Gay and Lesbian Vacations: Newsletter

This day marked another first for Travel Impressions. Along with the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) TI hosted it’s first ever LGBT FAM Trip. The three day trip was comprised of thirteen travel agents representing twelve different agencies from all over the country, along with the LVCVA host, Mya Reyes and the TI host, Keith Hickman.

The purpose of this particular FAM trip was to familiarize the travel agents with how and why Las Vegas is a gay-friendly destination, and what’s new. All of the travel agents on the trip were from agencies who were already marketing and selling to the gay and lesbian vacation traveler market or who are planning to now that they have begun utilizing the TI Gay & Lesbian Travel program. A full agenda had been planned by the LVCVA, including site visits at twelve different gay-friendly hotel properties and the opportunity to experience several different Las Vegas entertainment venues. The agenda gave the travel agents a good overview of gay-friendly Las Vegas and provided them with additional selling power about the destination to use when they returned home.

All arrivals were scheduled to be into Las Vegas by 12pm local time. Celebrity Coaches provided airport transfers for each participant to the host property, the Paris Hotel. The Paris Hotel is well-known in the gay and lesbian community as a great supporter and one that is actively marketing to the gay and lesbian vacationer with some very creative advertising. The group met each other for the first time at 12:30pm when they boarded their transportation to the Luxor Hotel for lunch and a site visit.

The Luxor is one of the Las Vegas properties that has been very visible in the marketplace, being the first Las Vegas hotel to advertise specifically to the gay and lesbian market. This property has long been identified by the magnificent pyramid structure, and the Egyptian motif throughout the property. The Luxor, like other properties in the city, has been remodeling away from a specific theme. The Luxor now is becoming more sleek, trendy and adult-friendly in appearance. Evidence of this is the creation of in-house clubs such as Liquidity and the addition of their resident show with the popular illusionist, Chris Angel. The great reputation of the Spa at the Luxor still remains.

Next it was on to the Rio Hotel. Although off of the “Strip”, the Rio is a gay-friendly property worth looking into. First, it’s important to know that the Rio is a Suite Hotel. This means all of the rooms are larger and can sleep up to four people. A complimentary shuttle bus runs between the Rio and several of the hotels on the Strip. The schedule is very convenient, with 24 hour service on the weekends. But you don’t always have to leave the property for fun. The Voodoo Lounge at the top of the Masquerade Tower provides you an awesome view of the entire strip, the unique masquerade show in the sky provides you the opportunity to be a part of the entertainment, and then there are the world-famous Chippendales... enough said. Mid-March through mid-November is the normal pool season at the Rio, with great opportunities to enjoy either the sand beach or cabana experiences. Also, the Rio is the site of World Series of Poker. If you are a true gambler, there’s no better place to be.

The last visit of the day was Caesars Palace. This property is in a continual growth stage. This site visit began next to the spectacular Coliseum, which currently is staging what has been referred to as the gay and lesbian “trifecta” with the shows rotating between Bette Midler, Cher and Elton John. Then on through the massive casino portion and on to look at the beautiful spa, in completely new space it offers a wide arrange of services, including couples massages for same-sex couples. On the way the group got to see two of the Chapels that Caesars uses for Commitment Ceremonies. The highlight of the visit was the stop at the four-bedroom suite known as the “Rainman Suite”. Remember the Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman movie? Well, this is the suite that was used in that movie, and it’s available for anyone to rent.

Dinner was provided at the exceptionally good restaurant, Isla, located in the property long-time known as Treasure Island. Interestingly, Treasure Island is now becoming known as “TI”. This is another sign of how Las Vegas is trying to re-invent itself away from the themed family destination to the more adult-geared vacation spot. The evening ended with a taste of the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, enjoying Mystere. This is the first such show staged in Las Vegas, which of course has set the standard for the many to come, including the most popular gay and lesbian attended show – Zumanity. Unfortunately, that show was on hiatus.

Tomorrow the group was heading out to the suburbs. Is there gay-friendly life off the Strip? Check back tomorrow as the travels continue!

This morning we left the strip to see yet another reason to visit the Las Vegas area for vacation, and that is Lake Las Vegas. Located about 30 minutes away from the hubbub of the strip, this oasis is the perfect destination for when you want to get away from it all, but not too far. Our first site this morning was the beautiful Loews’s Lake Las Vegas. This palm-lined desert resort with the mountains in the background has a Moroccan theme in its design. The other very noticeable feature when you enter the lobby, is the lack of gambling. There are no slot machines, no roulette tables, craps or anything, including the noise and smoke. The peacefulness of this property surrounds you, and it is part of what they mean when they say: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. What happens at Lake Las Vegas, stays with you forever.”

