Gay Travel Buddy

Westin Las Vegas – Gay Friendly Hotel

This is an older Westin, rooms are ok, nothing that special.  But the one unique feature that I really like is the pool hot tub is open till 3am or so, every other resort in Las Vegas shuts down at 7pm and that’s it.  This Westin has a small Casino in the lobby, with table games like Craps, Roulette, Card Games and of course the video games that love to inhale money and a restaurant and a Spa.  It’s slightly off the strip just east, if you are a Starwood point collector this hotel runs point specials all the time.  They have both Valet and self parking.  During the week they have a happy hour where they serve beer wine and food, the food is pretty good.  This is a very popular business hotel, you will find many other business travelers week nights at the bar.  They also have a breakfast buffet that has a large selection, they also have sugar free syrup for the diabetics, a rare thing in Vegas resorts.

The casino is owned by a different company, so don’t bother complaining to the hotel.

For the most part every time I have stayed here has been ok.  The internet access is commonly slow, I can recall a few years ago their AC failed in August and I had to pressure them to move me to Planet Hollywood, which is no longer a Starwood property.  I found it funny how the casino insisted on keeping their slot machines on, that generate so much heat when no one was using them because it was hot as hell.

To get starwood credit you must book on their site, the link below will take you directly to this Westin making it easier to book.
Link to the Las Vegas Westin on Starwood.com

If you don’t care about the points and just want the best rate, I would check out hotels.com.  A link is below to the exact Westin, they do not offer a search that will get you to the hotel quickly.
See hotels.com current rates for the Las Vegas Westin

160 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV, 89169

Gay Friendly Cities

I and many of our amazing contributors have been all over the US and over the world.  I am adding this page to try and help you determine if a city is friendly enough to visit.  Some places can be down right dangerous, for example its illegal to be gay in Jamaica, I have heard many horror stories.

But Moving on to my current home to start.

Austin - Is a very gay friendly town, a very large selection of Gay Bars, very gay friendly hotels like the W.  The new W is actually just around the block from Oil Can Harry’s.  Great restaurants as well, Santa Rita, Kerbey Lane Café and South Congress Cafe too name a few.  It’s sorta like San Francisco in a strange way, and a big music town.

Denver – Is an amazing, mostly gay friendly city. This city also has its share of religious nut cases who cause some trouble from time to time. From what I know of, there isn’t a specific gay hotel in Denver. However you have many options
downtown, including the Westin and Sheraton, which are both gay friendly. The mile high city also gets more sunny days than any other major city in the US. The Westin actually has this fairly strange indoor-outdoor pool, its rather unique as well as a gym. The famous Palms steak house is attached and is very good. Personally I prefer to patronize gay owned restaurants, so I wind up at Hamburger Marry’s a very large gay bar/restaurant/drag show.  You can find a good selection of Denver’s Gay Bars.

Las Vegas – This one is really on the fence for a full recommendation. If you have other options, I think you should consider them. Even with such a huge service industry, overall Las Vegas is not all that gay friendly. Promoters like J.Son are
trying to change that; he was able to convince the Luxor to host the only weekly gay pool party throughout the summer season. In the 90’s their spa became a little hot spot for gay men, however the Luxor had security in they’re at all hours throwing them out. This is a big change in direction. On the other hand you have hotels like the Encore who have pages promoted online about being gay friendly. They forgot to tell their staff about that. Even the high priced hookers wouldn’t leave me alone; she couldn’t believe I was gay.

