Z Ocean Hotel, a chic, intimate, luxury boutique hotel on Ocean Drive in the heart of South Beach is teaming up with Crunch Fitness to offer Z-Fit: Personal Fitness Weekend -- a unique way to stay fit while on vacation. The Z-Fit Personal Fitness Weekend, led by a Crunch instructor, will take place Sept. 25-27, 2009. Participants will begin each day with Z Ocean’s Spa Breakfast, including fresh fruit, juices, yogurt and more. Following the energizing breakfast on Saturday morning, fitness enthusiasts will engage in an invigorating 90-minute beach workout with a Crunch instructor.
The intense session on Miami Beach will focus on all muscle groups delivering a complete workout. From stretches and lunges to sit ups and sprints, the beach boot camp-ists will feel the burn, made even more effective because of the pliancy of the sand. After the boot camp session, guests will partake in a Q&A with the instructor to address their individual fitness concerns before heading back to the hotel for a revitalizing dip Z Ocean’s glass-bottom pool and some poolside refreshments. The Z-Fit Personal Fitness Weekend at Z Ocean Hotel South Beach is available for $478 for the two night stay, excluding taxes and resort fees. Space is limited. To reserve a spot in the boot camp, guests can call toll free 877-688-4232. All participants will be eligible to enter to win a Crunch Annual Membership and a 3-day, 2-night stay at Z Ocean Hotel South Beach.
Photos courtesy of Luxury Scotland: The Old Course Hotel (1), The Gleneagles Hotel (2), Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa (3, 4) Story by Olga Bas
Though the Scottish gay scene is liveliest in Edinburgh and Glasgow, it does benefit from the U.K.'s progressive attitude: same-sex couples received the right to register civil partnerships in 2005. If you've got romance on the brain, it's hard to find a more majestic setting than staying at a hotel that resembles a medieval castle or regal manor house, but has all the modern amenities. The following scenic Scottish properties are currently upping the romance factor even further with special spa packages:
• The Gleneagles Hotel, located in Auchterarder, in the heart of Scotland, has a new Spa Essence Package offer for those wishing to escape from the bustle of the city. The package includes accommodations in a classic room, full Scottish breakfast, prix fixe dinner, 55-minute spa treatment and full use of the club's leisure facilities. Available through September 30, the package price starts at $730 per night, valid Sunday-Thursday. The Spa by ESPA is modern marvel with crystal steam rooms, tropical showers, cooling ice rubs, and a two Michelin-starred restaurant, Andrew Fairlie -- serving French cuisine with a Scottish twist.
• The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa situated on 11 acres of wooded grounds in Aberdeen, has two specials for its visitors, which can be combined. The Sunday Suite offer comes with a full a la carte menu, including Russian King Crab, Bed and Breakfast in one of our Junior Suites with a bottle of Pommery Champagne in your suite upon arrival for $478 (based on double occupancy), inclusive of VAT and service charges. The hotel's Spa Offer gives guests 20 percent off all spa treatments every Monday and Tuesday. The spa boasts multiple treatment rooms and extensive services ranging from mani/pedis to the Baleno Therapy Room -- a hydrotherapy bath unique to Scotland that relieves muscular tension and arthritis. The hotel is minutes from Aberdeen's city center, and there are at least 50 castles and 30 malt whiskey distilleries in the vicinity.
• The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa of Northern Scotland overlooks the beautiful Scottish coastline at West Sands beach. This prestigious five-star hotel has 144 rooms including 35 suites. The hotel's Kohler Spa, with relaxation treatments based on the healing properties of the earth’s mineral-rich waters, is currently offering the 24-hour Spa Escape. The package includes a one-night stay, full Scottish breakfast, 25-minute Kohler Massage, 25-minute Burst of Radiance Facial, a two-course spa lunch and unlimited use of the Kohler Waters Spa facilities; cost is $441 per night. The offer is good until March 2010.
• The six-story Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, is in a prime location for sightseeing and hitting the bars. It also features the ONE SPA health and fitness complex, which is one of only five spas in Scotland to offer the new Super Active treatment from ESPA. The 80-minute treatment works on calming and soothing while repairing and restoring skin – including aging, dehydration and environmental stress is tailored specifically to each client and costs $177. When you book two consecutive nights through July 31, you'll get the third night free; the daily rate is $280 based on double occupancy. The hotel also features an outdoor rooftop hydropool, Finnish sauna, thermal suites, and a state-of-the-art gym.