The 320-acre lake is right out the back of the hotel, complete with a sandy beach. Of course you can also make use of either of the two pools. If you don’t want to relax then take advantage of the volleyball, tennis, paddle tennis, basketball and of course two championship golf courses from which to choose. When you are done relax in the beautiful Spa Moulay or experience some of the fine dining right on property. We were treated to a fabulous breakfast, so we all can validate that statement.

From there we wound our way a little around the lake to visit the Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas.

This gorgeous property is a luxury, Mediterranean-inspired resort complete with their own version of the Ponte Vecchio Bridge spanning a portion of the lake. There are 349 rooms and suites here to satisfy anyone’s desire for a special romantic getaway amidst lush grounds surrounded by desert and lake. Additionally, the Florentine Gardens lend another romantic aura, or perhaps it is a couples massage in the Ritz-Carlton Spa after an active day of sports activities. Again, you are not accosted by the casino environment, but if you don’t want to take the trip back into the Strip for a night out, you can walk next door to MonteLago Village. This Village, accessible from both the Loews and the Ritz-Carlton, is an enclave of restaurants, fine shops and a sparkling casino. The Ritz-Carlton was kind enough to provide luncheon for us, so once again we can attest to the very fine cuisine available for you here too

Well now it was time to leave the tranquility of gay-friendly Lake Las Vegas and head back into town. However, our next stop was not another hotel site to visit, but one of the most fascinating attractions to visit when not gambling or sunning. The Liberace Museum is a fascinating tribute to one of the early gay entertainment icons, the very talented pianist and entertainment, Liberace. The museum houses his collections of rare and antique pianos, classic cars, famous sequined, bejeweled costume wardrobe, glittering stage jewelry, rare antiques as well as his private papers and memorabilia. This stop was a totally unexpected joy for all of us. The information and the man is fascinating and how can you go wrong with all that “bling”! We were even treated here to a great preview of a show that their in-house pianist, Philip Fortenberry, does – be sure to try to catch that.

The next stop on our tour this day was about as far from the glitz of Liberace and the Strip that you could get. This fam also included the opportunity for us to do a little “voluntourism”. This is a concept that has been catching on quite a lot lately. (Keep an eye on this website for more details.) To learn even more about the gay and lesbian life of Las Vegas, we were able to spend a few hours at the newly opened home of the non-profit organization: FOCUS in Southern Nevada – Compassionate and Caring HIV AIDS Services. This LGBT Community Center had just recently opened so we were able to lend a hand in sprucing up the facility by vacuuming, window washing and mirror cleaning as well as assist in dividing out donations in the food bank and sort the recyclables so they could be taken in to raise funds. The result was not only helpful to this valuable agency, but was certainly valuable to all of us to be able to give back to our community.

Then we were back on the bus to explore another fascinating area away from the Las Vegas Strip, the gateway of the Red Rock National Conservation area. Specifically we went to see another gay-friendly property, Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa. This beautiful resort, with 814 rooms and suites, has views of either the Red Rock Canyons to the west, or a sweeping panoramic view of the Strip to the east. This resort runs the gamut from the exciting life of a 24-hour casino on property to the relaxation of a 35,000 square foot spa. Gay and lesbian vacationers can feel welcomed and comfortable in either environment.

After dining in the Feast Buffet, we then headed back to the Strip to Bally’s Las Vegas and the Jubilee Theater. Here we were treated to a taste of “old Las Vegas”. The long-running revue, Jubilee!, contains entertainment and visuals for everyone. The entertainment acts range from acrobats to Cirque Du Soleil type performances. And of course there are chorus girls and chorus boys galore! Eye candy for anyone, regardless of preference.

This ended the formal part of the fam trip for this day. However, it was then time to experience a little of the local nightlife on our own. Some decided to experience the Strip and visit some of the other Casinos, while some decided to experience some of the gay and lesbian life off the Strip. First stop, Buffalo, a levi/leather neighborhood bar located in a strip mall. It’s a comfortable place with pool tables and old saloon type interior, with an older crowd. On the other end of the spectrum was the second stop, The Eagle. Again, located in a strip mall, but back in the corner of the center, and much darker, with a younger more partying crowd and no big concern about the décor. However, a fun time was had by all.

Let’s leave it at that...