Las Vegas has only 1 all gay hotel that is clothing optional called Blue Moon Resort, located just West of the North end of the strip. On the strip there is one gay nightclub called Krave. It is not open every night, there is always a high priced
cover and the drinks though strong are very expensive. It’s on the south side of Planet Hollywood off Harmon. Just east on Harmon a few blocks and a right turn on Paradise will get you into what’s known as the fruit loop. You have multiple
bar options here, 8 ½ and Piranha are connected, and this is a higher end bar/dance club. As well as Gipsy, which is just next-door. Across the street you will find Buffalo, a mixed crowd with pool tables. Just to the right of Buffalo is an adult video and toy store. Across from The Buffalo is Free Zone, make sure you check out their calendar before going, they host many ladies nights as well.  There are quite a few more gay bars, my personal favorite is Charlies which is located West of the strip off Tropicana and on Arville in what looks like an industrial business building.  Starwood has one hotel just east of the strip on Flamingo, its a Westin, has a small casino as well.

San Diego - My home town, most of the gay activity is centralized in one area called Hillcrest.  You will find a nice selection of gay bars, restaurants of all types, gay gyms like 24 hour fitness, and shopping galore.  However, like San Francisco there are few hotel options.  There are tons of gay friendly hotels in down town San Diego near the Gas Lamp District that has great restaurants, shopping and gay bars.  San Diego offers lots of beach options, however I believe all of the beaches are now alcohol free and the police will check coolers.  San Diego does not have a very user friendly public transportation system, so consider renting a car.

San Francisco - Ok yeah, duh San Francisco is a very gay friendly town.  You might be surprised to know that its not the highest population of Gay people, Dallas I believe is number 1 then Los Angeles and then NYC.  San Francisco is very diverse, although the Castro is the heart of anything Gay, you can find gay establishments all over the city.  The city is broken into many districts, The Castro, The Haight, Lower Haight, Nob Hill, Lower Nob Hill, Union Square, Fisherman’s Wharf is a huge tourist trap, avoid at all cost.  The older gayborhood was on Polk St. so you can find a few bars in that area as well.  I can’t think of any major hotel in the city not being friendly, now some of the smaller cheap “weekly” rate type places.  The largest concentration of Gay Bars is in The Castro, then in SOMA there are some of the more leather, daddy type places.  My current favorite bar in The Castro is Blackbird, a laid back gay bar with an awesome staff.  My other favorite is a wine bar called Blush, amazing wine, food and people!  San Francisco also throws and incredible pride event every year, you just missed it this year but if you have the chance you must see it.  The Castro has very few options when it comes to lodging, I would suggest trying Union Square.  Most of the best shopping is in Union Square.  There are also several options for gay gyms in The Castro, 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym to name a few.

Seattle – Other than the lack of warm days, Seattle is extremely gay friendly with the majority of activities, including bars and restaurants are located in Capitol Hill. Very close to down town, it’s a bit of a hike if you choose to walk it. The hills are nowhere as steep as San Francisco but if its cold enough you will regret not taking a cab or driving. Be very mindful of the parking signs, they have some of the strangest parking restrictions I have ever seen in the US. They do not color the curbs either, my first visit I wound up getting a nice fine, nowhere near a fire hydrant.

Like Portland, there is a large hipster community, however not as intrusive. Washington State also has the highest taxes on alcohol so when you walk into a dive bar and get charged $10 for something most other places would be $4-5.  Gay Bars and Night Clubs list.

As any big city, Seattle has tons of hotel options. My personal favorites are Starwood properties. The Westin is one of the largest and is not owned by Starwood, it is a franchise. They are undergoing renovations; their new rooms are very nice if you can get one. Some of their older rooms do show their age, ask if you can get a remodeled room.  We have a short list of gay friendly hotels in Seattle.

This article is a work in progress and not close to being done.

Las Vegas Gay Pool Party – Sunkist at Rumor Hotel

So I just loaded Grinder yeah I know, still single.  There is an ad for another Gay Pool Party in Las Vegas.  This is only once a year and its this weekend Sunday the 21st of August.  I have never been to this pool party so I cannot tell you how it is.  But I figured anyone looking for something to do this weekend may want options.  Personally I was most impressed with the Gay Pool Party put on all summer long at the Luxor Hotel, by J.Son.  It’s called Temptation Sunday’s and is a blast.

