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Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn Shuffle

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

map-hotels-gaydaysThinking back to all the Gay Days Drama of 2009 we saw so many changes good and bad.  2010, seems to be no less a shocking set of new hotel rooms.  First you have the original host hotel of Gay Days changing from their long time friend close to Disney moving all the way over to Sea World.  Next you have no word at all from One Mighty Weekend and the Johnny Chisholm group so I suspect that there is one more announcement coming.  This one came from Mark Bakers facebook page which said their hotel pic will be the Holiday Inn.

The Holiday Inn is known for some fun songs and all but will this go over with the Gay circuit crowd the same way the Buena Vista Palace did?  Well this hotel is newly renovated with a $35 million dollar makeover.  Rooms at this Holiday Inn include pool views but I see no suites which we were used to at the Buena Vista Palace.. Does this Hoooliday inn have such things?

The Doubletree hotel, a Hilton family hotel, is the host hotel for the Gay Days event where they have an expo center.  They made a drastic move for 2010 to run from Disney over to SeaWorld area on International Drive.  Not so sure this is the smartest move since it’s supposed to be Gay Disney.  Why not just move things downtown orlando while your at it?

If you are contemplating which hotel to stay at the Doubletree offers smoking or non-smoking rooms and they start at $99 and they do have suites but they are mostly sold out of the best ones facing the “interior” of the “resort”.   The Mark Baker events host hotel will start out at $159 with the highest room at $179, a bit steeper than the Doubletree rooms.  Who knew a Holiday Inn costs more?  Maybe the pool area is bigger?

There is also the Parliament House which the rooms are still available if you book them now.  This resort has not-so-sleek rooms but they do the job.  We spend most of the day out at the pool parties anyway don’t we? Until we want to take someone back to a motel, hotel, or a Holiday Inn…

The Mark Baker host hotel will be closer to the Arabian Nights events but if you are worried about that you can always get a hotel next door so you do not have to deal with buses or cabs.  The Seaworld hotel is close to Wet N’ Wild which might be fun but Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon I am sure is much funner.

I have a feeling we will all be missing the Buena Vista Palace when this is all over, but I am willing to give the newly renovated hotel a try on Hotel Plaza Blvd.  Hopefully, the crowds will still come to the event in 2010 and the music will be just as fierce as it was the past few years!

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Celebrities in Vancouver

Monday, December 28th, 2009

I first heard about this club from a Facebook post from the Perry Twins saying they were spinning at a place called Celebrities in Vancouver BC Canada. I thought if these talented dj’s are performing there then it must be a hot place to party. We checked out this club just a few days before Christmas at a party that looked hotter on the flyer than could ever possibly be in real life. The party was fun but hey I thought there were going to be boys in thongs or without clothes wrapped in chocolate. This was the hottest flyer of the year it turned us on…

I stayed over at the Sheraton hotel Wall Centre just a block from Celebrities. The perfect hotel if you plan a trip to Vancouver and wish for a Starwood location close to the gay bars. Once I walked in the club I could not take my eyes off the dj who resembled Nick Lachey. He had his shirt off and was hella hot but I think that was his gf on the lights from the vibes they gave each other.

The boys in this town were loud and fun it seemed. Just not a mass orgi of hotties by any means. This was a Wednesday night club night so it may have been much jucier on a Saturday night. I would have expected more from a club that was 18 to enter and drink with more hottie action. They had an upstairs that was sort of a walk around but there was really nothing up there but a red light… maybe it was a babylon type area that I did not know about :)

When in Vancouver Canada you should check out Celebrities. We did not get a chance to check out the other gay bars in Vancouver but plan to sometime next year. Vancouver is such a beautiful city!

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Rio De Janeiro gay pride and clubs

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Fancy a holiday south of the border, as they say? Heard something about Rio de Janeiro but want to know more about the gay life? Well, I did and so I did some searching around to see exactly what was on offer for the gay traveler.

