LGBTQ+ Travel Guides, Gay Bars & Hotels Worldwide

HALL Arts Hotel, Autograph Collection is a good reminder that Dallas has rather more going on than shopping malls and Dallas. You’re right in the Arts District, so museums, galleries, concert halls and Klyde Warren Park are all easy to build into the day without constantly ordering cars. Pearl/Arts District DART station is nearby too, which makes the location more practical than many Dallas luxury hotels. For Cedar Springs you’ll still want a rideshare, but it’s a straightforward trip from here. The hotel is contemporary and art-led without becoming pretentious, and it feels especially well suited to couples who want a polished city break with dinners, culture and nights out rather than simply positioning themselves beside the gay bars. GayMapper tip: one of our preferred luxury choices for a first Dallas visit if you want the city itself to be as much of the attraction as the nightlife.

With only 14 rooms, Hotel Casa Vilella offers a much more intimate take on an upscale Sitges stay. The beautiful Noucentista house was designed by Joan Rubió i Bellver, a disciple of Gaudí, and still feels more like a grand private residence than a conventional beachfront hotel. It sits directly on the promenade in a quieter section just west of the centre. The beach is across the road, while Bassa Rodona and the main gay nightlife around Plaça Indústria are still an easy walk away. Behind the house you’ll find gardens, a swimming pool, terrace and chill-out area, while inside there’s a fitness room, Mediterranean restaurant and personalised wellness treatments. Many rooms have sea views. GayMapper tip: One of the nicest choices for a romantic Sitges stay — small, elegant and peaceful, but still close enough to walk into the nightlife after dinner.

St Giles London is all about location. Tottenham Court Road is practically outside, Oxford Street is around the corner and you can be on Old Compton Street in Soho within a few minutes on foot. That makes it wonderfully easy for an LGBTQ+ weekend: drinks, dinner, theatre and most of the West End are walkable, while the Elizabeth, Central and Northern lines give you excellent connections when you want to venture further. The hotel is big, busy and fairly straightforward, and room quality can vary — this isn’t somewhere you book for hushed boutique luxury. But in a part of London where hotel prices can get slightly ridiculous, the combination of price and location can be hard to argue with. GayMapper tip: one of the simplest choices if being able to walk home from Soho matters considerably more than having the fanciest room in town.

If your hotel fantasy involves chandeliers and a glass-domed swimming pool, Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco is happy to oblige. This grand Market Street landmark has been part of the city since the 19th century and still knows how to make an entrance. The Garden Court is the showstopper, filled with light beneath its enormous glass dome and crystal chandeliers, while the Pied Piper bar contains Maxfield Parrish’s famous namesake painting. Upstairs, the indoor pool sits beneath another glass roof, joined by a 24-hour fitness centre. Rooms continue the traditional-luxury mood with high ceilings and marble bathrooms. Montgomery Street BART and Muni are outside, making the Castro simple to reach while Chinatown, Union Square and the Embarcadero are much closer. GayMapper tip: Even if you skip afternoon tea, go and look at the Garden Court – subtle it absolutely is not.