The city has always had a gay touch. The eccentric pianist Liberace once provided glamour in the theatres of casinos with a lot of bling-bling, as did Cher, Siegfried & Roy, Bette Middler and Elton John. The latter had returned to the legendary Colosseum, the stage of Caesars Palace, with his new million dollar piano show in autumn 2011. He will give performances there time and again until 2013. Whether great shows like Cirque du Soleil or Le Rêve at the Wynn Hotel, world stars of the entertainment industry or simply the surreal fantasy scenery along the famous Strip: Las Vegas, the glittering metropolis in the middle of a desert, cannot be compared to any other place on Earth. If you didn’t manage to have a window seat during approach, you should take a bird’s eye view of the city. Those who book a helicopter excursion from Las Vegas to the absolutely impressive Grand Canyon will profit from a flight over the Strip on the way back. Las Vegas is a single superlative, a city that constantly reinvents itself and always attempts to be ahead of zeitgeist.

While large theme hotels such as New York-New York, Exkalibur or Treasure Island once attracted families to the dusty city in addition to gamblers, luxury hotels such as Wynn, Encore, Bellagio or The Hotel were added later. With the opening of the new City Center directly on the Strip, a new chapter was opened at the end of 2009. The glittering complex with its ritzy shopping mall is home to hotels such as Mandarin Oriental, Aria and Cosmopolitan, which belongs to Deutsche Bank, as well as the design hotel Vdara, which manages entirely without a casino and the associated round-the-clock ringing. Despite the global financial and economic crisis, the investors did everything they could to complete the mega project.

The current situation with thousands of additional beds available is good for European visitors: Las Vegas has always had good bargains for accommodation; this is now also true for brand-new luxury hotels, which have to compete with the renovated hotels on the Strip. Many of the big hotel chains focus on gay visitors are a target group and created special packages. The sublime Wynn in cooperation with its sister hotel Encore, have created a special website for gays and lesbians. It offers a “Pride Package” comprising accommodation in a tower suite, VIP tickets and champagne for the show Le Rêve, a massage in the hotel spa and much more. There is a so-called “Pride Concierge” available as special service, providing guests with local gay magazines and tips on the gay scene if neeeded, as well as bookings for shows, restaurants or other activities. Gays and lesbians are also very welcome at MGM, the hotel company that dominates the strip, with its houses like MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Vdara, Bellagio, Mirage or New York-New York. The Luxor has its own LGBT website. It also hosts the popular gay pool party Temptation every Sunday from May to September. It gives visitors and locals an opportunity to meet at or in the pool. A relaxed atmosphere is guaranteed by cocktails and lounge music. Beatles Revolution Lounge at Mirage turns into a chic little gay bar on Sundays. The motto being  “Closet Sundays” – often supported by DJs and hosts from Los Angeles who are being flown in just for this party.

As in 2011, MGM is planning a gay event weekend in summer 2012. “Fabulous Las Vegas” will consist of parties in clubs and pools as well as numerous discounts for restaurants and shows with special VIP service. The third major hotel group will be competing for gay guests around Gay Pride on September 7th and 8th, 2012. Caesars Entertainment (Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, Flamingo, Rio, Planet Hollywood) will be there when Gay Days, well-known from Orlando and Disneyland, plan an event week for the first time from September 4th to 10th. Hotel Paris – also with its own website – has been focusing on a gay clientele in the past years. And if the big hotels are too anonymous for you, you can choose accommodation in the gay scnene beyond the Strip. The gay boutique hotel Blue Moon offers beautiful rooms, has friendly staff and a familiar atmosphere, as well as a pool where you can bathe in your birthday suit if you like.

There is the somewhat curious cowboy and leather bar Fun Hog Ranch on East Twain Avenue , while Paradise Road is home of small clubs like Piranha where you can find a young, party-happy crowd, mainly on weekends. You find Krave banged on the Strip, a big gay nightclub that really deserves this name with its go-go dancers and shows. To relax from all that partying, it’s best to take a break at the hotel pool – or in one of the many spas – in the areas reserved for men only.

INFO

www.visitlasvegas.com
Official hompaage of the tourist board including many tips for hotels, restaurants, shopping and information on the gay scene.

HOW TO GET THERE

The only German airline serving Las Vegas directly from Germany (Frankfurt) is Condor.
Winter timetable shows 2 weekly departures while there are 4 during summer season. Feeder flights are provided by Lufthansa from various German airports, return tickets are available from 540 Euros. Keep you eyes open for special offers on the airline’s homepage.
A useful extra is the upgrade to Premium Economy Class on the long-haul legs as it offers more legroom, an extended menu and complimentary seat reservation at about 100 Euros per flight segment.
www.condor.com

HOTELS

Vdara (2600 W. Harmon Avenue) Classy design hotel within the City Center complex, its main feature being the absence of a casino, www.vdara.com

Luxor (3900 Las Vegas Blvd.) The hotel in the shape of a pyramid is one of the city’s landmarks and emphasises on being gay-friendly, www.luxor.com

Encore (3121 Las Vegas Blvd. South) Sister hotel of the Wynn is one of the most luxurious hotels on the Strip and offers a dedicated gay concierge service, www.wynnpride.com

Blue Moon (2651 Westwood Drive) The only gay resort in Las Vegas in the shape of a boutique hotel was a real alternative for all those preferring a completely gay environment.
It closed in October 2014.

All  information on the gay scene in Las Vegas can be found at Spartacus International Gay Guide or in Spartacus iPhone App.

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