First things first: Rio is a great destination for a holiday, combining sun, sea and sand with bars, clubs and an annual pride event. So get you timing right and you can will able to find the famous carnival, the famous beaches and many other attractions with a gay theme. Many people there will speak English so you don’t need to now the local lingo, though it always helps, and I am sure most men will understand your body language when the time comes.

Rio’s Gay Carnival happens in he height of summer every year. It starts on a Saturday and finishes on Fat Tuesday, when Mardi Gras takes place. So expect to party for a full weekend and more. Thousands of people come from all over the world for this event so we’d recommend finding accommodation early. Actually the carnival has been taking place for hundreds of years, the first recorded event being in 1723, so it’s certainly a well established parade, made more glamorous by today’s lust for costumes, music and wild and outrageous people.

ipanema.com is a well informed site that tells you about carnival, the gay parade, the samba schools and all other aspects of Brazil’s top city. But for a gay specialist site with loads of information and links then try riogayguide.com. There are links to accommodation here too. You may have seen the famous beach front shots with the massive hotels lining the coast, well, you may have to settle for a straight hotel rather than a gay specialist one, but at least you will have a room close to the beach and the nightlife.

And, when you’re looking for a gay bar, club or place to eat, I mean specifically a gay run, gay owned or just gay friendly one, then the pages at rio.gaycities.com/bars would be a good place to start. This site arranges locations by district of the city, so you can start to put together your own itinerary based on where you have found your hotel. Copacabana is going to be the most popular place, being close to the beach and those mighty hotels, but six other neighborhoods are also listed. Looks like plenty to do and see then!

Actually, just from this one site and its listings I was able to find as wide a range of gay entertainment as you’d find in any major city. These Latino boys and girls know how to have fun. There are sex shops and bathhouses, strip bars, drag shows and dance clubs, places for guys and gals of all ages, mixed gay and straight places and all manner of mouth-watering places to go and eat. Generally speaking the less fussy you are the better. I mean if you only want gay environments then that’s fine but your choices are going to be more limited. If you want the real flavor of the city you’re going to need to get into the salsa bars and clubs, the local eateries and meeting places. But if you do, don’t expect everyone to be as gay as you. Rio is one of South America’s most gay friendly cities, but not every inhabitant will share that view, so always approach with caution and don’t assume.

So, you’ve got your hotel and your flights, you’ve worked out an itinerary to take you from the beach at Farme de Amoedo (popular with pretty boys) to your meal and drink at Bar de Mineiro, and on to one of the seedier but more fun hotspots. What’s left but to enjoy the bossa nova beat and have a great time.

Read about Sao Paulo Brazil.

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Sao Paulo Pride and clubs

Friday, November 27th, 2009

This is the first in our part of the Brazil gay scene on gaypartyblog.com.

Sao Paulo is the richest and most populated city in Brazil. Sounds like the perfect place to find your Latin sugardaddy doesn’t it? And where else are you more likely to do this that at the annual gay pride event.

They say that the Sao Paulo gay pride event is the largest of its kind on the planet: back in 1997 there were 2,000 people attending, it hit the Guinness book or records in 2006 when 2.5 million attended and… wait for it, the 2010 event is expected to top the 4 million mark for participants and spectators. Best not go if you don’t like crowds!

There’s a theme for next year’s (2010) pride: “Without Homophobia, More Citizenship – By isonomy Rights” and that last part refers to the constitutional rights that have long been denied to Brazil’s (and other countries’) LGBT community; things like civil partnerships and adoptions. Let’s hope that 4 million people marching in support makes their government sit up and take notice.

But apart from the political message – which always used to be and should still be the main thrust and purpose of any gay pride march methinks – what else can visitors expect from this massive event? Well, everything kicks off at 12 noon on Sunday June 6th, in case you want to plan a trip. The parade is followed by debates on the 7th, an awards ceremony on the next day, a cultural fair the day after and the ‘must go’ event on June 13th the Gay Day. You will need a ticket, but these can easily be arranged, for the big dance and music party to which free transportation is provided. Check out http://www.gaypridebrazil.org/sao-paulo for full details of all events and the biggest gay parade in the world’s background information.

