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Gay Travel 101: What are the top gay-friendly US hotel chains
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Paris Las Vegas, a Harrah's Entertainment resort.
Updated October 10, 2009
The following US-based hotel chains have demonstrated outstanding commitments to being welcoming destinations for gay travelers as well as to their LGBT employees:
- Carlson - With headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Carlson Hotels Worldwide operates Regent Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Park Inn hotels, with more than 1,000 locations in 74 countries. In a 2008 press statement regarding the company's expanded diversity initiatives, Maria Seiler, vice president of diversity for Carlson Hotels Worldwide, stated "We know that the way we operate impacts our guests, franchisees, current and future employees, and even our suppliers. We want to create good will in the community, as well as with our partners and customers, by having our company reflect the communities where we do business."
- Choice Hotels - Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 5,900 hotels, representing more than 479,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories. The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn mid-priced brands serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels. Choice received a 90 on HRC's 2010 CEI, the first year it has received a ranking.
- Harrah's* - Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning 70 years ago in Reno, Nevada, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casino resorts on four continents. Among its many properties is the Paris Las Vegas, which operates a gay-specific microsite.
- Hilton* - Conrad Hilton purchased his first hotel in Cisco, Texas back in 1919. Since that time, the Hilton Hotels Corporation has grown to 10 brands with more than 3,300 properties, which includes a portfolio of upscale, mid-priced, extended stay and vacation ownership hotels, in 80 countries. It launched its first gay-specific marketing effort in 2006. Hilton earned a 90 on HRC's 2010 Corporate Equality Index, down 5 point from its 2008 rating.
- Hyatt* - Global Hyatt Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, owns, operates, manages or franchises more than 365 hotels and resorts worldwide under eight distinct brands with additional properties under development on five continents. For many years, Hyatt has ran gay-specific ads in a wide range of both print and online outlets. Following the disclosure that the owner of the San Diego Manchester Grand Hyatt supported Proposition 8, a boycott was launched against that hotel; however, the boycott organizers have been very vocal about their support of Hyatt as a whole.
- InterContinental Hotels (America) - InterContinental Hotels Group is the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, offering 4,300 hotels and almost 630,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. Its hotel brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. InterContinental has actively positioned its newest Hotel Indigo brand as gay-friendly boutique properties. The company received an 85 on HRC's 2010 CEI, the first year it has received a ranking.
- Kimpton* - Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels and Restaurant Group has a collection of boutique hotels, throughout the United States and Canada. In 2007, Kimpton became the first and only hotel group in which every one of its hotel is a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association and to have every property TAG Approved. In addition, Kimpton was the first hotel group to achieve a 100% HRC Corporate Equality Index score, which it has retained since 2004. It operates a corporate-wide gay-specific microsite.
- Marriott - Marriott International's heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington, DC, in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Today, Marriott has more than 3,200 lodging properties across 15 brands located in the US and 66 other countries and territories. Following the passage of Proposition 8, Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of Marriott International and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, issued a statement that he, nor his company, contributed to the campaign to pass the measure.
- MGM* - MGM MIRAGE owns and operates 16 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four other properties in Nevada, New Jersey, Illinois and Macau. CityCenter, an unprecedented urban metropolis on the Las Vegas Strip scheduled to open in late 2009, is a joint venture between MGM and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World. MGM has entered into management agreements for future casino and non-casino resorts in the People's Republic of China, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. and Vietnam. Some of its properties operate gay-specific microsites including Luxor and New York New York MGM earned an 85 on HRC's 2010 CEI.
- Starwood - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's portfolio included owned, leased, managed and franchised properties totaling nearly 1,000 hotels across nine brands in approximately 100 countries. It also has owned vacation ownership resorts and residential properties, including sites held for development, in the United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. For the past few years, Starwood's upscale W brand has been offering its Pride 365 Package, a special promotion for its LGBT guests.
- Wyndham - Wyndham Worldwide is one of the world's largest hospitality companies, it hotel group encompasses nearly 7,000 properties across 11 brands in 66 countries on six continents. It also operates the world's largest vacation ownership business. Wyndham was the first major hotel chain to launch a dedicated, gay-targeted advertising campaign and specially-designed commitment ceremonies packages.
- Wynn Resorts - Wynn Resorts, Limited owns and operates three properties. Wynn Las Vegas, a luxury hotel and destination casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip features 2,716 luxurious guest rooms and suites and an approximately 111,000 square foot casino. Encore, the new signature resort in the Wynn collection, opened December 22, 2008. Encore is located immediately adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas and features 2,034 suites and an approximately 72,000 square foot casino. Wynn Macau is a destination casino resort in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and currently features 600 deluxe hotel rooms and suites and an approximately 205,000 square foot casino. Wynn earned a perfect 100 on HRC's 2010 CEI, the first year it has received a ranking.
Unless otherwise noted, each of the companies received a 100 rating in HRC's 2010 Corporate Equality Index, which provides an in-depth analysis and rating of large US employers and their policies and practices pertinent to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors..
* Designates a corporate member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.
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