If you can make it, here are the best rates I can find on Hotels.com

455 East Harmon Ave, Las Vegas

Luxor Gay Pool Party – Las Vegas – Temptation Sunday’s

Usually I do not have much good to say about anything Gay in Las Vegas, I can finally say that I really enjoyed Temptation Sunday’s Gay Pool Party put on at the Luxor by J.Son.  An inspiring young promoter who has take on Las Vegas, a very challenging task.  I decided to spring for the Cabana Service and experience everything this weekly party has to offer.  As I am so fair skinned, I need a place to stay out of the sun.

I found the waitresses to be very attentive and very friendly.  They sure do work their tails off in that hot sun, so if they seem a hair distressed at first don’t worry they are great.  I have rarely been treated so well in Las Vegas.  The promoter J.Son is amazing, I have never seen a promotor actually give a crap if the people are having a good time.  I could see him talking to everyone and making sure they where having a great time.  I took his picture.

CURRENT UPDATE This Sunday August 28th the after party is at Charlies my personal favorite gay bar in Las Vegas.

The event area is generously large, with lots of open seating.  The pool has water falls, plenty of horse play going on in the pool constantly.  I will let your imagination fill in the rest.  The event has special pricing for locals, as pricing could change I will let you check out Temptation’s Web Site.

The crowd is very diverse and a mix of tourists and locals.  J.Son told me that he loves a diverse mix and promotes to and welcomes all.  You can order food as well, the menu ranged from burgers to salads, finger foods like chicken tenders and quesadillas.  The drinks where huge and strong.

The Cabana’s, which there are not tons of, so if you want one get there early.  They all have misters, large flat screen tv’s and a mini fridge stocked with bottles of water and some juices.

I also took some under water footage, to view this video you must be of legal age in your country to watch this film.  By viewing this video you agree that you are at least 18 years old in the US.

Las Vegas Gay Pool Party Under Water Video  <- Some nudity, you must be at least 18 years of age to click this link.

I did not find a locker room, however you can buy a day pass at the spa and use their lockers and showers.  I recall the Spa was quite amazing on the inside, but that was in the 90′s as the last time I saw them.

At 6pm they had an event inside the Luxor at Cathouse, a bar themed like a burlesque.  Till 10pm they had all you can eat sushi and open bar for $10.  The waitresses where very friendly, and the bar tender was so much fun.  Also put on by J.Son
If you wish to book a room at the Luxor, below is a direct link on Hotels.com. They seem to have some of the lowest rates.

Direct link to the Luxor on Hotels.com

3900 Las Vegas Blvd South, Click to see a direct view with Google Maps

Gay Bath House Las Vegas – Entourage

I get asked often enough about Entourage I thought I would write about my experiences visiting this place.  This place was formally called Apollo Spa.  Before it was taken over I visited this place several times and was fairly grossed out by the level of housekeeping.  The steam room, used to smell like it was cleaned maybe once a year if it was working at all.  Since the take over, they have re-modeled the place and its kept very clean and sanitary.  The steam room is now much smaller but still a decent size.  They have 2 hot tubs, usually only one is working.  They also have a dry sauna, a large indoor pool and a nicely equipped gym.

Unfortunately the week nights are slow, but this is common with all of the gay bars in the Las Vegas area.  They have private rooms or lockers available and a few tv rooms as well as a room with computers for the avid Manhunt users.  Entourage is hidden away in a strip mall, off the Las Vegas Strip.  Strangely enough many cab drivers know exactly where it is.

They also employ a massage therapist who I have used several times and found him quite good.  There is nothing sexual about what he does, so don’t use him if you expect anything but what you pay for.

If you can afford a private room and one is available I would suggest getting one, especially if you have not been to one of these before.  The ability to get away if the place get crowded is a nice thing.  Especially if you are the most attractive guy in the place.