And while you’re there in that rich and diverse city what else is there to do? As if attending the parade was not enough? http://www.sao-paulo.info/gay-sao-paulo.html has a neat and well presented set of pages that list the places to go and be seen. You will want to experience the Latin music wherever you go surely, so we’re advised to check out Azucar which starts late and goes on all night; it has a ‘drink minimum’ police which appeals to older folk –or those who don’t drink much. Grazie a Dio! Has live music and is one of the more well known clubs to attend. Like many establishments around the city it starts late, around 10.00pm, and goes on until well after midnight.

You can also take dance lessons at some of the famous salsa clubs, learn how to movie your hips and then, when you go out later, you can really get into the swing of things. The Sao Paulo info site (mentioned above) also has lists of these clubs and even private tutors for you to visit and learn from.

Looking around at other sites that talk about this amazing city it occurred to me that Sao Paulo has been overlooked. When you hear about Brazil and carnivals and gay life, you think of Rio don’t you? I’d not heard much about SP, but once I started looking into it I found it sounded more appealing than Rio. I think that was because I’d also heard, and seen on TV, much about the rougher side of Rio, the crime and squalor. I dare say it exists in Sao Paulo too but I got the impression that if it does then it is more hidden. For some reason I felt that Sao Paulo would be a safer place to be.

The proof of the spicy pudding, of course, would be in the eating. But don’t eat too much or you won’t be able to salsa!

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Vegas Cheaper and Free Krave VIP

Friday, November 6th, 2009

krave-planet-hollywood-offerEverybody loves Las Vegas and I happened to find a really good offer for those who like to go clubbing and stay at the hotel/casino with the only gay club on the strip. This is what you call perfect gay travel booking. I will say if you are going to Vegas for your gay honeymoon or for a romantic time you might want to do the Bellagio or the Paris hotel but to party down single style then why not book a hotel walking distance to the Krave Nightclub?

Planet Hollywood happens to not only house the only gay nightclub on the strip but they are also the only hotel rewards program on the strip. Planet Hollywood is part of the Starwood program and you get basically miles for each stay for staying at this Sheraton managed property. There is a shopping mall outside the casino which walks you to the club called Krave.

The shopping mall in the Casino building, The Miracle Mile, has a Sephora, MetroPark, and FCUK. Can it get better than this? Well its just down the street from the Fruit loop which has you close to Piranha 8 1/2 nightclub.

How do you save money by doing this? You take less cabs and they are even offering a special for free VIP entrance to Krave and a special rate at this Casino. This is actually the best rate I have seen for this casino compared to all the other promotional rates and you even get a free bottle of Vodka, Wine, or spirits. The strange thing is that it did not take the promo for Friday night so I had to book that separately but it did take it for Saturday and Sunday but that may change every week because they sell out some nights. You have to play around with it some if you book last minute like I do.

What you need to get this gay fabulous rate is to goto this link for the Starwood website and pull down the rate preferences menu on the advanced search and type in SKRAVE. You can also try going to the Planet Hollywood website directly.

Package Includes special Room Rates, 2 Complimentary Admissions to Krave Nightclub, 2 Complimentary Admissions to the Planet Hollywood Spa by Mandara, Guests will also receive one complimentary bottle of their choice from the “Drinks Are On Us” menu per stay at Planet Hollywood and a $40 Gaming Bonus.

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Gay community Toronto

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

“Toronto’s gay village, the Church and Wellesley neighborhood, is alive with a diverse G.L.B.T. community. It has an array of dance clubs, cafés, restaurants, community centers, and many other gay-owned businesses catering to the gay community and tourists…” So says Toronto Tourism and who are we to argue? But what exactly is this community, what is there for gay and lesbian residents and visitors to do? I had a bit of a virtual look around and here are some of the things that I came up with.

Toronto’s gay ‘village’ is situated right in the heart of the city in ‘The Garden District’ as it is called. It is said to be one of the biggest gay villages in the world, rivaling Sydney in Australia and Manchester in England. It’s close to Chinatown and the university, the fashion district and the theaters, so you can expect a diversity of villagers and visitors alike.

