Recently, we received a letter:
Dear Coleman Backyards,
Not too long ago, we had a few friends over. The evening went great! We cooked out, enjoyed some hot tub time, and in general had fun and good conversation 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 – and it was the early morning hours 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,
Tired in Texas
Of course, when you have a HotSpring or Freeflow spa, it’s not surprising that your guests want to stick around. With fun features like lighting and fountains, 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
Go ahead and 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 and 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? (If you have a Hot Spring Spa, you probably have the optional wireless sound system going.) Go ahead and turn it off.
Turn on the lights
If you’ve had the hot tub lights and party lights on, shut those off and turn on the harsher patio 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.
Good luck, Tired in Texas. And 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.