Any basic betch can hop online and make a reservation for a hotel. But our savviest queer travelers know that diamonds in the rough are scattered across the globe, promising unique experiences for those keen enough to discover them. For these extra expeditionists, we’ve snatched together some of our favorite outre hotels and accommodations, from the jungles of Costa Rica to the hallowed halls of the Xavier Institute. Why be a basic traveler when you can be unique?
Art Imitates Hotel
From the MoMA to the Prado, queer tourists travel the world to visit a multitude of art museums. But the 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville, Arkansas, allows you to live in one. Hyper-focused on local artists, the property houses myriad dynamic pieces, most notably Making Change, Monica Mahoney’s sculptural exploration of global commerce, reflected in a Fleetwood Cadillac limousine festooned with $952 worth of dimes, nickels, and pennies. The significance of that number references Walmart, the big box franchise founded in Bentonville in 1962 (the same year the Fleetwood limo was introduced), and how the company influences national pricing. According to the artist, Walmart saves households $952 every year. Spacious guest rooms and suites provide peaceful respites from the flurry of activity that fills its galleries and makes it feel like a million bucks (although hopefully not in coins.)
Pack your bags, we’re going on an adventure
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The Haunted Haunt
For queer travelers who enjoy indulging in Halloween all year round, a unique destination is the Historic Peninsula Inn, located in Gulfport, Florida. Before converting into a charming Bed & Breakfast, this 120-year-old building has, at different times, served as both a veteran’s hospital and a nursing home. Over the decades, it has amassed some benign spectral residents, which guests claim manifest in unexplainable knocking and the sound of someone sprinting down the hallways. But its most endearing apparition is a poltergeist pooch known to bump visitors’ beds affectionately. It puts the “wow” in “bow wow.”
Homo Superior
Queer cosplayers can now assemble in New Castle, New York, to matriculate for a short semester at the X-Mansion. This geek-chic AirBnB offers classes in the Danger Room, Gambit’s signature beignets, and a debriefing of your unique mutant powers, and upon completion of your training, your well-deserved diploma. Excelsior! (IYKYK)
George of the Jungle
Indulge in your inner Tarzan at Jungle Gayborhood, a unique LGBTQ+ wellness center nestled in a breathtaking Costa Rican rainforest. Guests reside in luxurious treetop cabanas and participate in several health-positive activities set against an idyllic natural backdrop. Offerings range from yoga and sacred plant journeys to kink-positive workshops and January’s Jungle Fag! party weekend. For the Jungle Gayborhood, their motto of “Vita Pura,” or pure life, isn’t simply a slogan. It’s a principle.
Orange is the New Svart
If the jungle is too warm a climate for you, head in the opposite direction up to Sweden and live out a unique take on the classic prison fantasy at the STF Långholmen Hostel in Stockholm. A unique refurbished 19th-century penitentiary building, its once stark cells have been replaced with cozy quarters with an array of modern amenities. And Långholmsbadet beach is a leisurely stroll from the premises, so you don’t have to feel like a prisoner in your hotel.
Taipei for Days
According to the “LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index,” an exhaustive ranking of each nation’s acceptance of queer tourists, Taiwan is by far the most LGBTQ+ friendly country in East Asia. For those looking for accommodations in its capital city of Taipei, your most unique option is the Cho Hotel. It boasts many hipster flourishes, such as graffiti murals, arcade games, and Chinese arthouse films projected on its walls. Located in the Wanhua District, its stumbling distance from the city’s gayborhood makes it ideal for hosting after-hours with locals and fellow queer travelers alike. What happens in Taipei stays in Taipei.
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