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Gay Hotels
"Britain's Next Bear Model" Takes Over UK Hotel
November 6, 2008 at 10:56 AM | 1 Comment
Something called "Britain's Next Bear Model" is going down this weekend -- and it has nothing to do with the kind of bears you're thinking of, nor is it produced by Tyra. Check this out if you're not catching our drift.
Starting tomorrow in Manchester, Bears, Cubs and Daddies from all over the UK will congregate for Pre-hiBEARnation, an "annual celebration of all things butch, beefy and bearlike," according to The Lesbian and Gay Foundation.
The festival is calling the Hotel International its home base, the owners of which have taken a few extra steps to make sure the spot is "bear friendly". There are a number of different events over the course of the weekend, like "bearaoke" and clubbing, but the real highlight has definitely gotta be the finale of "Britain's Next Bear Model":
On Saturday, the winner of Britain's Next Bear Model will be announced at View between 3 and 6pm. The 8 original hunks have been whittled down to 3, and [contestants] will battle it out to be bear king.
Um, what kind of challenges will make up this "battle"? We are kinda dying to know. Wanna go check it out for us?
Whistler Hotel Reviews
Casino Royale Package a Good Deal at Whistler's Adara Hotel
October 15, 2008 at 7:15 AM | 0 Comments
Up at Whistler the Adara Hotel has put together a special deal during the Cornucopia food and wine festival this year: it's the Casino Royale Party Package which you can book for November 7 only.
Along with two tickets to the nearby Casino Royale Cornucopia Party, you'll get accommodation in a superior guestroom and the chance to upgrade to a Loft Suite for just C$30 more; without upgrading the package price is just C$269 for two. They say that party tickets are $125 per person so that does sound like a great deal if you're interested in the event.
Labor Day Hotels
Labor Day Hotels :: $99 Hotel Rooms in New Orleans and a Gay Ole' Time
August 5, 2008 at 4:36 PM | 0 Comments
Why not wave goodbye to summer with a huge send-off in New Orleans? And with $99 room rates at the New Orleans Marriott it won't break your wallet either.
Plus since the city is holding the 37th Southern Decadence Festival aka The Gay Mardi Gras at this time, the city is going to be filled with lots of shirtless men. (Ladies, perhaps you should consider this as a girlfriend getaway!)
If you do go, here's a tip: Book this deal at the hotel which offers a $25 Visa gift card when you book a room for the weekend. That's more booze for you! Even better, there is actually availability over Labor Day weekend (Aug. 29-Sept. 1) for the $99 rate and the gift card. Use Code V12 to book.
Hotel News
It Might Be a Lonely Summer on the Rooftop at the Manchester Hyatt in San Diego
July 10, 2008 at 3:58 PM | 0 Comments
The Manchester Hyatt in San Diego is being boycotted by gay rights groups because its owner Doug Manchester gave $150,000 to Proposition 8, a California state measure to ban gay marriage.
While the Hyatt Corporate umbrella which just manages the hotel is not being targeted, boycotters (which include union leaders as the hotel is not unionized) are urging the public to avoid staying at the Manchester San Diego. And it won't be pretty.
Kimpton Hotels
Pink Hotels Seeking More Reviews With $1,500 Contest
July 9, 2008 at 9:15 AM | 0 Comments
Nearly two years ago we reported on the birth of Pink Choice, a website that can basically be described as TripAdvisor for gay travelers. The site's certainly expanded a bit since then but they're still looking for more reviews, so they've put an incentive on it with the $1,500 Weekend Getaway Competition.
Basically, anyone who enters a quality review of a gay or gay-friendly hotel on the site between now and October 31 is in the draw for a $1,500 prize, in conjunction with Kimpton Hotels: the winner will score 2 nights at any Kimpton, anywhere, plus $1,000 spending money for the trip.
Pink Choice looks like they could use the new reviews as they've still only got 1,500 hotels in their database. And people with hotel reviews in gay-friendly Provincetown, Mass. might want to try another locale. Wherever we browse on Pink Choice, we keep coming up with Provincetown hotels.
We like the Pink Choice idea, so hopefully this $1,500 incentive and partnership with Kimpton will work.
Like hotel contests? Enter the Layover Nation Contest here.
Gay Hotels
Attitude Hotels Put Together a Fierce Group of Vacation Picks
March 25, 2008 at 2:54 PM | 0 Comments
Reading through this weekend's NYT Travel Section we discovered an exclusive new collection of independent hotels for discerning gay and lesbian travelers.
Setting the gay bar higher than major hotel chain properties that merely are "gay friendly," Attitude Hotels distinguishes itself with a "gay genuine" portfolio of 27 hotels in the U.S. and Europe. Each destination has been chosen for its unique charm, style, and location so as to maintain a diverse travel agenda for gay and lesbian guests.
Kimpton Hotels
Party Dispatch: Muse Hotel's Red Hot Night
December 3, 2007 at 2:03 PM | 0 Comments
Last Thursday, we rocked over to The Muse Hotel for its charity drag party, and we have to say: Not too shabby. The hotel originally planned a big-time event, but when Broadway theaters reopened the same night, things took a more tranquil turn.
That's not to say that Kimpton didn't put on a nice event. There was plenty of champagne, and the hotel's restaurant, District, provided the grub. A silent auction for stays at Kimpton properties was underway as Broadway crooners belted out what we assumed to be Broadway classics. (Just because we were at a drag party doesn't mean we're show tunes experts!)
