, the Regal and the Royalty II both include a specialized neck and shoulder massage system in the bucket seat, positioned for exactly that pattern. The Royalty II adds the Soul-mate reflexology footwell.
Hands, wrists, and feet. The Empress puts a 12-jet Hot Seat on palms and wrists and gives every seat its own foot massage station. Its non-float loungers hold you in position instead of letting you drift. The Princess includes palm jets too, on a smaller scale.
Full-body immersion. The Emperor II is the deep one, with two full-length loungers and an 11-jet Hot Seat working shoulders, palms, and feet at once. Taller users tend to notice the difference immediately.
Maximum coverage. The Sultan and the King Ultra configure up to 60 jets, the most in the line. The King Ultra is the flagship and comes only in the Medical build, with four pumps.
Gentle and simple. Not everyone wants an intense massage. The Crown runs up to 14 jets across four barrier-free seats. Warm water, steady pressure, no climbing into a specialized position.
Three Builds, One Warranty
Every model is offered in builds. That word matters, because a build isn’t a quality level. The shell, the manufacturing, and the 40-year structural warranty don’t change between them. What changes is the equipment package.
Industry Standard is Royal Spa quality at entry price: same Indiana manufacturing, same warranty, same local service as every other build.
Hybrid adds the three-pump efficiency system. It runs quieter and is engineered to save over $1,000 a year in operating costs compared to conventional hot tubs. If you plan to use the tub daily and keep it for decades, this is the build where the math works hardest.
Medical uses four pumps for maximum pressure across the jet configuration, with layouts developed with physician input. Medical isn’t offered on every model, so confirm availability on the one you’re considering.
The Full Lineup at a Glance
Specifications below come straight from each product page. Jet counts are maximums, since every tub is configured to order.
| Model | Seats | Water | Footprint | Up to | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown | 4 | 250 gal | 81 x 81 in | 14 jets | $7,995 |
| Knight | 4 | 250 gal | 71.5 x 88 in | 18 jets | $8,495 |
| Princess | 3 | 175 gal | 63 x 82 in | 28 jets | $8,595 |
| Jewel | 5 | 375 gal | 79 x 87 in | 38 jets | $9,995 |
| Royale | 5 | 400 gal | 79 x 87 in | 42 jets | $9,995 |
| Empress | 5 | 400 gal | 79 x 87 in | 42 jets | $9,995 |
| Regal | 5 | 400 gal | 79 x 87 in | 55 jets | $9,995 |
| Royalty II | 6 | 400 gal | 79 x 87 in | 42 jets | $9,995 |
| Monarch | 8 | 550 gal | 98 x 98 in | 36 jets | $9,995 |
| Majesty | 6 | 465 gal | 94 x 94 in | 45 jets | $10,995 |
| Sultan | 7 | 500 gal | 94 x 94 in | 60 jets | $10,995 |
| Emperor II | 7 | 545 gal | 94 x 94 in | 60 jets | $10,995 |
| King Ultra | 6 | 575 gal | 94 x 94 in | 60 jets | $18,995 |
Starting prices are the Industry Standard build, except the King Ultra, which is built only in Medical. Hybrid runs roughly $3,000 to $4,400 above Industry Standard depending on the model.
What Doesn’t Change Between Models
Comparison shopping usually turns into a spec war. Here’s the part that makes the choice easier: the things that determine whether you’re happy in year twelve are identical across all thirteen models.
Every one carries the 40-year structural warranty, against an industry standard of five to ten years. Every one is built in Indiana, where Royal Spa has manufactured hot tubs since 1981. Every one is Epsom Salt Compatible, which no other manufacturer allows, because their equipment can’t handle it. Every one uses standard, widely available components, so any qualified technician can service it and no proprietary part can hold you hostage. Every one includes Bio-Lok Microbe Shield in the shell surface and ozone purification, which together reduce your reliance on chlorine and cut down on chemical adjustments.
So the model decision isn’t a quality decision. It’s a fit decision. You’re choosing a footprint, a seat count, and a therapy pattern, not a level of construction.
Quick Picks
- Tight access or an indoor install: Knight
- An odd-shaped deck or patio corner: Jewel
- Just you, or you and one other: Princess
- Desk job, sore neck and shoulders: Regal or Royalty II
- On your feet all day: Empress
- Tall, and tired of shallow water: Emperor II
- You host, and everyone gets in: Monarch or Sultan
- Maximum pressure, four pumps, fully loaded: King Ultra
- Simple, gentle, no fuss: Crown
The Part You Can’t Do Online
Specs will get you down to two or three models. They won’t tell you whether the lounger fits your back or whether that neck jet lands where your tension actually sits. Bodies vary, and a seat that’s perfect for a six-foot-two frame can be wrong for someone five-foot-four.
Sit in them dry. It takes fifteen minutes and it settles the question faster than another week of tabs open on your laptop. Come see us at the Indianapolis factory showroom, Avon, or Pendleton Pike, and we’ll walk the lineup with your three answers in hand.
Royal Spa products are designed to promote relaxation and general wellness and are not medical devices. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new wellness or hydrotherapy routine.
