Travel Tech Roundup: “Wild” App, Euro B&Bs & Global Entry

Courtesy Sunny.org/rainbow

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

With over 100,000 apps for the iPhone alone and a blizzard of travel Web sites and booking engines to choose from, sometimes you need a guiding hand to show you the one or two nuggets that may actually make your life easier.

Our occasional Travel Tech Roundup attempts to do just that. Today’s post focuses on three new bits of technology that may enhance your travel life.

There’s an app for that

  • Gay-friendly Ft. Lauderdale promises LGBT visitors can take it from mild to wild on their next vacation in this welcoming South Florida gay mecca. Their free, easy-to-navigate mobile app allows you to select the type of activities you want to experience “ranging in levels from mild, medium to wild — day or night!” There are also Foursquare deals from particiupating businesses.

Better than couch surfing

  • There’s a lot of buzz about EBAB, the global (though primarily European) network of LGBT bed and breakfasts. The site won’t win awards for design but it is a proven, safe, and effective clearinghouse for gay and lesbian owned B&Bs and visitors who love them. All things equal, wouldn’t you rather fork over your hard-earned pink dollars to a great LGBT-owned guesthouse? Plus you get to meet gay and lesbian locals (the owners) who know the scene.

Skip past the line, smiling

  • The other day upon arriving from Canada I watched travelers whiz by me, step up to a little electronic kiosk then waltz to customs as my glacially slow line snaked slowly through immigration. What is this magical device, I asked myself? It’s the federal government’s new Global Entry systerm, which “is a program developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows pre-approved international travelers entering the U.S. to expedite the clearance process.”
  • It’s only available at a handful of U.S. airports including New York Kennedy, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Los Angeles, and Boston. If you remember another such system that went belly up. Fear not: This is a U.S.-supported feature so it won’t go bankrupt anytime soon. Who said the government never works? Info: www.aa.com/globalentry

Tip: Best Day and Time to Buy Airline Tickets

Soaring over clouds at sunset flikr/FS2004

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

If you’ve gone online to purchase airline tickets, you’ve probably noticed the surprisingly large discrepancies in price depending on the day of the week or time of day that you search. This can be confusing and frustrating. Makes you yearn for the good old days of travel agents! Turns out there is an optimal day and time to book those tickets.

According to their analysis of huge volumes of online booking data, Fare Compare found that the best time to buy airline tickets is Tuesday at 3PM ET.

Fare Compare also found the three cheapest days to fly are Wednesday, Tuesday, or Saturday. The cheapest flight is usually the very first, though that may mean having to get up in the wee hours of the morning. Another advantage to taking the first flight: If there’s a delay or cancelation, there are more chances to get another flight. That’s not true if you chose the last flight of the day. So set that alarm for 3AM, grab a coffee, hit the airport, and save some money.

Fare Compare offers more tips for getting the best prices for those ticket.

Check back here for our next tip: Once you’ve booked, how to choose the best seat (on most major airlines).

Lagerfeld Claims Fashion Territory in Dubai

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

Story by Phillip B. Crook Klagerfeld_isla_moda_v_13oct10_rex_b_320x480

Karl Lagerfeld might be taking his moniker as The Kaiser a touch too literally. British Vogue reported this week that the designer’s set to conquer his own “fashion island” by 2014. No, not Fashion Island, the Newport Beach luxury mega-mall. Rather, Lagerfeld is designing a man-made island 12 miles off the coast of Dubai with Miami-based architecture firm Oppenheim and the KOR hotel group.

Isla Moda, a sprawling complex of glass, light and water, will include three luxury hotels, 150 residential villas (good luck getting into one of those) and high-end boutiques. If nothing else, this new venture secures a shoe-in market for Chanel’s resort collections, given that the island doesn’t sink back into the water. Can you say fashion disaster?

But chief among our bevy of question for Lagerfeld is, where exactly will the island go? Closer to Dubai’s sprouting palm or its archipelago of the world?

