Although the City of Palm Springs is small in size (46,000 full time residents) it has been named the #1 gay travel destination in the world over and over again. It all began in the 1980’s when Palm Spring was on a bit of a downslide. A few gay men saw an incredible opportunity to purchase homes needing “tender loving care” as vacation or retirement escapes in our sunshine and warm weather. In 1992 the Palm Springs City Council decided that one way to revive Palm Springs was to aggressively market the City as a gay & lesbian resident and resort destination. It worked!
Today it’s estimated that 40%-50% of our full time residents are either gay or lesbian. Our current and immediate past mayors were both elected as openly gay. Palm Springs boasts over 30 gay & lesbian resorts, 4 gay dance clubs, 15 neighborhood gay bars, and 2 of the largest gay parties in the world (Dinah Shore Weekend & White Party).
Most importantly, however, is that Palm Springs is truly gay-friendly. There aren’t just one or two GLBT neighborhoods in Palm Springs. The entire city is a wonderfully diverse mixture of gay and non-gay. And no wonder. The GLBT community has really built Palm Springs as we know it today!
Where else but in Palm Springs can you spend the morning catching some rays by the pool, the afternoon hiking through the snow, then an incredible dinner at one of our chef-owned restaurants, followed by dancing at a club or taking in a world-class show, and ending the day with a late night soak in a hot tub under our clear star-filled sky.
With so many gay & lesbian resorts, there’s something for almost everyone’s tastes, be it social and active, or very laid back and restful. Most gay & lesbian resorts are clothing optional, but recently several new resorts have opened which specifically are not clothing optional. And if you prefer to stay at a resort which is not gay & lesbian exclusive, know that most Palm Springs boutique resorts and hotels openly welcome gay & lesbian guests, and in many cases, promote their properties to the GLBT community.
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