There are rumors that some of the large hotels on the strip have bath houses as well, these are true.  However, hitting on the wrong guy in one of these places like the Luxor or Wynn hotel can land you in the hospital.  The prices can vary so I suggest you look at the Entourage website for pricing and their calendar of events.  It may be helpful for you to know that some nights are black out nights, that means most of the lights are off, not something I personally find appealing.

Be smart, use protection, these places can be quite dangerous if you are not thinking clearly.  Don’t go drunk or high, is one night of fun really worth all the humiliation you will go through with your DR?  The sex clubs in SF at least have condoms all over the place, in fact the health code requires that there isn’t a private place for sex.  The operators are required to monitor the use of condoms and enforce it.  Entourage hands one with your towel upon entry.

They have plenty of free parking available just out front or you can take a cab, they will call you one as you exit.  Below is a picture to help make it easier to find it, it took several passes at my first attempt.

953 E Sahara, Suite A-19, 702-650-9191

Even though Las Vegas is not very Gay Friendly, it does have one of the largest gay hotels in the US.  The Blue Moon Resort is not very photogenic from the outside, however I went inside and attempted to get permission to take some pictures of the great pool they have in the back, however the management where not there.  I have personally stayed at this hotel twice, so I can give a fairly decent overview of what they have to offer.  The rooms are a good size and they offer an array of suites as well as the regular rooms.  They have a nice list of amenities including breakfast and a steam room, along with the pool and hot tub with a nice waterfall that I am pretty sure I have seen in a few adult films before.  They also have WIFI throughout the hotel as well.

Now beyond that standard list of stuff that you can see on their website.  The first time I stayed at this hotel for one night by myself I did what I could to keep my distance from the other guests, I am not sure if it’s normal but the average age of the guys staying there was 50.  On my second stay I went with a large group of my friends from San Francisco, it was 5 sets of couples and then a few single guys including me.  Most of these guys where in their late 30′s and are very fit and attractive, we felt like we where the center of attention and kept out distance from the rest of the guests who where once gain in their 50′s and or very unattractive.  It is possible I just had 2 bad experiences, but I was not thrilled.

The staff at the hotel is very nice and are very accommodating, so strictly from a service point of view they are great.  So I am not going to say stay away but just make sure you set expectations for what you will find.

Click here to see what their rates and availability is

2651 Westwood Dr, 702-784-4500

On the North West side of the strip there is a gay bar called Escape Lounge, it’s actually a fairly large bar like all of the bars in Las Vegas.  It is easy to spot on the road by the Statue of Liberty out front, a picture is just above, sorry I was not about to walk out into the street to take a frontal picture of it.  People in Las Vegas drive like maniacs!  This bar is pretty busy on the weekends, they have a pool table and video poker games at the bar.  I find that everyone that goes to this bar chain smokes and I have a hard time just being in the bar for 15 minutes with only 7 people at the bar.  My personal favorite bar is Charlies which is located on the South West side of the Las Vegas strip.  Another great bar is Goodtimes, which is located on the South East side of the strip and the Fruit Loop.

4213 West Sahara Ave, 702-364-1167

I recently was introduced to Charlies by a few guys that recently moved to Las Vegas from the South.  I had basically given up on the idea of that there are no decent gay bars or gay dance clubs in Las Vegas and I just stopped going out.  So I gave Charlies a try on their Drag Queen Bingo Night, which is at 8pm on Tuesday nights.  I was very impressed with the staff and the crowd was not bad, there where quite a few good looking guys there and I actually liked the place.  This is the first gay bar in Las Vegas not to be completely filled with smoke, there are guys who smoke but its not nearly as bad as many other bars.  Charlies has a Pool table, but it’s a bit out in the middle of no where.  They are just West of the Las Vegas Strip but worth the cab ride, there is nothing in the Fruit Loop that is anywhere close to this place.  Goodtimes on the South Eastern part of the city is also nice but they tend to go after the Latino crowd.