Claim your own slice of the Emirate, with our Guide to Gay Dubai.

Saba, the “Unspoiled Queen,” Welcomes LGBT Travelers

Queen's Gardens Resort in tiny, idyllic Caribbean island of Saba.

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

Not only is its nickname gay, Saba, the Unspoiled Queen, has a capital sure to tantalize some gay travelers. It’s called “The Bottom”!

This quiet Dutch-influenced Caribbean island welcomes gay travelers with a genuinely warm welcome. Long known as an excellent scuba and snorkeling spot, Saba is a volcanic rock so it lacks standard sand beaches. The good news is that it also means it lacks the boozy beach set. It’s a great spot for a romantic getaway. There are rain forest hiking trails and misty tropical forests. You’ll find a small town with shops and restaurants, but this is a destination where the choice of resort is paramount since that’s probably where you may spend most of your time.

Locals are friendly to all visitors LGBT or S. There are several prominent members of government happily living as openly gay, same-sex weddings are a cause of celebration, and the only four-star hotel is actively courting LGBT travelers.

Queen’s Gardens Resort (again, is the island naming committee completely gay or what?) is perched 700 feet about the sea, affording amazing views of this untouched island. It looks sprawling, but there are only a dozen suites — 10 of which have Jacuzzis — with each spanning an entire floor of the resort. The young Dutch owners, Hidde and Claire, a straight couple, truly make each guest feel at home (if your home is a luxurious island resort), and go the extra mile for everyone who stays there. The resort is also known for its superb cuisine.

Saba fast facts:

  • Its population is about 1,600 inhabitants;
  • Located in the unspoiled relaxing island that’s actually a state of the Netherlands;
  • It’s only 28 miles east of (and a 12-minute  flight away from St. Maarten/St. Martin); and,
  • It is reachable via direct flights from Amsterdam, Paris, New York, Boston, Miami, Dallas and Toronto.

Halloween: A Gay High Holiday

Revelers at last year's Halloween celebration in West Hollywood; flikr/domasan1

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

There’s nothing like a pagan holiday to get the LGBT community all excited!

Halloween — with roots in a Celtic harvest festival — has distinct appeal for queer people. It’s primarily an adult holiday in urban settings. We can express our inner crazy, and society sanctions it. There is no seeing family or buying gifts involved. And if you’re lucky to live in a big city, there’s probably also an incredibly fun parade and party. There are often parties during the weekends before or after Halloween, but purists mark the day on October 31.

This year, consider traveling to one of our favorite Halloween destinations. Here are three we love along with a few highlights.

  • New York‘s 38th annual Village Halloween Parade kicks off at 7PM. You must be in costume to march. Looky-loos: Grab a viewing spot early as the small streets of the Village get packed quickly.
  • New Orleans, which is already scary fun, amps it up for Halloween. The historic French Quarter is where the action is all weekend, but especially on the big night (October 31). The Bourbon Pub & Parade offers pretty much non-stop parties from Thursday, October 28 through Sunday, Halloween.
  • West Hollywood‘s 23rd annual Halloween Costume Carnaval is expected to attract nearly a half million revelers to Santa Monica Blvd., attracted to the parade, crowds, costumes, and entertainment. Some have complained that there are more spectators than participants, but it’s difficult to top the sheer creativity of those in costume. This is after all the epicenter of the entertainment industry.

Las Vegas is not known for the scale of its Halloween celebrations like these other destinations, but we heard of the following offer and wanted to pass it along. The super gay-friendly Mandalay Bay is offering a “Till Death Do Us Part” special promotion, which includes a commitment ceremony in a themed haunted chapel!

Check out our Out guides to these destinations

 

Kimpton Crushes on LGBT Travelers

Three men who have a crush on Kimpton Hotels possibly because of their happy hour courtesy of the hotel

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

Write or videotape your way to a free hotel stay (and more).

