Hotel Granada, a Member of Design Hotels, brings a very different feel to Midtown Atlanta, combining the character of a historic 1920s building with a stylish contemporary makeover. Formerly the Artmore Hotel, it reopened after a major renovation and now forms part of Marriott’s Design Hotels collection. The Spanish Colonial building is arranged around a leafy internal courtyard, with terracotta floors, archways and colourful interiors giving it considerably more personality than the average city hotel. Rooms continue the relaxed design theme, while facilities include a fitness centre, Pom Court restaurant and the moodier May Peel cocktail bar. The location is particularly convenient for Atlanta’s cultural side, with the High Museum of Art, Symphony Hall and Arts Center MARTA station all close by. Piedmont Park is less than a mile away, while Midtown’s restaurants and bars are easy to explore on foot. GayMapper tip: a lovely choice if you favour smaller, characterful hotels and want Midtown rather than Downtown as your Atlanta base.

For many LGBTQ+ visitors, Hotel Calipolis occupies one of the best positions in Sitges. It sits directly on the promenade opposite Bassa Rodona, the town’s main gay beach, while the bars around Plaça Indústria and Carrer Joan Tarrida are only a short walk away. The hotel is larger than many central Sitges properties, with 170 rooms and particularly good sea views from the front-facing categories. Many rooms have private terraces, and there’s an outdoor pool, gym and free bicycle hire. Mirador Restaurant serves Mediterranean food with sweeping sea views, while La Terraza is a more relaxed spot beside the pool for drinks, tapas and snacks. GayMapper tip: Sea-view rooms are worth considering here. With the beach directly in front and much of Sitges stretching along the coast below you, those balconies make particularly good use of the location.

Thompson Chicago brings a stylish boutique feel to the Gold Coast, one of the city’s smartest central neighbourhoods. Oak Street, Michigan Avenue and the lakefront are all close by, making this an excellent base for shopping, restaurants and sightseeing. Rooms have a contemporary, slightly residential look rather than generic business-hotel styling, and the overall atmosphere is polished without feeling overly formal. Chicago’s main gay nightlife is further north around Northalsted and Andersonville, so you’ll need transport for a night out there. GayMapper tip: a good fit if you want a fashionable central hotel and plan to divide your time between sightseeing, restaurants and nightlife rather than basing the whole trip around the gay scene.

You could easily walk past Hotel El Xalet without guessing what’s hidden inside. This handsome 19th-century house is packed with original character, from stained-glass windows and colourful mosaic floors to antique furniture, with every room decorated slightly differently. Outside, a leafy courtyard surrounds the swimming pool and terrace, giving you somewhere surprisingly peaceful to retreat to despite being right in central Sitges. There’s also a cocktail bar and, during the summer season, a restaurant serving beside the pool. The beach is under ten minutes away, while the main gay nightlife around Plaça Indústria and Carrer Joan Tarrida is even closer and easily reached on foot. GayMapper tip: Choose El Xalet if you like smaller hotels with genuine local character — the beautiful historic interiors and garden pool make this much more memorable than its modest star rating suggests.