In 2008 there were at least three major events in the community. Folsom Fair took place in July. This fair, or expo if you like, is for sellers of leather, fetish and other sex gear to get together to not only show off what they produce but to let the local community get to see it, and, we assume, to buy it. It sounds a bit like having a traveling salesman come to your street, only here there are loads of salesmen and you don’t have to buy anything. It’s a really popular event in Canada and even draws visitors from the USA.

Mister Leather Toronto takes place annually in the village too. It started as a single event in a single bar back in 1988 and has now grown to the size where over 2,000 people come to see it and the event requires 350 volunteers to run it. And now it isn’t just one show but takes place over an entire weekend and attracts both men and women alike. In 2008 the event was staged in November.

While back in June, Toronto Pride took place. The summer is usually Pride season around the world and there is no difference here. Pride Toronto has an annual theme, this year it was ‘Unified!’ and, like Prides around the world, it started small (in 1981 when 1,500 people turned up) and is now huge – about one million people this year. It culminates in the famous parade and encompasses all of the LGBT community.

So there are three major events taking place in Toronto’s gay community but there must be other things going on? Smaller events and gatherings? Yes of course. Toronto has its shares of bathhouses, saunas and massage parlous, plus cafes, bars and clubs. Villagers can dance the night away at clubs like Fly, with its 10,000 feet of ‘pure vibe’; there is the Pegasus Bar too and several themed clubs and bars such as Black Eagle for leather and denim guys and Crews/Tango for women. Eating is catered for by a wealth of restaurants and cafes with a worldwide fare from English food to Korean. There are also piano bars, shops and places to stay in the village.

Having had a quick look at some of what’s going on in the Toronto Gay Village I came away with a feeling that this is a place that knows what it is doing. The needs of the GLBT community seem well catered for but it’s not simply geared up to grab their money. It sounds like a friendly and welcoming place and one that also offers support, with community venues and sexual health education. It’s not often that a web-browse inspires me to actually visit a place but this time I think I will put Toronto on my list of places to visit as soon as possible.

gaytorontotourism.com
churchwellesleyvillage.ca

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Mexico Spring Break Alert

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

The US State Department is warning college and high school students on going to Mexico for Spring Break.  Spring Break for many Universities comes in just a few weeks and students will be planning their trips to places such as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Rosarito Beach, Cabo San Lucas, and Acapulco.  The beaches, warm weather, hotties, clubs, non-stop drinking, and being able to drink under 21 are definitely the temptation of going to Mexico over going snow skiing or staying at home and being bored.

The travel alert is pretty serious due to the escalated violence near the border in Mexico.  Tijuana and northern Baja California have had spikes lately in violent crimes.

Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which have recently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues.  Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana. – travel.state.gov

If you are planning on going to Mexico for the clubs consider Canada for the 19+ drinking just make sure you bring a coat.  Then again you could consider Orlando and Tampa which are warm and have good clubs and most of them are 18 to enter but 21 to drink.

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Hotel Deals in Vegas

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Well OK there are Hotel deals everywhere right now due to the mess of an economic storm that keeps getting worse.  You know things are really bad in the World when hotels are begging for more people in each of their rooms.  The Luxor Las Vegas recently sent out an email that said you can stay for $9 a night.  Yup, $9 a night if 4 other people stay in the same room with you.  How many queens can you stuff in a room?  Too much drama for me to have that many in a room but I will take the lower rates all the casinos are offering.

If you happen to stay at the Luxor you can walk next door and go clubbing on Sunday nights (that was easy).  I prefer Planet Hollywood (next to Krave and a mile long mall) which is a Starwood hotel but may be priced a few bucks higher than the MGM Grand or Luxor.  You might even try for the Bellagio, Venetian, or Paris hotel which actually advertises to the GLBT crowd.

Need an excuse to make a trip out to Vegas?  Cher is performing once again at  The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with lots of dates in March.  Elton John and the Red Piano ends the long running show on April 22nd.

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