Bolstering its
reputation as a top destination for gay travelers, Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., has been named Favorite Gay Resort
Town in the 2007 Out Traveler Readers'
Choice Awards in the November 2007 issue. In addition,
one of Fort Lauderdale's 30-plus gay
guesthouses also took home individual gold honors: Royal
Palms Resort was chosen as the Favorite Gay
Resort/Guesthouse. This honor for Greater Fort
Lauderdale and the Royal Palms Resort adds to a
distinguished list of awards including the 2006
PlanetOut Members' Choice for Best Gay Resort Town and
2006 PlanetOut Editor's Choice for Best Gay
Accommodation.
"We are
extremely proud that both Fort Lauderdale and the Royal
Palms Resort have been recognized by thousands of
Out Traveler readers as the best,"
said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort
Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Bringing
nearly 1 million gay travelers to Greater Fort Lauderdale
last year was a remarkable achievement, and this award
is another milestone as we continue to roll out the
rainbow carpet for GLBT travelers. We see the 'gold'
given to the Royal Palms Resorts as a reflection of its
owner, Richard Gray, a valued member of Greater Fort
Lauderdale's Tourist Development
Council."
Greater Fort
Lauderdale has more than 150 gay-owned establishments
including hotels, bars, clubs, and restaurants as well as
three gay and lesbian publications and the largest
Metropolitan Community Church congregation in the
United States. W Hotels also received Readers Choice
gold for Favorite Hotel Collection. The sleek and hip luxury
hotel is scheduled to open on the beach in Fort
Lauderdale in June 2008. Last year gay visitors
contributed some $1.2 billion to Greater Fort
Lauderdale's economy. According to conservative
statistics, the American gay and lesbian community
drives an impressive $55 billion travel industry.
The Royal Palms
Resort, a member of the Rainbow Alliance and the Superior
Small Lodgings quality assurance program, offers travelers
luxuriously appointed guest rooms with amenities such
as flat-panel televisions, iPod docking stations,
Frette linens, Judith Jackson spa products, and
wireless Internet access. Guests also enjoy complimentary
breakfasts, newspapers, and poolside cocktail hours at
this "Five Palm" property, the top
rating for any hotel and resort by PlanetOut.com.
"We're honored to be named Favorite Gay
Resort/Guesthouse by the readers of Out
Traveler," said Gray. "As Fort
Lauderdale becomes increasingly chic, sophisticated, and
even more welcoming to GLBT visitors, the Royal Palms
Resort continues to look for new ways to stand out and
distinguish itself."
The Out Traveler is owned by PlanetOut Inc.,
parent company of The Advocate. (The Advocate)