84 globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2019
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY LGBTQ+ travelers love Palm Springs, just ask
Casey Zilionis, a travel advisor at Cruise C2C, a Virtuoso affiliate travel agency in the
desert city. He sums it up with three words: climate, comfort and style.
Indeed, this desert destination’s climate
has attracted all types of travelers for decades.
“With only 10 to 20 days of annual rainfall,
you’re almost guaranteed a bright and sunny
vacation,” he said.
As for comfort, the destination’s impressive
diversity assures a welcoming environment for
LGBTQ+ globetrotters. “Palm Springs boasts
a 35 percent LGBT year-round population,”
Zilionis said. “Our entire City Council is
LGBT. Walk down the street or into any restau-
rant or bar and you’ll be surrounded by LGBT
folks, whether that establishment is labeled
‘gay’ or not. It’s just easy to be ourselves in
Palm Springs.”
The destination’s friendliness is also evident
on the website of the Greater Palm Springs
Convention and Visitors Bureau, with a
detailed LGBT travel section.
Style — the third component of the city’s
allure, according to Zilionis — is easy to find
here, too. “Palm Springs is definitely where the
mid-century modern revival is at its peak,” he
explained. “You’ll see it everywhere, from the
sleek white homes to the way people dress.”
Accommodation options in Palm Springs can be
equally stylish; Zilionis recommends The Hacienda
at Warm Sands as an ideal “all-gay” hotel for upscale
travelers. One of the top choices for all-gay, men-only
accommodations is the clothing-optional INNdulge,
while travelers of all backgrounds will find lovely
gay-friendly boutique ambience at properties like La
Serena Villas, Avalon Hotel and Bungalows, Arrive
Palm Springs and Kimpton The Rowan Palm Springs.
The nightlife and party scene in Palm Springs can
be as wild or tranquil as a visitor prefers. For upscale
travelers, Zilionis recommends the Purple Room, a
show lounge and supper club with a popular Sunday
drag show, and Blackbook, a gay bar that also serves
food.
“It’s interesting to note that, even though we have
plenty of bars and hotels, many travelers come to Palm
Springs to ‘play house’ — in other words, rent a fabulously chic home and do
all of their entertaining on property,” Zilionis added.
lgbtq+
Diversity in the Desert
Stylish Palm Springs extends a warm welcome to all. BY MARK CHESNUT
CULTURAL
OASIS: Palm
Springs welcome
sign (above), and
INNdulge (left)PHOTOS: © LIZZIEMAHER- DREAMSTIME.COM, ©
INNDULGE