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Hot tub boats return to the Chicago River as winter bookings open

Hot tub boats return to the Chicago River as winter bookings open

Built World Chicago, IL local

Six people, 90 minutes, about one mile per hour — and a hard stop at 20 degrees

Today: Reservations open for the coming season

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Chicago's hot tub boats are taking reservations again. Chicago Electric Boat Company runs six-person boats down the Chicago River for 90 minutes at a maximum of about one mile per hour, and passengers can bring their own alcohol as long as one of them serves as designated captain.

The boats debuted in winter 2023 and sold out dates with waitlists nearly every day that first season, the company told NBC Chicago. The operation has narrow margins built in: no food aboard, no bathroom, no swimming, and cancellations when the air drops to 20 degrees.

Why it matters

The boats turn a frozen river into a commercial venue, and the 20-degree cutoff shows how narrow that business's operating window is.

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Key Indicators

6
Passengers per hot tub boat
The stated maximum party size for each vessel.
90 min
Length of each cruise
Every reservation runs 90 minutes, per the operator.
$350
Starting price per cruise, 2024-25 season
The figure the company gave NBC Chicago in November 2024; current pricing was not stated in the latest report.
1 mph
Maximum boat speed
Guests steer with a hand lever at roughly walking pace.
20°F
Cold-weather operating floor
Below this air temperature, booked cruises are rescheduled.

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People Involved

RS
Ron Silver
President, Chicago Electric Boat Company
Operating the hot tub boats on the Chicago River

Organizations Involved

CE
Chicago Electric Boat Company
Boat rental operator
Runs the hot tub boats and Duffy cruises on the Chicago River

The Chicago rental company that operates the river's hot tub boats and its enclosed, heated Duffy cruises.

Timeline

2023 November 2026

3 events Latest: Today

  1. Reservations open for the coming season

    Today Announcement

    Block Club Chicago reports bookings are open for 90-minute, six-person river excursions, with alcohol allowed.

  2. Operator opens the 2024-25 winter season

    Launch

    Chicago Electric Boat Company brings the boats back, with 90-minute cruises starting at $350.

  3. Hot tub boats debut on the Chicago River

    Launch

    The six-person soaking boats start operating; the company later says the first season drew sold-out dates and near-daily waitlists.

Scenarios

1

December weekend slots sell out before the holidays

Likely Resolves by Dec 20, 2026

Discussed by: The operator's own account of the 2023 season, when dates sold out and waitlists ran almost daily

The first season drew sold-out dates and near-daily waitlists, and the company said demand ran through the summer before bookings opened. If the pattern holds, Saturday and Sunday reservations for December disappear first, and the operator's calendar shows openings only on weekday afternoons.

2

A cold snap forces the operator to reschedule cruises

Possible Resolves by Mar 1, 2027

Discussed by: The operator's published 20-degree operating floor

The company reschedules booked cruises when the air temperature reaches 20 degrees, and says it works with customers to find another date. A Chicago cold snap would test that policy at scale, turning paid bookings into a queue of rescheduled trips.

3

Operator adds a second hot tub vessel or a new departure point

Unlikely Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: No public signal yet; the company has described demand, not expansion

Sold-out seasons create an obvious reason to add capacity, and the company already runs a second product line in its enclosed Duffy boats. But nothing in the current reporting says a second hot tub vessel or dock is planned, so this stays speculative until an announcement appears.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

Winter 2023

Hot tub boats debut on the Chicago River (2023)

Chicago Electric Boat Company put six-person hot tubs on boats and ran them down the Chicago River for 90 minutes at a time. The company said the boats went viral that season, with sold-out dates and waitlists nearly every day.

Then

The attraction became a winter fixture and drew national coverage of a boat you sit in rather than on.

Now

The format carried over into later seasons, with the same six-passenger, 90-minute, one-mile-per-hour structure.

Why this matters now

Every subsequent season, including the bookings that opened in November 2026, repeats the format set that first winter.

November 2024

Second winter season opens (2024)

The company brought the boats back for winter 2024-25, with cruises starting at $350 and a stated ability to operate in air as cold as 20 degrees. Ron Silver told NBC Chicago customers had been calling all summer.

Then

The season opened with reservations immediately available and the same passenger and speed limits.

Now

The 20-degree cutoff, designated-captain rule for alcohol, and no-food policy became the operating template.

Why this matters now

The terms reported for the coming season — six passengers, 90 minutes, bring your own alcohol — are the same terms set in 2024.

Sources

(4)
Block Club Chicago NBC Chicago Chicago Boat Company Boat Blurb