Our last full day of site visits began in a very different way. This time we did a site visit at a hotel that doesn’t exist just yet. Instead we were given an outstanding preview of the very exciting Fontainebleu Las Vegas, currently under construction. This was accomplished in their Preview Center across the street from the actual construction. This mega property is going to be quite a spectacular gay-friendly addition to the Strip.

We left the Preview Center and headed up the Strip to very popular Planet Hollywood. You can feel the vibes just walking into this environment. With gambling opportunities in areas called The Pleasure Pit and The Playing Field, or enjoying refreshments in places such as the Heart Bar or the Living Room, you get the idea that playing in Planet Hollywood can definitely support the saying of “What goes on in Vegas….”. Then if and when you have had enough of the party, just steps away is the wonderment of the Miracle Mile Shops. This indoor shopping haven consists of 1.2 miles of storefronts and restaurants. Specifically, you have 170 stores and 15 restaurants connected to Planet Hollywood to spend your winnings.

The Mandalay Bay and THE Hotel was our next stop. Now both of these outstanding properties have long been popular gay and lesbian destinations when planning a trip to Las Vegas. The property is spacious and beautiful as well as unique, with basically, THE Hotel located within the Mandalay. As if on cue to demonstrate what truly gay-friendly properties these are, as we were touring the facility and turned a corner, we literally almost ran into two guys, arm in arm coming the other way. Obviously, they were feeling very comfortable being who they were there.

Back down the Strip we step back again into a little of the “old Vegas”, when we visited The Riviera Hotel. This property has been a fixture on the Las Vegas Strip, but has recently undergone some major renovations, so you can experience a taste of the old with all the new touches. The Riviera also has some of the most original and diverse entertainment for your enjoyment – as they say – something for everyone. Take your pick: The Ice Show From Russia, An Evening at LA CAGE, Crazy Girls Topless Revue, the Comedy Club, An Evening with Dean Martin & Friends, to name just a few of the whole line-up. The Riviera is also set to stage commitment ceremonies and vow renewals with their own Chapel and florist on site.

After leaving The Riviera we had been scheduled to return to Paris to rest a bit before dinner. However, our wonderful Las Vegas hostess, Mya, had arranged a surprise for all of us, especially two of the guys in our group, who happen to be partners celebrating 13 years together. Our surprise stop was at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. This venue is not only the only gay-owned and operated Wedding Chapel in Nevada, but is also the home of the themed wedding. With over 20 different types of wedding themes available, today we got to witness the vow renewals of our friends performed by none other, than Elvis! Complete with arrival in the pink Cadillac, serenaded, escorted to the altar by Elvis in full costume and then publicly recommitted themselves to each other. It was a great surprise and great vacation option to be made aware of. Are you ready to commit?

Our last site visit of this action-packed three days was one of the most upscale properties in Las Vegas, the incredible Wynn. Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular sites along the Strip, the Wynn was a great finale to our site visits. The panoramic view from the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows, whether the golf course or the Strip, was magnificent. Every bit of the décor was planned to compliment the next, and what a better place to be hosted for our final dinner together than the casually elegant Stratta restaurant. The Stratta is located in a great spot to dine before or after you take in the Wynn show, Le Reve.

After dinner it was back to the Paris, to change into “clubbing clothes”. First on the stop that night was back to THE Hotel to experience the MIX at THE Hotel. This “ultralounge” on the top floor of the hotel with an unobstructive view of the Strip night lights is a great sound and sight experience. The background music provided by an enthusiastic DJ, the outside sights from the balcony or through the glass walls, combined with the sights inhabiting the lounge itself inside – at the bar, on the dance floor or in the private “bottle only” areas were a joy to watch.

Next stop on our “night OUT” tour was a combination of gay bars; Piranha Nightclub and 8 ½ Ultra Lounge are housed in the same building for dancing and more. Right across the parking lot is Gipsy also for dancing with DJ after 10pm. The clubs of Las Vegas are mixed gay men and lesbians with lesbian nights on certain nights.

Our last stop was at the club billed as the only gay club on the Strip, Krave. This facility does have a cover charge and the crowd changes from time to time. The facility also doubles as a theater for stage shows sometimes. There are VIP areas, a dance floor and large bar areas to accommodate a good number of revelers. As with many of the bars and clubs, remember that they really don’t start getting real busy until after the shows at the Hotels are over. This is not so much that the hotel guests will then come out to play, but think about all those chorus boys and chorus girls!

Thanks to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and a great group of travel agents, this trip was a great success and fun. Hopefully by sharing our experience with you here on the site, you have gained a little better insight to the extremely gay-friendly destination of Las Vegas.