As any experienced skier can
testify, an alpine ski excursion is never a simple affair. Between
travel expenses and accommodation, equipment and passes, it’s easy
to spend thousands of dollars in a long weekend. When you are
dropping that kind of cash, you want to be sure that you are going to
have fun on and off the slopes.
Despite the town’s small
size -- approximately 3000 year-round residents -- even most non-skiers
have heard of Breckenridge, Colorado. Located in the Rocky Mountains and featuring 4 peaks, 30 chair-lifts, 155 trails and nearly 2400 acres
of skiable terrain, the resort is not only one of the largest in the
US but it’s also among its most popular.
The resort may not have a gay ski week like some other North American resorts,
but its prominence is significant enough that on a recent outing we came
across a number of "team members" scattered across the peaks. So the skiing here definitely checks out, but what about Breckenridge’s après-ski gay nightlife?
The unfortunate reality is that most ski destinations don’t have gay-specific
venues, so it was surprising to discover that Breckenridge features
a weekly gay party, Ho’s & Mo’s at a moderate-sized martini bar called Cecilia’s
(320 South Main Street).
Conveniently located at the base of Peak
9, where the majority of skiers complete their day when the mountain
closes around 4pm, Ho’s & Mo’sis a happy hour event officially
lasting from 3 to 8 pm, but frequently going much later and using the bar's small dancefloor. It’s
not uncommon to find gay and lesbian skiers and snowboarders, fresh
from the slopes and fully decked out in all their gear, swarming the
bar ordering cocktails and munching on the free pizza that arrives at
5.
On a recent trip we returned
to our hotel at 5pm in order to shower, nap and change for dinner, but
we returned at 7 for a few more pre-meal cocktails and found the crowd
to be just as enthusiastic as when we left. As expected at a small
town gay bar, the crowd was extraordinarily diverse in age, gender,
sexuality and race, and the local vs. tourist split was about 50/50. Despite all these differences everyone was enthusiastic and friendly
and by the end of the evening we had made 20 new friends, including
a local 60-something bail bondsman, his partner, and 3 handsome (and
much younger) Latino men visiting from South America.
As a side note (and future
reminder to ourselves), you need to be careful when drinking in a Colorado
mountain town. The air is extremely dry and after a day of skiing
you will be extremely dehydrated no matter how much water you drink. Additionally, in a town like Breckenridge -- 9600 feet about sea
level -- altitude sickness is a common thing. Combine all these factors with 5-martinis and the morning after is rarely a pretty sight.
While there are plenty of gay
ski week options occurring throughout the ski year (Whistler, Aspen, Mammoth, to name a few) it’s nice to know that we can go to a mountain
resort town any time of the year and find ourselves a gay-old time.
Daryl Sela is part of Out Traveler.com's international team of Correspondents, reporting from around the world on items of LGBT travel interest. If you would like to become a Correspondent, e-mail us here after checking out our guidelines.
Story by Aefa Mulholland. Photo (1) by D. De Napoli, (2) by Aefa Mulholland.
There’s an extra color being added
to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Whistler in 2010. As well as the
famous official blue,
black, red, yellow, and green rings, next year’s games will also have pink
hues.
GayWhistler are the producers of
the annual, thrilling WinterPRIDE festival, which dusts Canada’s hottest
mountains with boisterous hordes of LGBT snow sports and social life
enthusiasts every February. In an impressive first, during 2010’s Olympics,
they will host the first ever Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PRIDE house
at Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre.
Planned to be a haven where Olympic
and Paralympic athletes, coaches, family, fans, and allies can be their
authentic selves regardless of sexual identity or preference, PRIDE House
will be a hip lounge where guests can chill and watch the games, trade pins, or
just hang out with other open minded individuals.
“Together, we will create a safe
space for our gay and lesbian community and their allies to go to during the
Olympics," said Dean Nelson, CEO of GayWhistler.
PRIDE House will be open February
8th through March 24th, over the duration of the Olympics (Feb. 12-28),
WinterPRIDE (Mar. 1-8), and the Paralympics (Mar. 12-21).
Images in order: (1,3-4) Courtesy Variety Cruises, (2,5-7) courtesy AEOLIS Apartments Story by Joseph Alexiou
Ah Greece, the granddaddy of Western civilization (known in Greek as Ελλάδα or Ἑλλάς—Hellás or Elláda, the origin of "Hellenic"), and a gorgeously mountainous country with tranquil Mediterranean beaches stretched over the mainland and some 6,000 islands. The people are friendly, hospitable, and strikingly beautiful, and the food is fresh and wonderful.
Its classical history also celebrates the beauty same-sex love, between all sexes—we here at Out Traveler are happy to report that the islands allow two great opportunities to explore the past and present of that legacy.
