Hot Tub Boats

They just opened back up! check the website for reservations and details.

It’s painful for me to give HTB a one-​star rating — I’ve been out on them 3 different times in 2012 and this is an unbeatable novelty. If you’re expecting a really steamy hot tub experience this isn’t it — the water is warm enough that you can sit in it for long periods of time without needing to get out and cool off. There are little water proof holds for your bags etc, and they let you bring a picnic with you. They have a speaker system set-​up so that you can plug your phone in and play music, and we never successfully got it to work, but you’re on Lake Union cruising and enjoying the views so that was a minor annoyance. The joystick is easy to operate, and you can pretty easily get in/​out of the boat to swim if you wish.
Where the one-​star rating comes into play: what the what is going on, HTB? My sister and I bought a gift certificate for my parents to try this out last year and they still haven’t been able to use it because they’re closed, like, permanently it seems since no one is responding to messages on the website and whatever renovations were going on must not have been completed in time to open for this season. It’s a complete shame but also really troubling that we spent $ 200 on a gift certificate that might never be worth anything. AT LEAST update the website, tell your customers/​fans what is holding you up from re-​opening, and an offer to refund our GC would be great, too.
All said I really hope they’re able to reopen soon as this is a really cool activity.

Automatic 1 star for having a virus on their website that tries to download to your computer.
DON’T GO TO THEIR WEBSITE UNTIL THIS IS FIXED!

I had a similar situation as Kira F. I made a reservation in September for Dec 23^rd as a (slightly early) Christmas present for my girlfriend. I received a reservation confirmation via email, but 3 months later, on the day we were supposed to go out on the hot tub boat, my gf informed me that she looked at the website and it said they were closed. I called the number provided on the site, but no one answered and I’ve yet to receive a return call.
Bottom line: I had a reservation, but they closed for for the winter without informing me. Completely lacking in rudimentary customer service skills. I had been looking forward to this for months.

This place is an absolute sham. I purchased a gift card for a 2-​hour rental last November for my boyfriend’s birthday. They canceled on us an hour before our scheduled reservation saying the winds were too high. Then when I tried to reschedule, they suddenly weren’t taking reservations for 4 – 5 months because their rental space was being «renovated.» They promised me they’d have their boats up and running again in summer, and I re-​booked for mid-​September. I then contacted them four times over a three-​week period (3 emails, one voicemail) with a question, and never heard back. A few days before my scheduled trip, they send a mass email (I was only on the BCC list) saying my reservation is canceled because lo and behold, they still don’t have a rental space. So obviously I ask for a full refund. And still have not heard back. A week later.

This is the pinnacle of civilization. The boat is totally silent (unless you turn the stereo on) and sits low in the water, so you really feel at one with the lake. Except that you are also sitting in a hot tub, which is much better than actually being in the lake.

«Holy awesome times! Lia was the greatest host and sent my party out for a great afternoon. Three hours is perfect to see downtown and cruise around the lake. Don’t be afraid if its chilly and misty. You’ll be the most popular kids on the lake!»

My friend Mizz P had the genius idea of plopping six women into a steaming rectangular hot tub and setting us out to motor around Lake Union like a raunchy chick bouillabaisse. You don’t have to have six people, but if memory serves me, you can’t have more. And I believe that with six people it was $ 360, or $ 60 apiece, for two hours of aquatic tomfoolery.
Most of the reviews below me are pretty spot-​on. The tip to arrive early is excellent counsel, as the setup does take some time. There’s a joystick controller which may fatigue you or may not (I didn’t find it tiring), the temperature is not as hot as you might expect, and it’s really lovely at sunset (we ventured out after dark, and it was still enjoyable). Thinking more about the temperature, I’m guessing that if it were at «normal» hot tub highs, you’d need to get out and sit on the edge pretty frequently over the course of two hours.
There are little storage holds (one of which is waterproof) and you’re issued a few water bottles. Alcohol on-​board is not permitted, though I am sure that if you truly can’t enter the drink without more of the same, enterprising folks will find a way.
I think the quality of this experience is almost entirely dependent upon that of the company, because it really is a floating hot tub with a pretty cool, ever-​changing view.
We did have some difficulty on the way back identifying the slip from which our merry crew issued, and we agreed that some type of signage would be most helpful.
If you’re considering this, I do think it could be just as fun in the winter as the summer if they heated the tub more. Oh, and apparently there is a temperature differential based on where you are in the tub. Apparently if you’re in charge of the joystick, it’s cooler where you’re sitting (near the stern) and significantly warmer in the bow. Also, in the winter, I’d plan for a daylight jaunt given reduced visibility in winter weather.

Hot Tub Boats is the most relaxing-​with-​friends venture I’ve EVER been on. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
We made our reservation for a cold October evening. It was raining off and on, but WHO CARES? According to me, that’s THE BEST TIME to be sitting in a hot tub. We were able to plug in an iPhone to the water-​proof stereo system hidden in one of the built-​in compartments, speakers popped out of the boat surface for some great tunes while cruising around. It was dark out and what a great way to experience the Seattle skyline, and an empty Lake Union.
The hospitality at Hot Tub Boats was excellent as well: changing rooms with space heaters, bathrooms before we boarded. Several built-​in cooler compartments with freshly-​stocked ice for our excursion, another compartment for storing the snacks and drinks we brought along. An easy-​to-​operate ATARI-​style joy stick which made it easy and fun to switch spots and take turns captaining. The joystick diagonals even work! Once we arrived back from our 2 hour excursion, The dock crew was there to guide us to the warm towels, outdoor heated changing rooms where we had stored our dry clothes prior to leaving.
I will be recommending this place to all my friends. What a great birthday gift, Christmas Gift, and anniversary gift idea! The boat can hold 6 people. If you’re thinking of making it a group outing, if you look online, the 2-​hour rate may sound spendy at first, but splitting it 6 ways can then make it extremely affordable for everyone.
I’ll be testing out the tub again this winter.

