Playing it straight: NY hotel caters to gay tourists
Source: Agencies |
March 17, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
The OUT NYC hotel boasts two hot tubs, a secret garden, its own nightclub and the title of Manhattan's first boutique hotel built specifically to cater to millions of gay tourists to New York City.
The hotel, not far from Times Square and Broadway theaters, also hopes to cater to the friends and families of its gay clientele. And so, turning an old concept on its head, the owners of the hotel like to describe it as "straight-friendly."
"This project has been in the planning for five years, and after 18 months of construction, we are proud to announce the opening of the city's, and maybe even the world's, first gay-focused, straight-friendly, urban resort," said co-owner Ian Reisner.
Designed by architect Paul Dominguez, The OUT NYC opened for business earlier this month with a 1,524-meter wellness center, three courtyards, a sunbathing deck, a gym and a restaurant due to open later. It also features a nightclub called XL and multi-use spaces for events and weddings.
The inspiration for the hotel came long before New York's same-sex marriage law came into effect in July 2011 and was built specifically with the gay travel market in mind.
New York is one of the biggest destinations in the world for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual tourists, according to the city's tourism organization, NYC & Company.
What distinguishes The OUT NYC is its Hell's Kitchen location on 42nd Street - an area which was gentrified largely by the city's gay population in the 1980s and 1990s.
"We have more gay bars here now than we actually have in Chelsea, which was the mainstay of the gay community," said Reisner, referring to another area of the city.
The OUT NYC has 97 standard rooms starting at US$200 per night, and offers eight budget stay shares, or luxury hostel accommodations, for US$99 per person. Tom Whalen and Russell Kemp, who won a same-sex marriage TV contest, were married last week at the hotel's XL nightclub by "Happily Divorced" actress Fran Drescher.
The hotel, not far from Times Square and Broadway theaters, also hopes to cater to the friends and families of its gay clientele. And so, turning an old concept on its head, the owners of the hotel like to describe it as "straight-friendly."
"This project has been in the planning for five years, and after 18 months of construction, we are proud to announce the opening of the city's, and maybe even the world's, first gay-focused, straight-friendly, urban resort," said co-owner Ian Reisner.
Designed by architect Paul Dominguez, The OUT NYC opened for business earlier this month with a 1,524-meter wellness center, three courtyards, a sunbathing deck, a gym and a restaurant due to open later. It also features a nightclub called XL and multi-use spaces for events and weddings.
The inspiration for the hotel came long before New York's same-sex marriage law came into effect in July 2011 and was built specifically with the gay travel market in mind.
New York is one of the biggest destinations in the world for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual tourists, according to the city's tourism organization, NYC & Company.
What distinguishes The OUT NYC is its Hell's Kitchen location on 42nd Street - an area which was gentrified largely by the city's gay population in the 1980s and 1990s.
"We have more gay bars here now than we actually have in Chelsea, which was the mainstay of the gay community," said Reisner, referring to another area of the city.
The OUT NYC has 97 standard rooms starting at US$200 per night, and offers eight budget stay shares, or luxury hostel accommodations, for US$99 per person. Tom Whalen and Russell Kemp, who won a same-sex marriage TV contest, were married last week at the hotel's XL nightclub by "Happily Divorced" actress Fran Drescher.
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