Variety Cruises recently released three new dates for Gay and Lesbian-themed cruises on their mega-sailing yacht, the Panorama. Renovated in 2008, this 49 passenger sail cruiser will offer a seven-day cruise for gay men starting on August 21 from Athens, and returning the 28th. In July of 2010 Variety will launch their Lesbian themed cruise (July 9-16, 2010), and the second Gay cruise will be from August 20-27 in 2010.
While sailing, passengers can enjoy a sun deck, two bars and lounges, fresh seafood, as well as a library and live music. Stops include secluded beaches, ancient ruins, and nightlife/overnight stays—the pristine islands to be visited are hidden beaches at Poliegos and Kimolos, the divine and colorful Santorini, ruins and nightlife in Mykonos, and more beaches at Kea. Further stops include Cape Sounion and the Marina Zea. The full tour schedule will be featured on the website by the beginning of April.
Greece was also home to historical icon of lesbian love, Sappho, and Lesbos, her island that gave a name to our lady-loving ladies. This association still brings women from all over the world to this island paradise (anyone who loves beaches should need little convincing), and last year saw the opening of gay-friendly AEOLIS Luxury Apartments & Studios. Located in Evriaki, a resort town on the eastern-coast Gulf of Gera, these vacation-rental space can accommodate from 4-6 people comfortably and even have specially equipped spaces for those with disabilities. The manager, a cheerful Greek woman named Daisy, worked for years as front desk manager at several gay friendly and gay-owned hotels in Santorini and Mykonos and is knows how to accommodate and welcome gay travelers. As Lesbos is fairly small, those interested in the history of lady-love
can take a very picturesque drive the other side of the island—about an
hour—to visit Eresos. One of the biggest destinations for gay tourists
in Lesbos, Eresos is the town where Sappho lived and wrote.
All of the apartments have a sea view (they're minutes from the beach), and nearby are numerous hiking paths where the island's extensive flora and fauna are easily observed. Those feeling more sedentary can visit the nearby hot springs of Gera, a traditional Turkish hammam (with massages available!) built over natural hot mineral springs—they've been enjoyed as a therapeutic and healthy for centuries.
The warm season is upon us, and there's no better time to start thinking about summer vacations, especially in a gay Grecian paradise. It's been a tough year and you deserve it—there's no such thing as "problems" when you have plate of spanakopita, a bottle of ouzo and you're overlooking over the sea from a yacht. Kαλὸ ταξείδι!
(Kaló taxídi)—Bon Voyage!
Images Courtesy David Barton Gym+Spa + Story by Joseph Alexiou
David Barton is the gym-empire genius who pioneered the brilliant
slogan "look better naked," appealing to whole segments of the gay
community (despite his being straight, and married, with a kid). Now
he's moved down south, and brought a spa with him.
This past
November, Barton opened a new location at South Beach's beautiful new Gansevoort Hotel. But unlike all other previous locations, the 45,000 sq. ft. DavidBartonGym+Spa, is both a workout center (the first 10,000 square feet) and a beautifully designed luxury spa stocked with products from Sonya
Dakar, Ling Skincare, and Jessica Nails. Designed by
Studio Sofield, metal lattice covers the domed ceiling, there are
Chinese wedding beds, sculptures, and hand-stenciled wall decorations.
Apparently created in the
name of vanity, "this spa is for people who need to recover from the
night before and get them looking as good as they can for the night
ahead." according to Barton. I believe this deep insight into our psyche
gets him honorary gay membership.
The tongue-in-cheek treatment
names also have great appeal: "the Cougar," is an anti-aging facial treatment (ultrasonic exfoliation, lymph drainage, extractions, light therapy, a customized ginseng mask and a penetrating Freeze Serum, all for $275);
"Hot Pants," exfoliates, tightens, and tones your "booty and thighs," ($190); while
the "Barton Detox," is a heavy duty massage with elements of shiatsu
and Swedish techniques, applied with a "spicy detox oil" ($275).
For those
queer travelers heading to South Beach in search of decadence and the
good life, the Gansvoort is probably your best bet, and a day in this
shrine to "outer beauty" will have you ready for that night time heat.
Story by Bartosz Jaworski Photos courtesy of the Mirror Lake Inn.
With the warmth of spring already
seeping into our limbs, it may be in order to escape the city for
nearby lush countryside, and the Adirondack mountains are a stupendous
and beneficial place to breathe some clean air (and escape the
never-ending sound of cell phones). Best of all, the Adirondack
Festival of Food and Wine is coming up on March 26-29 in the luxurious Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa.