Went on a hot tub boat at sunset with another couple. Definitely worth the price of admission! You absolutely can’t beat the experience of toodling around Lake Union in a hot tub.
The city at night is absolutely beautiful. The only hard part is that the joystick that you use to drive becomes tiring after a bit. Even so, there’s nothing like a boat that’s also a hot tub.

What a perfect way to enjoy Lake Union! Slide into a perfectly warm hot tub, grab the joystick, and in 2 hours you and 5 others have time to glide round the perimeter of the entire lake at about walking speed, silently, with music playing.
It’s an unforgettable experience.
Early morning is best when the waters are calm (the boat rides waves fine but a hot tub is more enjoyable in calm water.)
The thing that’s perfect about this activity is that any weather is fine — in fact, I bet it’d be better in the rain because it’s calmer, less boats, and of course it doesn’t matter if you’re getting wet.
A previous reviewer gripes about how hard you have to push on the joystick — it does take more force than I expected, but I found by switching arms every so often it wasn’t unpleasant. That also allowed me to warm up the arm that had been out of the water for a while.
The boat is beautifully made, with gorgeous teak decking, and cleverly designed with a flush deck all around hiding little compartments for storage, controls, and the radio/​iPod player. The water heater is quietly running in the background with an unobtrusive white-​noise sound.
It’s incredibly relaxing, it’s easy to talk unlike other boating options, and you have a great water-​level view while languishing in comfort.
Sure it’s expensive but it’s definitely an unforgettable journey that everyone on board will be talking about for a long time.

I read about Hot Tub Boats in March and signed up for the mailing list to notify me when they would be operational. Luckily the first official week they were open for business was the same time we had booked to go to Seattle for the weekend!
The owners were really nice people and it was obvious that this business was the product of their creativity and originality. After signing waivers and forms for 20 minutes and getting a run down of how to operate everything we set out. Six of us went for 2 hours and it was awesome! It turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year so we didn’t want the hot tub water to be that ‘hot’ (but it still felt good at 98 degrees). The jets aren’t very powerful but they do bring in a steady stream of hot water; and the hot tub itself is fairly shallow but none of us felt that was an issue since there was room for all 6 of us to sit comfortably in it. There is enough deck space for everyone to hop out of the hot tub to cool off while still enjoying the cruise along the lake too. The joystick was easy to maneuver and we had no problems controlling the boat or getting around the lake. The multiple hatches meant our stuff stayed dry and we could listen to music (several speakers are built into the boat).
The experience was so original and fun and although a bit expensive ($ 350 for 2 hours) it was worth it. I actually really wished we had booked for 3 hours when it was over, it was that fun! I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone and will definitely do it again next time I am in Seattle! I hope they open in SF in the next few years, it would be a great addition to McCovey Cove!

I was SO EXCITED to try Hot Tub Boats in Seattle. I found out about it in February or March and have been actively watching their site and e-​mailing them constantly so that I could try out the Hot Tub Boat — cause it just sounded so freaking awesome! They finally launched their first boat a couple weeks ago, and we got to try it out last night.
The novelty of it is unbeatable. I mean we were in a hot tub, in a boat. At least 20 boats stopped while we were out on the lake asking us about the experience and saying how awesome it is, and I mean, it is really an experience you can’t get anywhere else. And it was really cool to be in the middle of the lake, in a hot tub. And overall it was a good experience — hence why it got 3 stars. But actually using the boat, and the execution of the boat… left some things to be desired.
My complaints:
— Driving the boat was a physical work out. You drive it with a joystick, which sounds easy right? It is easy in theory but the joystick is extremely tough to keep continuously pushed forward so that you are actually moving. My arm was in pain from holding the joystick forward after about 10 minutes of driving. If all you want to do is drive to the middle of the lake and sit, that probably wouldn’t be a problem, but we wanted to explore the lake. And considering the boat only goes about 5 mph, you have to push the joystick for a long time to actually go anywhere.
— The hot tub wasn’t really deep enough or hot enough. It doesn’t cover your shoulders while you are in there. I completely understand not being able to fill it up to the very top since water would fall out, but it should have been deeper. There is 1 place hot water comes out, at the opposite end of the boat to where you sit to drive the boat, and I mean it’s not that the water is cool, but we own a hot tub and ours is probably 10 degrees hotter than it was in there.
— The jets don’t work. They say they’re working on it. I understand they’re working on it, but then we should have gotten a discount or something cause it’s not like it was any cheaper since the jets didn’t work.
— No one told us we needed to arrive early. I assumed we probably should, so I got there 20 minutes early, and if we hadn’t we would have started 20 minutes late cause it took that much time to fill out paperwork and learn how the hot tub works. Their general communication leaves a lot to be desired — I had to e-​mail them repeatedly expressing my interest before hearing back from them.
Again, while I have a lot of complaints, the novelty of it is really amazing. I can’t completely recommend it though, cause by the end of it I was having such a miserable time driving the boat that it was hard to focus on anything else. I’m excited to see what other reviewers think, and I hope that the company continues to make improvements, can fix all the things I am complaining about, and we can go out again and have a fantastic time without the downsides.