Kimpton Hotels, the cool “collection” (their word!) of 50 boutique lodging options found in many Boston.NineZero gay-popular cities throughout the U.S., recently launched a “Have a Crush on Kimpton” campaign in partnership with JetBlue targeting LGBT travelers. Kimpton invites you to write — in 100 words or less — or videotape why you have a crush on Kimpton. (Right: Kimpton’s fabulous Nine Zero property in Boston.)

If you don’t know Kimpton, here’s a cheat sheet:

  • They are really cool and located in destinations we love like San Francisco (where the hotel first started), Boston, New York, Miami, and more;
  • Some properties offer free wine and cheese social hour; others free cosmo hours;
  • The hotel is super gay friendly but also incredibly pet friendly;
  • Kimpton supports many of the causes and charities we do, like AIDS/HIV relief, breast cancer awareness and much more; and perhaps best of all
  • Kimpton’s InTouch Guest Rewards and Loyalty Program rewards LGBT travelers for being, well, LGB or T! Discounts for being gay: Sign me up!

Crush on Kimpton by clicking here.

Winehour
These gay ladies preferred the wine.

 

The Chamberlain Hotel West Hollywood

One of the Chamberlain's rooms, which are very large. This view is from the bedroom towards the sunken living room area, which can be used for business meetings or just to relax and watch TV, and towards the curtained-off balcony.

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

During a recent trip to West Hollywood — WeHo to friends — I made a few discoveries.

First, the city is only 1.9 square miles. Also, it’s probably the gayest city on the planet, considering it was founded over 25 years ago by a group of gay men who essentially wanted to carve out a fabulous part of unincorpated Los Angeles turf and create valuable property. Which they certainly did.

I also discovered the Chamberlain West Hollywood, a luxury boutique hotel property in the heart of the city. It used to be known as Summerfield Suites, but along with the name change came a costly and meticulous renovation. It’s popular with gay travelers and, like many of the 14 hotels in WeHo, it has a large clientele from the entertainment industry.

Here are a few things that I love about this hotel property

  • It’s located in a quiet, leafy residential area in the middle of WeHo.
  • The rooms are huge, and not just because I’m from New York! They consist of a living area separate from the bedroom area and a balcony. There’s a fireplace in the room for those cool LA evenings. Note: Bizarrely, the on-off switch is located in the thermostat.
  • There’s a beautiful pool on the roof that can be a a fun scene. This past weekend the pool attracted a pod of gorgeous young lesbians who enjoyed cocktails and food and the occasional dip in the pool.
  • It’s steps from the gayest Starbucks on Earth (at Santa Monica Blvd and Westmount Drive), which itself just benefited from a huge makeover, making it also the prettiest Starbucks on Earth and a Trader Joe’s where you can stock up on water and thousands of other necessities.
  • There’s an iPod and iPhone docking station so you don’t get that annoying message about incompatible devices, and it charges your iPhone. Note though that AT&T has notoriously poor coverage in LA.

Is it gay friendly you ask? The Chamberlain puts its money where its mouth is, donating to various causes, including the Santa Cruz Diversity Center, Young Musicians Foundation, Life Rolls on Foundation, and Providence St. Joseph’s Foundation to name a few. The hotel is also planning on supporting Pride next year, but details are still to be determined.

Gaga Spices Up Airline Safety Routine

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

Story by Phillip B. Crook

Gaga-mania knows no bounds — even airlines aren’t immune. Or maybe Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ largest airline, is just obsessed with Britney Spears’ video for “Toxic.” Either inspiration might explain why the airline choreographed its in-flight safety demonstration to pop hits by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. A video of the dance exploded on YouTube after showing up just a week ago, with nearly eight million views to date. Check out the shaky footage captured by a passenger via the YouTube link below.

Gaga-mania knows no bounds — even airlines aren’t immune. Or maybe Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ largest airline, is just obsessed with Britney Spears’ video for “Toxic.” Either inspiration might explain why the airline choreographed its in-flight safety demonstration to pop hits by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. A video of the dance exploded on YouTube after showing up just a week ago, with nearly eight million views to date. Check out the shaky footage captured by a passenger after the jump.

