I like the look of the Victoria & Albert tubs but they all seem to be freestanding. xc60- Thank you for the information about the acrylic tubs being hard to clean. I kept reading threads where people said they didn't like acrylic but some didn't indicate why they didn't like it. I was drawn to the idea of the Basc heated feature that Kohler is offering on some of the newer tubs but it sounds like it hasn't been around very long so I might worry about the longevity of it. I heading out to Ferguson now to take another look. At this point, I'm leaning towards the Memoirs, but we'll see.

I was deciding between the Kohler Archer (60x32x18), Hydrosystems Lacey (60x36x20 (comes in a variety of widths, including narrower)), an MTI tub similar to the Hydrosystems (Andrea, I think), and the Mirabelle Edenton (60x30x20). I ended up going with the Mirabelle because it was the largest interior dimensions of all of the tubs. I drove to three different places (two Fergusons and one other showroom) to sit in them each. The Mirabelle ($1850 with drain) was slightly more expensive than the Kohler ($1450 with drain), but the acrylic didn't feel as cheap to me. The Hydrosystems was the most comfortable to me in terms of the backrest, but it was shorter (I'm 5'11") than the Kohler and Mirabelle and expensive ($2900). Although the Kohler is 32" wide and the Edenton I bought is only 30" wide, the Edenton feels (and is) larger inside because there's no armrests eating up space. You really need to sit in each. The other benefit to the Mirabelle (or Hydrosystems or MTI) is if it's an alcove installation, the Kohler skirt is unattractive. So long as you can fit an access panel behind one of the walls, the Mirabelle (and Hydrosystems and MTI) offers a modern skirt (and Hydrosystems and MTI even provide you with the option of adding the skirt and tile flanges on other sides). The Kohler is a lower tub but the drain allows you to fill it more, but that feature doesn't seem that important if you can fit a 20" high tub like the Mirabelle. (Mirabelle is only sold at Ferguson, by the way, so you get some of the features of the more expensive tubs at a lower price point because it's their own brand.) I posted pictures of my remodel if you want to see the tub I used. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0409041521118.html?12 If I had bought the Hydrosystems, I would have had the company put a skirt on two sides, a tile flange on two sides, and installed the pump remotely in the linen closet (most air baths allow you the option to install the pump several feet away, and sometimes as far as 15 feet, which at least to some extent eliminates the need for an access panel). That customization is included within the price I quoted above ($2900). The tub may be cheaper in an alcove application.

fly - We have 2 Americast tubs in this house and had one in our last house - never had an issue with any of them. The one in the master bath is the bathing pool and as I said, I use it a lot. Look like the day it was put in and that's coming up on 15 years. The other is in the bath shared by my boys - mostly showers but both of them do enjoy long soaks, too (shhhh don't tell them I said that, must be inherited!). As for the customer service, unfortunately it's not just AS. My DH is in the remodeling business and over the last 23 years has seen service in all aspects with all of his suppliers go out the window. Deb

Shortly after we moved into our home we renovated the hall bathroom. Our contractor convinced us to purchase an Americast tub because it was so much lighter to carry up the stairs. Stupidly, we listened to him. That was back in 1995. As soon as it was installed it developed crazing on the bottom. I contacted American Standard, they sent a technician to repair and reglaze the crazing and rust stains that we noticed. Eventually the new glaze wore off and we have been living with the crazing ever since. I'm still .unhappy, but not willing to renovate the entire bathroom again, there's nothing wrong with the tile. I change my slip free tub mat every couple of years. I would never buy another Americast product.