5012 Arville St, 702-876-1844

Krave Las Vegas – On Strip Gay Bar

Krave Las Vegas has become the only gay night club on the Las Vegas Strip and it has become a late-night destination for gay locals and tourists. Krave Las Vegas has much to offer it’s customers.

It is equally part theater, part lounge and part nightclub, Krave Las Vegas just located adjacent to the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino (corner of Harmon and Las Vegas Boulevard) has a little something for everyone.

Just recently Krave Las Vegas has also become the first gay night club that is 18+ on certain nights of the week. Generally 18+ nights are on Tuesdays and Fridays, so beware if you do go to the club on a night that they are 18+ the club will be packed with kids under 21. If that’s not your scene don’t worry the night club offers different themes nightly, making it appealing to everyone.

Now if you enjoy going to see hot guys in underwear. Well, Krave Las Vegas is the place to go. They offer an array of gogo dancers, from twinks to muscled men, girls and guys of all typed.

The club also offers much entertainment for it’s patrons, nightly they have games and activities you can participate in where you can win cash or free drinks. They also have local and celebrity entertainers come and preform. This night club has been known to have surprise appearances, including both Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. Stop by and you never know who you might see.

To get the nightly specials of Krave Las Vegas, just sign up for their text service and you will receive a text about that night’s special. The specials sometimes include, free admission, open bar, $3 well drinks and etc. All you have to do is text ‘Krave’ to 313131, then when you get the text just show it to the cashier to get the special.  SMS Marketing is very restrictive, on any message you can always reply STOP and it will remove you by law.

Krave Las Vegas Details: (Subject to change at any time)

• Cover
  • Locals
    •  Most nights Free, on occasions it is only before midnight
      • Must have an NV Driver’s License or prof of living in Las Vegas (Utility Bill, School ID, or Work ID)
  • Tourist
    • $20
• Drinks
  • Beer and Wine
    • Start at $8
  • Wells
    • $8-15
  • Non-Wells
    • $10 and up
  • Bottle/VIP Service
    • Starts at $350, Including admission and a table for four people, with one bottle.
• Hours of Opperations
  • Sunday – Friday
    • 11 pm – 4 am
  • Saturday
    • 11 pm – 6 am
• Dress Code
  • Casual dress, but dress code is discretionary to Krave personnel.
• Special events
  • Mondays: “Kream,” hip-hop and go-go dancers.
  • Tuesdays: “Tyler Caiden’s Monster,” go-go dancers and giveaways.
  • Wednesdays: “WTF?” two-for-one drinks, contests and games.
  • Thursdays: “Drag and Drink,” drag show by Chi Chi & Friends, drag queens drink for free.
  • Fridays: “F%@K You I’M FABULOUS,” 18 and older party.
  • Saturdays: “Krave Saturdays,” special guest DJs, pole dancers, aerials stunts and more.
  • Sundays: “It’s not that serious Sundays.” with dance music.

3663 Las Vegas Blvd S, 702-836-0830 – FYI this address is for Planet Hollywood, which makes this club an on strip club.  It’s really located on Harmon around the corner.

View Larger Map

8 1/2 / Piranha is a large gay bar and gay dance club all in one, the club is opened later at night and I believe its a limited schedule.  The club has a VIP seating area up stairs and has it’s own bar.  Commonly there is a fairly high cover charge just to get into the bar most nights, if you are a local it is typically much cheaper and or free some nights.  The drink prices here are very expensive, for example I have paid as much as $20 for a Vodka Redbull before.  For the most part the bar tenders are fairly nice and perky, the crowd can change dramatically depending on the night.  It can range from a nice crowd from a trade show to cunty Los Angeles people.  They are located right across the street from the Buffalo, Free Zone and Get Booked a gay book store.  The other big gay night club is Krave, it’s located right off the strip at Planet Hollywood.  If you are looking for a nice crowd I would suggest going to Charlies, which is West of the strip.

4633 Paradise Rd, 702-791-0100 <- This is in the Fruit Loop