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A soak in the hotel hot tub after a hard day's skiing or shopping and sight-seeing may sound relaxing - but before you get too comfortable, keep in mind who - or what - is in there with you.

Two US experts have warned of a whole host of horrible, and in some cases dangerous, creatures lurking below the water surface.

Michele Hlavsa, an epidemiologist and chief of healthy swimming for the Centers for Disease Control of Prevention; and Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of microbiology and environmental studies at The University of Arizona, say you can pick up some unappetising bugs from a hot tub dip.

And relax: But before you do, bare in mind what lurks beneath the surface of your hotel hot tub

They told the Huffington Post that the warm temperature of a hot tub makes it more difficult to keep disinfectant levels that kill certain germs at a safe level.

One germ often found in these conditions is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can result in an infection called Pseudomonas folliculitis, or 'hot tub rash'.

This nasty critter multiplies in the water when disinfectant levels dip and remains when the levels go back up again.

'People tend to sit in hot tubs for a while, so their skin is exposed to contaminated water for a while,' Hiavsa said.

The rash is characterised by itching and spots that develop into rash, as well as pus-filled blisters around hair follicles, according to the CDC.

Tropical bliss? A private hot tub, such as this one in Thailand, is less likely to contain as many bugs

Another more serious condition to be aware of is the potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia caused by a germ called Legionella, which is found in warm water and can be breathed in from the steam of a contaminated hot tub.

Humans also bring their own share of germs when they slide into a hot tub.

'The average bather has about a tenth of a gram of feces in his gluteal fold, which is a nice way of saying butt crack,' said Gerba.

That means with five people, 'you have a tablespoon of poop in the hot tub'.

When other human wastes such as urine and sweat mix with chlorine, an irritant called chloramine is created, which is what causes stinging eyes and can irritate your respiratory tract.

The CDC recommends that hot tubs have smooth tiles, no odor and a temperature that doesn't exceed 40 degrees C.

They also recommend bathing before you get in the hot tub as products such as makeup and sun lotion use up the disinfectant in the water, make it  less able to kill off other bugs. You should always avoid getting the water in your mouth.

The following water chemistry is recommended: chlorine at 2–4 mg/L or parts per million (ppm) or bromine at 4–6 ppm and a pH between 7.2 and 7.8.