Mini-Pools C-Side Pools by RivieraPool Experience?

Hi everyone,

I’m curious if maybe someone here already has experience with C-Side Pools.

I’m seriously considering whether we should get one of those (let’s call it a mini-) pools installed with the house. My girlfriend has always dreamed of having a pool, nothing big, just something to lie in during the summer.

I tried to get appointments with pool builders nearby and was pretty much laughed at. The next consultation wasn’t until February (that was early October) and a pool with the dimensions 6x3 costs at least €80,000 in the standard basic configuration. So I gave it a rest for a while and have now started to look into smaller options again because I kind of want to fulfill this wish for her, and yesterday I came across these C-Side Pools.

They somehow make a nice impression and the prices are also quite transparently shown on the homepage. Now I read up here as best as I could and keep coming across the same topics: cover and heating. Specifically regarding heating, they offer an additional heat pump as an option in the "normal" version. In the "Style" version it is no longer shown, but nowhere does it say what exactly is included in the Style version to justify the extra cost.

The point is, I wouldn’t want to spend more than €20,000 (which I think is already a lot for such a small tub) and the effort shouldn’t be too high. Ideally, everything in one package, just bury it and done. Or does anyone have another tip that can fulfill the desired?

Have a nice Friday...

I don't know these pools. But buying them alone is not enough, you need a properly prepared base and have to backfill the pool. The filter seems a bit weak to me; we ourselves switched to a sand filter after one season for our small above-ground pool. Firstly because it worked better and secondly because it was less effort. If the pool is only meant for lying down and should have a wellness character, then I would rather get a high-quality hot tub. Everything is built-in including heating, you can also set it into the ground and use it all year round.

You have chosen the (preisliche) luxury class right away... it can be done much cheaper than 80k and still be good and nice enough. Or, as my predecessor says, switch to a Swimspa, a smaller one measuring 5-6m x 2-3m would possibly be available for 20k.

So you think the heating isn’t included yet?
Yes, wellness character describes it quite well, I think. The terrace leaves a lot of room for tinkering, and the desire for a "pool" for splashing around has always been there. Swimming is not the goal at all.


Stop, stop! There’s no talk of premium pricing here. I just named a number back then (6x3m), and that was the first quoted price. I see the word "defensive offer" here so often, maybe I already encountered the first one. I have no reference at all for the figure of €80,000 for what kind of pool that is, it just said "from", and that was the end of it for me.
Do you have examples of such a "swim spa", how do I find decent manufacturers (I don’t even click on offers via Google, I generally avoid those)?

The C-Side showed me that it can be cheaper (although smaller, but whatever) and still really good overall, which is practical if you have no clue :).

I can’t and don’t want to commit to whether it has heating or not. I just quickly glanced over it and didn’t read anything about it, but that doesn’t have to mean anything. I related the built-in heating in the whirlpool to what you wrote about the additional heat pump.

Back then, we compared DIY store models, Riviera, Armstark, and Hotspring for the whirlpool and decided on the latter because of the lowest consumption and the massage jets. Such a purchase only really makes sense if you use it regularly (year-round) and want more than just bubbles; we found the massage performance great and had no issues with it over more than 7 years.

For swim spas, I would check out Armstark. They have different options, with integrated massage zones, separate whirlpool zones that can be heated differently, or pure swimming pools. I don’t know which other providers might be relevant; we didn’t pursue it further.

For a first overview, request brochures from various manufacturers and compare the points that are important to you. If it’s really just for a quick splash in the summer, a landscaper might offer something and build you a basin. However, from our experience, they are all quite busy with pool construction.

I simply named a number back then (6x3m) and that was the first quoted price.

I have absolutely no reference point for the figure of €80,000, it only said "from" and that was it for me.

That sounds more than strange. If you tell a car dealer you would like a red car and he gives you a price, that would be a comparable conversation... well.

Do you have examples of such a "swimspa", how do I find reasonable manufacturers (I don’t even click on offers via Google, I generally avoid that)?

Where are you from? And what do you mean by "offers via Google"? You can and should inform yourself in advance, getting advice is something else. Nowadays, almost all whirlpool dealers also offer swimspas. I’m not allowed to link here, but hey, just google a bit ;) For example, in Whirlpool-World or World of Whirlpools, to get a feel for it. Based on your description, it’s not supposed to be bought/built for swimming, a swimspa or even a pure hot tub would be more appropriate. For the latter, you start at around 5k (lower boundary), for 10k you get something really good...