Cabins With Hot Tubs: 11 Places to Stay With an AlumiTub
Some of the best places to soak in a wood fired hot tub are ones you can book. These 11 lodges, cabins and resorts across Canada and the United States each have an AlumiTub, from a fly-in lodge in the Yukon to a riverside cabin in the Catskills. Each has its own owner story, and each is a good way to try the ritual before you own one.
Listings change, so check availability and amenities with each property directly. For more, see accommodations with an AlumiTub.
Western Canada
Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort, Cariboo Mountains, British Columbia
Ten thousand acres at the foot of the Cariboo Mountains, with horseback riding, fly fishing and a private guide. The AlumiTub is at the Star Gazing Camp. Read the Siwash Lake Wilderness Resort story.
Spirit of the West Adventures, Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound, British Columbia
Guided sea kayaking basecamps on the coast, where humpbacks sometimes swim past while you soak. Read the Spirit of the West Adventures story.
Bralorne Adventure Lodge, Bralorne, British Columbia
A former gold mining town at the end of a long mountain road, built for mountain biking, fishing and snowmobiling. The tub is where the day ends. Read the Bralorne Adventure Lodge story.
Camp Moose Trail, Golden, British Columbia
Glamping in the Rockies with a wood fired tub and a sauna cabin placed side by side. Read the Camp Moose Trail story.
Rocky Mountain Guest House, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia
Guest cabins on a ranch with ski trails down to the river and views in every direction. Read the Rocky Mountain Guest House story.
The North
Tincup Wilderness Lodge, Yukon
Fly-in only, and the only property on its lake. About as remote as a soak gets. Read the Tincup Wilderness Lodge story.
Ontario
The Lofty Pines Cabin, Sundridge, Ontario
A year round cabin facing west from a private dock under white pines, with the tub tucked into the woods. Read the Lofty Pines Cabin story.
Beaver Valley Cabin, Beaver Valley, Ontario
A four-season mid-century retreat on the river, minutes from the ski hill, with the tub on the deck. Read the Beaver Valley Cabin story.
Atlantic Canada
Wilson's Coastal Club, St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia
Eight wood fired tubs filled with Atlantic sea water, refilled for every reservation, thirty minutes from Halifax. Read the Wilson's Coastal Club story.
United States
Riverside Cabin, Catskills, New York
A photographer's cabin on the Ten Mile River, where the tub has become part of the ritual of being there. Read the Riverside Cabin story.
The Narrows, Lake Sylvan, Minnesota
A cabin sleeping nine with a glass-walled cedar sauna on the lake and an Electric AlumiTub sunk into the deck. Read The Narrows story.
What to know before you go
A wood fired tub takes about two to five hours to heat from cold, so ask your host when to light it, or whether they will. Bring a headlamp for the evening walk out, and leave the lid on between soaks to hold the heat. If you are curious about the details, how long a wood fired tub takes to heat explains it.
Hosting one yourself
If you run a guest property and are thinking about adding a tub, a host's guide to wood fired hot tubs covers guest use, cleaning between stays and winter. We are always glad to hear from hosts with an AlumiTub who would like to be featured here.
Common questions
Where can I try a wood fired hot tub before buying one?
Book a stay at a property that has one. AlumiTubs soak at lodges, cabins and resorts across Canada and the United States, from fly-in wilderness lodges to riverside cabins. A weekend with one is the best way to learn how heating, soaking and the ritual of the fire fit the way you like to spend an evening.
What should I ask a host about the hot tub before booking?
Ask whether it is wood fired or electric, how long it takes to heat, whether it is freshly filled or treated between guests, and whether it is private or shared. At a wood fired tub, ask whether firewood is supplied and whether the host will show you how to light it.
How do you heat a wood fired hot tub at a rental cabin?
Most hosts leave instructions and dry firewood. You light a small fire in the submerged firebox with the lid open a few inches, add wood as it catches, and wait about two to five hours depending on the tub's size. Many hosts light it before you arrive or show you on the first evening.
Are wood fired hot tubs at rentals clean?
A well run one is. Hosts either drain and refill between stays or keep the water treated and filtered, and many check it before every arrival. Wilson's Coastal Club in Nova Scotia drains, cleans and refills each of its eight tubs for every reservation. If in doubt, ask the host how they manage it.