Gay Guide
Can a Hotel be Gay? A Deep-Dive into Miami Beach’s Gayest Hotel
5 reasons why gay hotels are trending and more inclusive than ever
My life is very gay. Most, if not all, of my friends are gay. I almost exclusively go to gay bars. I love wearing crop tops and short shorts. I’m married to a (gorgeous) man. I’ve even had to restrain from tongue-popping, with the occasional Cardi B “Okurrrr”, when I get too excited in my office.
With that said, there are two passions in my life that excite me the most: gay culture and discovering hidden gems during my travels. Yet, the two hardly seem to intersect. Despite an ever-increasing deluge of hotels rainbow-washing during Pride, proclaiming their gay-friendliness, there’s never a fully gay, 365-days-a-year, find.
I wanted more.
That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to checkout Hotel Gaythering, celebrated as Miami Beach’s only “friendly-gay” hotel. Situated in the heart of Miami’s bustling “gayborhood”, surrounded by charming restaurants and shops, Hotel Gaythering caters exclusively to gay travelers (and our fav gal pals), so no need to wait for LGBT weekends or Pride—the whole PACKAGE is gay – and who doesn’t love a good package?
5. A lack of pretentiousness
The ethos here is inclusivity, and the hotel even has a special message for haters splashed across their front door.
4. The playful atmosphere and sophisticated bar
No red velvet ropes. No guest lists. No smoking. Homey yet sexy, chic yet masculine, I felt immediately at home walking into the hotel’s welcoming, open-space bar. Surrounded by both locals and Miami tourists, the bar’s vibe was JUST right. See, here’s the thing about Miami: the scene is hyper-social, so an upbeat yet relaxing bar setting was exactly what I was hoping for. I dived into Gaythering’s local craft beers and carefully curated cocktail list, featuring specialty drinks all named after the iconic Steel Magnolias movie, and ordered a “Drink Your Juice” Shelby, a Beefeater strawberry gin classic punched up with local flair.
3. Parties for every taste
In my very scientific opinion, the air begins to taste sweeter when you’ve discovered a special place and Gaythering’s bar may just be better for your ego than Grindr, thanks to the inspirational message board that helps keep the vibe lighthearted and fresh. There is also a range of free nightly programming for everything imaginable: drag karaoke on Mondays, trivia on Wednesdays, drag bingo on Thursdays, monthly “Pillow Talk” health resource events, Outshine Film Festival movie screenings, and weekend parties themed after gay woodland creatures: bears and hares, otters and wolves, pigs and even beavers, oh my!
2. The afternoon delight
Situated in the rear of the bar, I was delighted to find a speakeasy style boys-only sauna behind a huge red-hot door, something truly unique to the hotel. Here lies a discreet, clothing-optional sauna catered to gay men, featuring a dry sauna, massage jet Jacuzzi, an aroma therapy steam room, and, of course, lockers, showers and changing rooms. Complimentary for guests of the hotel, the sauna also attracts local visitors where they can purchase day passes for $18 or month passes for $49, including towels, a locker and a lock. The sauna is open until 2 AM on weekends, for late night hangout sessions.
1. The playroom
For the more hetero-normative traveler, three room categories await (petite king, studio king and large king), but for the more adventurous spirit, Hotel Gaythering also offers communal, dormitory-style shared accommodation in the form of its two crate categories. Introducing Crate Rooms – and yes, you heard me correct. Hotel Gaythering’s crates contain 7-foot partitions for privacy and feature shared bathrooms. These are men-only accommodations, and, for the “size queens,” there’s an XL Crate option available, featuring 70% more private space and a king size bed. All of Gaythering’s spacious rooms are outfitted with chic red accents, complimentary wireless Internet access, flat-screen TV with satellite channels, sleep sound machines, name-brand bath amenities, and hairdryer.
Gandhi famously said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. So instead of staying at another “gay-friendly” hotel that might just throw a monthly event for the boys, lets embrace the gay adventurer that lives in us all and explore new possibilities for LGBTQ+ travel…. Okurrrr!
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