The event, which was just a couple days before World AIDS Day, brought in a few thousand dollars for Bailey House, which offers assistance to people suffering from the disease.
Related Stories:
· Muse Hotel Still Hosting Its Drag Party Tonight [HotelChatter]
· Kimpton Hotels coverage [HotelChatter]
Kimpton Hotels
Broadway Hotels: Muse Hotel Still Hosting Its Drag Party Tonight
November 29, 2007 at 3:30 PM | 0 Comments
The Muse Hotel must be feeling upstaged. Just when it looked like the hotel's drag party would be the only show on Broadway tonight, the strike that shuttered theaters has ended. But, as they say, the show must go on.
So the Muse will press onward with its Red Hot Night Party, which we hear will be "on the wild side" and include boas, drag queens and plenty of cocktails. But it's more than an excuse to get drunk at a hotel; it's a charity fund raiser for Bailey House, which assists people suffering from HIV and AIDS.
The fun starts at 6 pm tonight, and your $5 admission also included the first drink. See ya there!
Related Stories:
· New York Hotels Confront the Broadway Strike [HotelChatter]
· Kimpton Hotels Planning a Gay Summer [HotelChatter]
Gay Hotels
Happy Birthday Pink Choice
August 13, 2007 at 9:03 AM | 1 Comment
A year ago we mentioned the launch of a gay and lesbian hotel reviews site called Pink Choice. It was very early days back then but now, on their first anniversary, Pink Choice does seem to have a bit more substance.
Over a thousand hotels in 200 destinations now feature on the website, and some hotels now have several dozen user reviews, particularly those that featured on the list of 2006 Pink Choice Awards. These reviews are being read by upwards of 800 visitors per day, but the only problem is that there are still quite a few big gaps in their list.
For example, the destination information for Sydney acknowledges that it's "one of the gay capitals of the world", but there's not a single hotel listed there yet. Let's see what Pink Choice readers can do in the second year of the site's life.
Related Stories:
· A New Ratings Site for Pink Travelers [HotelChatter]
· Pink Choice's Favorite Pink Hotels [HotelChatter]
Kimpton Hotels
Kimpton Hotels Planning a Gay Summer
June 19, 2007 at 9:08 AM | 0 Comments
We'd never suggest anyone actually take a pedicab in Manhattan: there just seems to be too much wrong with the idea. But if you're staying at the 70 Park Avenue Hotel on June 24, it might be nice to take a load off and ride with Manhattan Rickshaw to points along the route of the 38th Annual Pride Parade.
Kimpton is offering the free rides as part of its Summer of Pride, the main part of which involves a 15 percent discount for guests of any orientation at 10 properties nationwide.
In New York, the 70 Park's sister property, The Muse Hotel won't have rickshaws, but you can still pre-party with Rainbow Martinis and the always-happening wine hour in the lobby. More info is available at Kimpton's LGBT-specific website.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Video Tours: 70 Park Avenue [HotelChatter]
· Hotel Video Tour: Inside the Muse Hotel's Renovations [HotelChatter]
Gay Hotels
The Peel Hotel: Straights Can't Go There, And Nobody Can Stay There
May 30, 2007 at 9:35 AM | 1 Comment
In yet another case of "why do those Australians call a place without beds a hotel?", some news sources are now reporting that "heterosexuals have been banned from staying at a gay hotel in Australia". Half true, half not.
What is a fact is that the Peel Hotel in Melbourne has won an exemption from Australia's Equal Opportunity Act, and they are now allowed to refuse entry to heterosexuals, after they argued this was necessary to provide gay men with a safe, comfortable atmosphere. What some reporters are missing, however, is that the Peel is now a nightclub, and like many pubs and clubs in Australia, is still referred to as a hotel.
So if you're gay and want to drink or dance in Melbourne, try the Peel. And for all visitors to Australia, watch out for those clubs and pubs disguised as hotels. You can't always sleep there--unless slumped on a bar stool counts.
Related Stories:
· Gay Hotel Wins Right to Ban Heterosexuals [Guardian]
· Hotel Reports Homophobic Backlash to Ruling on Patrons [ABC]
[Photo: The Peel Hotel]
Ireland Hotel Reviews
Cosmo Browns is Not Ireland's First Gay Hotel or a Gay Hotel At All
April 24, 2007 at 3:05 PM | 0 Comments
Wow, it seems that hotels thought to be closing/opening also come in threes. First, the W Honolulu was to turn into a swank Balinese-themed hotel but ended up remaining a W. Then the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc was reported to close but the owners said that talk of the hotel turning into a private residence was not true.
Now we learn that Ireland's first gay hotel actually never opened at all last June.
A tipster says the Cosmo Browns @ the Ritz in Carlow is neither a gay hotel or gay bar.
Cosmo Browns @Ritz Hotel Carlow was NEVER a gay hotel. The last manager ran in to problems with banks etc. and the rumors had it that the venue was opening as a gay bar.
This is sad for Ireland's gay community but probably better for the travel community as a whole, since the TripAdvisor reviews from last summer were horrendous. Back then, it looked as if the hotel was operating not as a gay hotel but just some hole in the wall to stay for a night.
Related Stories:
· Ireland's First Gay Hotel [HotelChatter]
· Cosmo Browns Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]
