From Kimpton to Tahiti, tourism industry loves same-sex weddings

Dallas tourism professionals Cordey Lash, Veronica Torres and George Carrancho were recently appointed to the national board of the IGLTA. - PHOTO BY TONYVALaADEZ.COM

Who doesn’t love a June wedding? So how more poignant could it be that California’s first-ever legal same-sex marriages began during Gay Pride Month? Just in time for the summer travel season, the ultra-gay-friendly Kimpton Hotels chain is offering its second annual “summer of Pride” promotion, which includes all California branches of the San Francisco-based chain hosting wedding ceremonies, receptions and honeymoon packages. Through Labor Day, there will be 10 to 20 percent discounts at more than a dozen properties nationwide, including here in Dallas at the Hotel Palomar and Hotel Lumen. Visit Kimpton hotels.com/lgbt for the best available rates.

What are the most romantic hotels in California for queer travelers? According to VibeAgent.com, a new online hotel booking site, the tops in each major city are: Le Meridien (San Francisco), Mondrian (West Hollywood/Los Angeles), Le Merigot (Santa Monica), Sheraton Hotel and Marina (San Diego) and Bacara Resort Spa (Santa Barbara).

The Left Coast of the U.S. isn’t the only place swooning over gay love. Any same-sex couples who get hitched by Aug. 31 can take advantage of their honeymooner status with a trip to Tahiti. Tahiti Legends and the Island of Tahiti offer a two-for-one deal on Air Tahiti Nui: Any gay or lesbian couple presenting a California marriage license will get one free passenger ticket for one paying fare on the airline to the Polynesian paradise revered for its open-mindedness. And Tahiti Tourisme North America has recently launched GayTahiti.com. Visit that site and TahitiLegends.com for information.

Santa Fe’s gay arts and cultural festival, Pride on the Plaza, begins Friday and continues through June 29 in the spiritually replenishing New Mexico town. There will be a newly-commissioned play, four art galleries displaying gay art and even a “dyke dance.”

It’s not too early to start preparing for Southern Decadence. The annual bacchanal on the Mississippi takes place in New Orleans on the lead-up to Labor Day, starting in the last week of August and continuing through Monday, Sept. 1.

The Luxor hotel in Las Vegas has special “Pride packages” available for its gay clientele through Sept. 5. Offering such incentives as spa and dining credits and the best room rates available, the gay-friendly MGM Mirage-owned property also provides information about queer offerings on the Strip. Visit Luxor.com/lgbt for more information.

Whistler, the Canadian winter resort town in western British Columbia that hosts one of North America’s biggest gay ski events every year, is looking for the gayest Canuck they can find. The first nationwide search for Mr. Gay Canada takes place in the idyllic village Sept. 18–21.

Three Dallas travel experts were appointed to the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s board of directors last month. George Carrancho with American Airlines, Veronica Torres with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Cordey Lash with Wyndham Hotels were added to the IGLTA’s leadership rolls.




This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 20, 2008.