Rated as a "AAA Four Diamond"
retreat, the Mirror Lake Inn promises a romantic weekend
with the gorgeous Adirondack countryside as its backdrop. In addition
to the beautiful scenery, guests will be blown away by the inn's Four
Star restaurant, The View (a culinary destination in its own right, the
View has received the Wine Spectator Dining Guide Award of Excellence nine consecutive times).
The festivities are centered around food and wine events: tastings, culinary demonstrations, and even a cooking
competition presided by The View Executive Chef Greg Michaud (its
as if this was invented expressly for those many gays and lesbians who
love organic ingredients and have a competitive streak). We're
particularly excited by the promised maple syrup demonstration from a
local producers, and slightly less so about a visit from the makers of
P3, Lake Placid's new vodka .
The
festival costs $1395 per couple and $699 per person, which includes
accommodations, gourmet breakfast, and entry to all of the food and
wine events. Although it is rather pricey, remember that it's pennies compared to a weekend of gourmet food in New York City, not to mention with fresher ingredients, and the the peaceful quiet and majestic beauty of the Adirondack state park.
Photos Courtesy Gay Ski Weekend Story by Joseph Alexiou
Although it's been sold out for a month, it would be a shame not to report on the biggest gay ski event in Asia, a sexy charity weekend on the slopes in Hakuba, Japan.
It sounds like such a blast; Hakuba, a small town in the Nagano prefecture (a region of Honshu, Japan's biggest island) is famous for the most wonderful combination ever: great skiing, and natural hot springs. The springs, also known as onsens, are all over the Hakuba area and so those that don't feel like skiing will most likely soak in one all day. I could stop right here. But no!
The entire Hakuba Highland Hotel was rented out for this weekend, so the whole weekend sounds fabulous. February 14th is the big party night, including the very Japanese "all you can drink" bar, dancing, shows, gogos, and even an underwear party; the only
way to enjoy hot springs in the cold at a gay ski weekend. There are even some videos of last year's party on Youtube, check them out here. This mountain hotel is situated up in the snowy slopes and has a natural, open-air hot spring pool built right on location. So, to recap: a fully rented hotel full of gay ski boys, open bar, and underwear party. Need I say more?
As if the news couldn't get any better, this event is not purely debaucherous, the proceeds will go towards the ILGA, the only international gay rights organization, and Gay Japan News. So, if you're in the Hakuba area, or anywhere in Nagano (or anywhere near or in Japan), hop on over now as I would bet quite a few yen that there's some space for you at Asia's sexiest ski party.
The largest women's flag football tournament in the U.S. kicks off Feb. 1 in fabulous Key West, Fla. The 18th annual Kelly McGillis Classic is part of the second annual International Women’s & Girls' Flag Football Championship, featuring more than 30 international women's and girls' teams competing in eight-on-eight contact flag football.
The basic rules of the game are similar to those of American-style football, but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end a down. This technique was implemented to minimize injuries, but, over the years, contact leagues, like the Kelly McGillis Classic, have emerged. The event takes its name from American actress and lesbian icon Kelly McGillis (The Accused, Top Gun), who is not only a sponsor, but is also playing on this year's "Loose Women" team.
The games are held over a four-day period with parties and social events taking place three days before the actual games begin. This year's events include a Super Bowl party at Iguana Café, a women's arm wrestling–competition, and the "Anything But Clothes" party. The day before the games begin, Key West's main downtown drag, Duval Street, closes to traffic and the teams participate in the IWFFA parade.
Spanning the globe with more than 80 locations, the Four Seasons Hotels
and Resorts are synonymous with style and luxury. And in a bid to make
travel more accessible in the coming months, the aptly named "With Our
Compliments" package is available now until April 1, 2009.
If you've got a craving for a distant land, Tokyo with its busy, flashy streets, attention-arresting Harajuku
fashion, and nearby ancient temples would fit the bill. Or if you prefer to stay closer to home, the urban New York location entices with a Day Spa Escape. When you use any American Express Card to reserve a 50-minute custom massage or custom facial, you'll receive an upgrade to an 80-minute treatment of the same type at no extra cost.
Money-saving tip: When headed for a sunny or tropical location, bring your own sun block and bug repellent. Often, you won't be able to find exactly what you're looking for, or, if you do, it won't come cheap.
Out Traveler G.P.S offers dispatches from the ever-expanding field of gay and lesbian travel -- as soon as we know, you know. Check back frequently for updates, insider information, advice, and offers brought to you by our ever-roving band of gay travel experts and by readers just like you.
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