(Alexandria, Va.) – The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) is proud to announce this year’s winners of the PHTA Awards of Excellence. PHTA’s International Awards of Excellence program is one of the largest, most well-renowned design competitions in the pool and hot tub industry. These distinguished awards recognize exceptional installations of pools, spas, hot tubs, and water features that showcase the most beautiful, creative, and innovative work in the industry. Each year, hundreds of entries are submitted by builders across the U.S. and the world.

The PHTA Awards of Excellence competition is open to PHTA members who are pool, spa, or hot tub builders as well as installers, designers, retailers, or service companies that receive payment for the submitted project. The judging panel is comprised of industry professionals along with representatives from related fields, including architecture and landscape design.

The award categories were updated this year to better encompass the wide variety of pools, spas, hot tubs, and water features being designed.

See below for the list of 2021 PHTA International Award of Excellence Winners:

“We were amazed by this year’s submissions. It is truly incredible to see the passion, creativity, and innovation happening in our industry,” says Sabeena Hickman, CAE, President and CEO of PHTA. “We received 185 stunning submissions across 20 categories. The judging panel did tremendous work in narrowing down the finalists and selecting the winners. We are proud of all of our 2021 winners!”

For more information, please contact Janay Rickwalder, PHTA’s Vice President of PR and Communications, at jrickwalder@phta.org or 703.357.3918.
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About the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), a non-profit organization with nearly 3,500 members from around the world, was established in 1956 to support, promote, and protect the common interests of the $36.5B pool, hot tub and spa industry. PHTA provides education, advocacy, standards development, research, and market growth to increase our members’ professionalism, knowledge and profitability. Additionally, PHTA facilitates the expansion of swimming, water safety and related research and outreach activities aimed at introducing more people to swimming, making swimming environments safer and keeping pools open to serve communities. For more information, visit www.phta.org.

Have you ever thought about going for a spa break? Spas are increasingly becoming popular among a wide range of individuals. Not only do spas offer a wide range of health benefits, but they also add a whole new charm to your backyard space. As a result, pool owners are adding spas to increase the functionality of their pools. One of the best spas you’ll ever visit is the Aqua Dome Tirol Therme Längenfeld. Located in the Austrian Alps, this thermal pool provides you with an exceptional vacation experience.

Exceptional views offered by the thermal pool

A breathtaking landscape encompasses this spectacular thermal spa. Also, it has a luxury hotel that offers first-class accommodation services. The landscape consists of vegetation, glaciers, and mountains. Here, you can sit and unwind after a grueling day. This luxurious hotel also offers fine dining for all guests. There is a broad spectrum of the menus provided by the hotel. Moreover, the hotel features enormous domes that contain thermal water.

The Aqua Dome thermal spa is at the heart of a mind-blowing landscape that offers a serene ambiance. If you are looking for a short getaway to unwind and destress, consider visiting this place. Since the temperatures are relatively low in the area, the thermal spa contains heated water that allows you to swim comfortably at any time of the year.

The Talfrische outdoor spa

Another thermal spa in the hotel is the Talfrische outdoor spa. This spa offers exceptional views. The landscape encompassing the spa creates a tranquil ambiance that allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This spa features three bowl-shaped pools for improved aesthetics. One pool is a brine pool that brings a natural and sea-like effect to the pool. The brine pool has a sound system that enables swimmers to stay entertained even while in the water. The lighting effects of this outdoor spa make it look like a glowing oasis at night. Not to mention, the pool lighting improves swimming visibility at night.

The other pool is a massage pool. Here, you can sit and relax as you enjoy the movement of water across your body. The massage pool is ideal for people suffering from joint and muscle pain since it provides relief. Moreover, the massage pool helps you destress and unwind after a grueling day. The last pool is a jacuzzi pool. The jacuzzi pool is often used for relaxation and entertainment.

Gletscherglühen sauna world

The Aqua dome thermal pool also serves as home to the Gletscherglühen sauna world. This spa is enormous since it measures 2000 square meters. It features a broad spectrum of saunas, whirlpools, and steam baths. The sauna world also holds an ice grotto. The Gletscherglühen sauna world undoubtedly offers incredible views in the area. It significantly improves the aesthetics of the area. Also, the saunas and steam baths in the Gletscherglühen sauna world allow you to relax after a long day.

