Over Thanksgiving weekend, Tugboat Inn, 80 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor, began offering igloo dining on the Marina Lounge Deck. Twelve feet in diameter, the two igloos are adorned with white lights and seat two to six people.

Reservations (at 633-4434) are required to dine in the igloos. “They are very cozy and cool. You’re in this bubble with white lights all around. You don’t feel closed in at all,” General Manager Bonnie Stover said. “People just love them. They want to eat in an igloo! If I had space, I’d have more.”

The idea came from Carla Lafayette. She and husband Dan own the Lafayette Hotels, which include Tugboat, Boothbay Harbor Inn and Fisherman’s Wharf Inn and Kennebunkport property The Breakwater Inn. The Lafayettes had two igloos there in 2020 and added two more this year.

Carla Lafayette thought the igloos would be great for Tugboat, since it is remaining open through the holidays. Stover agreed.

Keeping warmth in mind, indoor/outdoor carpeting was installed on the deck as were additional electrical outlets for the box heaters inside the igloos and the white holiday lights. Stover said they also have warm, fuzzy blankets inside, just in case, but the igloos were comfortably warm over the first weekend.

“Everyone who dined in them loved it and we have tons of reservations coming in,” said Stover. “They look great, they look so pretty at night and you can see them from the water and the street.”

The maintenance crew installed the igloo frames and the inside sheeting of plastic. All the staff pitched in with the decorating. Dining Room Manager Debbie Wickert set up the tables and, for even more ambiance, added lanterns on each.

The igloos will be at Tugboat each Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. For more on Tugboat, visit www.tugboatinn.com