# Anyplace I can go just for a nice long, hot bath? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611 "2008-10-06T00:53:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/1 "2008-10-06T00:53:04Z")
I’m sick of my tiny little bathroom. I miss my long, lazy, hot soaks. Is there anyplace I can go for one? I don’t want to shell out $200 for a luxury hotel room. And a cheap, $60 hotel room wouldn’t have a comfortable bath tub. My gym only has showers. I hate saunas and steam rooms, and they’re not private anyway. What are my options? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/2 "2008-10-06T00:59:16Z")
No friends or family nearby that you can (you should excuse the pun) sponge off? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/3 "2008-10-06T01:04:33Z")
People I’m close enough to to ask don’t have adequate facilities. People who do have adequate facilities, I don’t feel comfortable asking. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/4 "2008-10-06T01:05:02Z")
[This place i](http://www.judysbook.com/cities/seattle/Other-Rental-and-Leasing/36734/p1/Tubs_Seattle_Inc.htm)s closed, but I’m sure there are others. ---
**Author:** ![Dilton\_Doiley\_Philosopher\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f1d935/32.png) [@Dilton\_Doiley\_Philosopher\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dilton_Doiley_Philosopher_King)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/5 "2008-10-06T02:01:08Z")
Try asking on craigslist. Hope they don’t have hidden cameras. Take a chaperone that can sit outside in the living room (or sit with you, to refill your wine). ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/6 "2008-10-06T02:01:18Z")
A lot of spas offer this as a service, like [here](http://www.reddoorspas.com/SpaServices/ServiceListing.aspx?catId=36). The trouble is that they’re expensive and there’s a time limit. If you asked around, there are probably some less expensive spas out there. ---
**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/7 "2008-10-06T02:06:07Z")
My hometown of Eugene has a joint called Onsen, that would rent private hot tubs by the hour. You could try to find something along those lines in your area. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/8 "2008-10-06T02:16:26Z")
> [@Rapier42](#): > > My hometown of Eugene has a joint called Onsen, that would rent private hot tubs by the hour. You could try to find something along those lines in your area. I love the fact that the Japanese still think public bathing is ok. And it’s really not any weirder than a sauna or locker room in the states (at least for men. From what I understand women are less ok with that sort of thing). Maybe if the US had a surfeit of natural hot springs it would be different. To the OP, sorry, got nothing. You wanted private anyway, so I guess it wouldn’t work, although visiting an onsen late at night or just before they close is a pretty good way to get a little privacy. Can you convince some friends to pool some resources for a hot tub that everyone can come use? There’s nothing quite like drinking beer or champagne sitting in a hot tub while snow is falling. It’s especially nice with a couple good friends. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/9 "2008-10-06T02:45:03Z")
Our town has a rent-a hot tub place, I think it’s $15 for a couple to soak for an hour. Sounds great, albeit perhaps a little gross depending upon how squeamish you are. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/10 "2008-10-06T02:52:03Z")
South Korea. Ironically, from today’s edition of the NY Times: [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/world/asia/05korea.html?\_r=1&scp=4&sq=south%20korea&st=cse&oref=slogin](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/world/asia/05korea.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=south%20korea&st=cse&oref=slogin) ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/11 "2008-10-06T19:36:56Z")
Where do you live? There are Asian-style bathhouses outside of Oregon, and although they’re not private tubs, if you go at seven am, you could probably have the place mostly to yourself. Although I haven’t been myself, [Spa Castle](http://www.nyspacastle.com/eng/main/main.php), a Korean-style bathhouse in Queens, got a [rave review](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/fashion/11inspa.html?scp=2&sq=inspa&st=cse) in the New York Times earlier this year. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/12 "2008-10-06T21:57:03Z")
[They’re out there](http://www.thehottubs.com/), though going somewhere with private rooms rented by the hour may have its drawbacks, depending on the place. [Use this](http://www.yelp.com/search?rpp=10&bbox=-122.538757324%2C37.676755678%2C-122.332763672%2C37.8396145728&cflt=spas&find_loc=94114), and change the “94114” at the top to your location and see if anything pops up. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/13 "2008-10-06T22:12:08Z")
When I was in school, my roommate and I would sneak into local motels and apartment complexes to use their hot tubs. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/14 "2008-10-06T23:27:49Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > [Use this](http://www.yelp.com/search?rpp=10&bbox=-122.538757324%2C37.676755678%2C-122.332763672%2C37.8396145728&cflt=spas&find_loc=94114), and change the “94114” at the top to your location and see if anything pops up. Hm. Still gives me only San Francisco locations. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/15 "2008-10-06T23:38:10Z")
Long ago as students, friends of mine sometimes used to sneak into a student hall of residence to “borrow” a bath. It’s bound to be against all sorts of rules, though. As no- one else has suggested this, I suppose it’s a non-starter but are you at all near a major train station that would have baths? In the U.K. large train stations would have bath facilities where you pay a little money and they provide towels and so on. It can be convenient for the weary traveller, if for instance, just stopping in City A for a little while of hours then heading on to City B. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/16 "2008-10-06T23:48:27Z")
> [@Oregon\_sunshine](#): > > Our town has a rent-a hot tub place, I think it’s $15 for a couple to soak for an hour. Sounds great, albeit perhaps a little gross depending upon how squeamish you are. **Kramer:** I just took a bath, Jerry. A bath! **Jerry:** No good? **Kramer:** It’s disgusting. I’m sitting there in a tepid pool of my own filth. All kinds of microscopic parasites and organisms having sex all around me. **Jerry:** Well, you used to sit in that hot tub. **Kramer:** Jerry, that was superheated water! Nothing could live in that! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/17 "2008-10-07T01:35:27Z")
I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels for $60-$100 a night that had a hot tub next to their pool. Not completely private (although I often had it all to myself), but I got a nice hot soak after a long day [on the track](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=369540), and that’s all I wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/18 "2008-10-07T02:11:54Z")
Not-really-private hot tubs don’t really help. What’s the point of a soak if I can’t be naked? ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyplace-i-can-go-just-for-a-nice-long-hot-bath/466611/19 "2008-10-07T02:46:43Z")
Well, you’re naked in many Asian bathhouses, just not necessarily by yourself.