CNN spoke with Cebu Pacific’s Vice President for Marketing, Candice Lyog, who said that the choreography was part of a test flight and has not yet been implemented. But with the dance gaining support thanks to the viral video, it might not be too long until all of Cebu Pacific’s flight attendants will be hip-thrusting and shoulder-popping up the aisles. To us, that sounds like an improvement on the boring ol’ safety demo no one pays attention to anyway.

But what about you? Do you want a little Gaga blasting from the speakers next time you fly? Or maybe you’d prefer Air New Zealand’s approach to spicing up air travel: naked flight attendants!

http://www.youtube.com/v/Lqh8e2KYIrU?fs=1&hl=en_US

Black & Blue and “Raide” All Over

Courtesy of Bad Boy Club of Montreal (BBCM), organizers of Black & Blue

Originally published in GPS.OutTraveler.com

Black & Blue celebrates its 20th anniversary this October starting today and going through October 12, 2010. Raide means stiff or hard in French. You can translate the double-entendre in the title of this posting however you wish. But you may very well be stiff as a board after a night of dancing.

What started two decades ago (1991) as a simple fund-raising dance party for HIV/AIDS-related causes has morphed into a week-long event with all sorts of activities, but the signature event takes place on Sunday (10/10/10) Black & Blue 20, one of the greatest dance parties on earth. It’s just packed with gorgeous people (gay, straight, male, female, younger, and older) from the world over. The entertainment will blow your socks off. (Montreal is known for it’s extraordinary drag performers, dancers, and detail to mind-blowing entertainment of all kinds.)

The cheaper tickets are sold out. Currently tickets are $95 Canadian. It is definitely worth the mere $35 Canadian upgrade to VIP, with its expedited entrance, bathroom access, and views of the party from the reserved area. As of press time the Canadian and U.S. dollars are close to parity.

Super friendly, ridiculously gay-friendly, Montreal’s official tourism bureau, Tourism Montreal, features a gay-specific blog with up-to-the-minute recommendations for what to do due north written by the delightful Daniel Baylis.

Our guide

  • If you decide to visit Montreal, don’t leave home without looking at our fabulous (and up-to-the-minute) Out Guide to Montreal.

New Hotel Deal in Venerable Gay Getaway

How totally approrpriate that Amsterdam Pride takes place on their canals

Story by Ivan Quintanilla and Ed Salvato; photo from 2008 Amsterdam Pride’s Canal Parade flikr/Ramon Stoppelenburg

Amsterdam always has something new to celebrate. Now the Netherlands’ most popular gay destination is boasting a new designation. As of August 1, 2010, the Amsterdam canal belt has officially been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Built during the 17th century Dutch Golden Age, the three concentric canals in the city’s center are considered a masterpiece of urban planning.

To celebrate this honor, alongside the hotel’s own 35th birthday, the Amsterdam Marriott is offering the “Dutch Experience” package.  For €350 (approximately $470 at press time), two guests can enjoy:

  • Deluxe accommodations for two nights
  • Daily breakfast for two
  • Two signature cocktails at the hotel’s “Sorel’s Midtown Bar and Lounge”
  • Two tickets to either the Van Gogh Museum or Rijksmuseum
  • Use of bicycles during your stay to explore Amsterdam, local style

Who doesn’t love a good Dutch package? Enter promotional code EB5 when booking on the hotel’s website and enjoy a little celebration of this big gay destination.

Need an excuse to use this package? Get Ruff, Amsterdam’s LeatherPride is marking its 15th anniversary this year. You better get cracking though since it’s scheduled for October 28 to October 31, 2010.

To further explore why Amsterdam is perhaps a “city designed for the perfect gay vacation,” visit Out Traveler’s exclusive Amsterdam coverage.