The Aqua Dome Hotel

The Aqua dome hotel is luxuriously furnished with high-end furniture and equipment. This is to offer tranquility and make the area more inviting. The furnishings in the area are also functional. Note that both indoor and outdoor spaces in the hotel have exceptional furnishing. Other than enjoying breathtaking views while in the pool, you can enjoy the beauty in your hotel room. So, how much does it cost to sleep at the Aqua Dome hotel? According to Trip Advisor, expect to spend approximately $365 per night when you sleep at the Aqua Dome hotel. Needless to say, these prices vary depending on the seasons. During the swimming pool peak season, the prices tend to be higher.

Each room in the hotel has its own balcony

Here, guests are able to enjoy the outdoor views for their own pleasure. Every room offers panoramic views of the landscape and spas. Thus, rest assured that you will enjoy your stay at the hotel to the fullest. Once you pay for a night or two at the hotel, you automatically access the spa. So, you can enjoy the spa at any time of the day.

There are different rooms in the hotel

Some are standard rooms, and others are suits. Usually, suites are larger and have their own fireplace. If you are coming to stay in the hotel with your family, suites are the best. They can accommodate more people. Even so, suits are relatively more expensive compared to alpine rooms. When you are a guest at the hotel, rest assured you will enjoy numerous pampering sessions from the spas and saunas. Ultimately, the best thing about this hotel is that you’ll never get bored during your stay. There is a broad spectrum of spa and pool facilities for you and your loved ones. Not to mention, the breathtaking views in this area will blow your mind.

The thermal spa and pools source their water underground. When pumped, the water reaches a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.

Ultimately

This Aqua Dome thermal pool is undoubtedly a must-visit. Here, you can get away from your busy schedule and relax as you enjoy exceptional views.

Officials confirmed on Monday that a child in Texas died earlier this month after contracting a rare and often fatal brain-eating amoeba at a public splash park located in Arlington.

According to a joint news statement from Tarrant County Public Health and the City of Arlington, the boy was hospitalized on September 5 with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, an uncommon and often fatal condition caused by an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. The child passed away on September 11th. According to the news release, no more information about the youngster was published in order to preserve their identity.

What is Naegleria fowleri?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria fowleri is typically found in soil and fresh warm water such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs (CDC). It can also be found in unchlorinated or poorly maintained pools.

According to the CDC, the organism infects people when water carrying the amoeba enters the body through the nose. According to the CDC, the Naegleria fowleri amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it damages brain tissue.

Water Samples Uncover The Truth

Water samples from the splash pad were collected by city officials and sent to the CDC for additional examination. Thirteen days later, on September 24, the CDC confirmed the existence of the amoeba in the water tests and stated that the splash pad was most likely the source of the child’s exposure.

Arlington officials said the splash pad was closed on Sept. 5 after being notified of the child’s illness and will stay closed for the rest of the year “out of an abundance of caution.” All other public splash pads in the area were similarly closed for the rest of the year.

Records from two of the four splash pads — at Don Misenhimer Park and the Beacon Recreation Center — show that Parks and Recreation employees did not consistently record, or in some cases did not conduct, the water quality testing that is required prior to the facilities opening each day, according to city officials.

A examination of inspection logs at the Don Misenhimer splash pad revealed that water chlorination levels were not logged on two of the three times the youngster was there in late August and early September, according to city officials.

Arlington’s drinking water supply was not compromised, according to city authorities, and the splash pad is fitted with a backflow prevention device designed to isolate its water from the city’s water distribution system.

“We have identified gaps in our daily inspection program,” Deputy City Manager Lemuel Randolph told new sources. “Those gaps resulted in us not meeting our maintenance standards at our splash pads. All of the splash pads will remain closed until we have assurance that our systems are operating as they should, and we have confirmed a maintenance protocol consistent with city, county and state standards.”

Not the first occurrence of Brain-Eating Amoeba

The year before, a 6-year-old boy in Lake Jackson, Texas, ended up dying after he contracted the brain-eating amoeba identified in the water of a splash fountain where he had been playing. A 10-year-old Texas child died in 2019 after fighting a brain-eating amoeba for more than a week. She most likely caught it while swimming in the Brazos River and Lake Whitney near Waco, according to officials.