LGBTQ+ Travel Guides, Gay Bars & Hotels Worldwide

Museums, restaurants and designer shopping are the reasons to choose this part of Toronto. The Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel Toronto sits directly opposite the Royal Ontario Museum on Bloor Street, with the University of Toronto and Yorkville’s shops and galleries immediately around you. One of its nicest surprises is upstairs: an indoor heated rooftop pool with views across the city, complemented by a fitness centre and saunas. Signatures Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, while Proof Bar & Patio gives you somewhere more relaxed for cocktails and small plates. Rooms are generously sized and have a polished contemporary feel, with some looking towards Queen’s Park and the skyline. For the main LGBTQ+ nightlife in Church-Wellesley Village, head east along Bloor or use the subway — it’s close enough to be convenient without putting you directly among the late-night bars. GayMapper tip: Particularly good for combining culture and nightlife — the ROM really is almost outside the front door.

Casa Hermès puts you right in Wilton Manors but takes a very different approach from the larger clothing-optional resorts. It’s an intimate, design-conscious gay guesthouse with just a few rooms and particularly hands-on hosts. Wilton Drive and its bars, restaurants and cafés are just steps away, so evenings couldn’t be easier. Back at the house there’s a clothing-optional saltwater pool, hot tub and peaceful garden, while the homemade Mediterranean-style breakfast gets plenty of attention from returning guests. The small scale makes it feel more like being welcomed into a very stylish private home than checking into a hotel. GayMapper tip: a great splurge for couples who want Wilton Drive on the doorstep but prefer personal service and a calmer atmosphere at home.

The Setai, Miami Beach does South Beach luxury in a noticeably calmer way. The Asian-influenced Art Deco design, serene courtyard and immaculate oceanfront setting make it feel more secluded than its Collins Avenue address suggests. Three beachfront infinity pools are kept at different temperatures, with full beach service beyond them, while the spa and high-end restaurants complete the resort experience. You're still in South Beach, but around 20th Street, so the LGBTQ beach and traditional gay nightlife sit several blocks to the south rather than outside the door. GayMapper tip: One for a serious luxury splurge — especially if peace, service and the beach matter more than having the gay scene around the corner.

Few Madrid hotels could be better positioned for gay nightlife than Room Mate Óscar. It sits directly on Plaza de Pedro Zerolo in Chueca, meaning some of the neighbourhood’s gay bars are quite literally outside the front door and dozens more are within a few minutes’ walk. The hotel itself suits the setting: colourful, contemporary and deliberately fun rather than formal. Its biggest attraction is La Terraza de Óscar, a rooftop with a seasonal swimming pool, loungers, bar and excellent views across central Madrid. Rooms are modern and air-conditioned, Wi-Fi is free, and breakfast is served until noon — an extremely civilised arrangement after a late night in Chueca. Gran Vía is just around the corner, while Sol, Retiro and Madrid’s main shopping streets are all easily walkable. For gay travellers who want to be right in the middle of the action rather than travelling across town each evening, this remains one of GayMapper’s strongest Madrid choices.