Hi, This is what I did and i suggest you might want to try it. My wife and I were on vacation and we happened to rent a motel room with a whirlpool tub. We both used it and were very happy we never spent the money to put one in our house. That being said I would suggest you locate a motel with a whirlpool tub, give it a try if you like it then go for it.
Good Luck Woodbutcher

We are installing a Jacuzzi brand tub as I write this. A friend suggested it and my family went for it (I'm not convinced). Here are some thoughts I've had:

1. A whirlpool tub is always made of plastic and will scratch, eventually, some day. Cleaning plastic is an art form. Apparently liquid bleach takes out a surprising amount of the grime that gets stuck on it. We'll see.

2. Jacuzzi says that "all" other brands do not drain all the water out of the pipes when you drain the tub, and that causes problems with sanitation. Still Jacuzzi sells a cleaner kit to clean out their pipes. Hmmmm?

3. The pump and heater take up plenty of space in the tub footprint leaving a much smaller-than-you-might-think place for your body and/or feet (if showering) to go. With the space reduced, you might need a bigger tub than you have room for to be comfortable in it.

Here's a recent thread on the same subject. I prefer a soaker tub.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread about Jetted vs. Soaker Tubs

You may want to consider an air-jet tub that combines elements of each. The Neptune brand blows warm air, and has a very indiscrete row of air jet holes around the bottom perimeter. A timer runs the blower for 30 seconds, 15 minutes after you turn off the motor, to expel any residual water that may be in the jets -- but that's just a precaution, as they only blow air. We have had ours for about 14 months and it's great -- and I'm 6ft one.

It also works very well as a soaker tub, and looks tres cool too.

Finally, there are few very porcelain tubs made anymore -- they are all acrylic. The only way to harm acrylic is to use abrasive cleansers or petroleum-based cleaners. And it does not chip.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zen 3672 Oval

We installed a Maxx whirlpool 3 years ago and love it and use it at least 2 times a week. It is one of the best investments we ever made.