We are living for the eleganza of our favorite hotel rooms

Who thinks the best part of a trip is checking into the hotel just to lounge around your room and feel glamorous? (Staff of GayCities raises their hands.) Soaking in the gorgeous design, rolling around on the bed, sauntering through the bathroom like it is your own personal spa, these bits of indulgence can be just as fun as the destination itself. 

We at GayCities travel a lot, we have seen many beautiful hotel rooms. and of course we have our favorites.  Feast your eyes on these hotel rooms, with delicious design and delightful decor, that gets top marks for both style and comfort, and we wish we could go back!

Eau Palm Beach

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The Eau Palm Beach is famous for its oceanfront location and jaw-dropping spa, where South Florda’s 1% partakes in the serious business of recreational rejuvenation. But after a busy day of facials and pool-lounging, imagine going back to your hotel suite and walking into your room with that view. 

The Eau (pronounced like the vowel “o”) eschews the typical Palm Beach white-and-beige aesthetic in the guest rooms, and embraces a jewel tone palette that eclectic and joyful, the perfect marriage of breezy beach cool and South Florida vibrance. And of course the sheets are like buttah.

Speaking of joy, weekends are a great time to visit The Eau: Sunday brunch features “Lillet All Day,” a $25 special that gives access to all-you-can-drink Lillet Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and cocktails. All day. When brunch is over, just go to their Breeze Ocean Kitchen, pull up a chair to overlook the beach, and keep Sunday Funday going with more Lillet deliciousness. You don’t know what Lillet is? Does it matter? Trust us, it is delicious. Try it with a slice of starfruit.

Related: Your GayCities guides to Florida

The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa

 
 
 
 
 
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The drive from Los Angeles to Palm Springs is just a bit over 100 miles, and depending on traffic the trip can be a quick 2 hours, although when can anyone depend on LA traffic? Nevertheless, give yourself an extra day or two for a stop in the suburb of Riverside, and stay at the historic, spectacular, and breathtaking Mission Inn Hotel and Spa.

The Amistad Suite is equipped with a stone fireplace and an array of antique furniture, but the pièce de résistance in this room is the hand-painted mural that splashes across the domed ceiling. The private entrance to the rooftop Sky Terrace, the fourth photo in this group, is a nice touch.

The Amistad Suite is a favorite of Anne Rice, author of the famed Interview With The Vampire series, who once moved into the room while she worked on writing her book Angel Time. Rice was so inspired by the beauty of the hotel, she included the Amistad Suite as the setting for several chapters. Hopefully nothing unusual happened to Rice that would inspire any spooky scenes.

Related: Your GayCities guides to California

Encore at Wynn Las Vegas

Visitors to Las Vegas may know the Encore for the wildly popular “dayclub” scene, with celebrity DJs playing music for thousands of scantily-clad sun-and-fun seekers. But forget not the hotel, which is nothing short of stunning.

A truly luxe experience is possible at Encore (part of the Wynn resort and casino mega-property), even without going for the top-tier suites. Every room has the Wynn Dream Beds, and if there weren’t so many things to do in Las Vegas, you would be excused if you stayed in that bed all day. Sink into the cloudiness of the pillow top, and the thread count on the sheets is implausibly soft.

The lobbies and casino of both the entire Wynn property are technicolor wonderlands (the Encore Tower Suites have a separate lobby and check-in, apart from the crowds), while the rooms have pleasantly calm color tones. But get one of the south-facing rooms in the Encore Tower Suites, where the windows are slightly convex, and the extra-wide view is an absolute thrill.

 
 
 
 
 
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A thoughtful guest in one of Encore’s Tower Suites took this video, and the shaky focus is probably because she was overwhelmed with the architectural drama appearing before her eyes. Instagram is filled with dark, out-of-focus photos of The Strip through Encore’s windows, as the view—while laying in bed with the curtains open—is best at night. 

Fun fact: If the craziness of the Encore Beach Club party is not your scene (as with most Las Vegas dayclubs, men are charged more for admission than women), the Encore European Pool is adults only, and topless sunbathing is allowed. Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser hangs out there and serves all the zaddy realness.

Related: Your GayCities guides to Nevada

 
 
 
 
 
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Do you have an amazing hotel that we should rave about? Email danrenzi@gaycities.com. All photos except Instagram posts are courtesy of the respective hotels.

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