Best gay hotels in Miami

01

Hotel Gaythering

Miami Beach

First and foremost, Gaythering is a party hotel, buzzing with activity and positively dripping in sensual energy, from the décor to the clientele. It’s a fabulous place to meet men of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds for, let’s just say, fun times. Even the styling of the rooms is spicy, with big beds and dim lighting making it look as though it’s been plucked directly from an AO-rated movie set.

Located in the super-gay Miami Beach area, Gaythering is the first choice for many of those attending White Party Week, a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS charities that takes place in November and features some of the wildest gay parties we’ve ever seen.

It’s also a few minutes’ walk away from one of the biggest malls in the area and less than a 20-minute drive away from Miami International Airport. Cycling is a popular pastime in Miami Beach, with bike rentals everywhere, but Gaythering provides free bikes for its guests to use. Don’t go tiring yourself out though – staying at this raunchy hotel, you’ll need to keep your batteries fully charged!

02

AxelBeach Miami

Miami Beach

The vibe of AxelBeach Miami is quite different from its counterparts in places like Gran Canaria or Berlin – it’s a converted 1940s mansion, giving it a more bohemian feel. The bright, earthy décor is a stark contrast from Axel Berlin’s opulent black and gold.

As with all Axel properties, AxelBeach Miami is all about fun in its most carnal form, as is made abundantly clear when you flip over your “Do Not Disturb” sign to see “Please Disturb” instead! Perfect for solo travellers or couples who like to indulge in a little extracurricular activity, AxelBeach is a great place to be if you want to get your rocks off morning, noon and night!

The big, communal pool area is fantastic for people-watching and meeting new friends. There’s also a great spa area and gym for those who want to get hot and sweaty. The staff are friendly, helpful and handsome as all get-out, and they will do the most to make sure you enjoy your stay.

03

The Anti-Hostel by Gaythering

Miami Beach

The Anti-Hostel provides basic but perfectly comfortable accommodation. Units are available in standard or “eggplant” XL sizes – they lock with a key card and include a full-size bed, TV and safe deposit box. Bathroom facilities are shared with other guests on-site. Those with standard rooms share a bathroom between five units. Meanwhile, the XL option’s bathroom is shared between three units and includes a double shower – just begging for the best kind of trouble…!

While it may not be the quietest of places to stay, simply due to the nature of the building, Gaythering has done everything it can to provide guests with some peace and quiet when they need it. The TV can only be listened to on the headset provided, and rooms also come with earplugs and a sound machine to help drown out the residual noise from other units and communal areas.

Overall, the Anti-Hostel by Gaythering is a great way to take a big gay trip to Miami without breaking the bank. It’s super-popular, so you can meet plenty of guys primed for saucy fun. And if the others don’t want to hear you at it, that’s what the earplugs are for, right? You do you!

04

Blanc Kara Boutique Hotel

South Beach

The studios are spacious and comfortable, and they include a well-equipped kitchenette, perfect for those who want to self-cater for part or all of their holiday. There’s a cute little bodega just down the road and being able to sort your own grub is a great way to save some coin. Top-tier rooms come with a gorgeous little private terrace where you can soak up some sunshine in the daytime.

The Blanc Kara is a stunning hotel, so you won’t have any qualms about bringing new friends back from a night out to… admire the lovely ceilings. The staff know it too and will keep you regularly stocked up with rubber jacks – thanks guys, so thoughtful!

Like many of the other hotels we’ve explored so far, one of the best things about the Blanc Kara is its location. You’re right at the centre of all the gay goings-on of Miami Beach – and there are a lot of them! One of our favourite haunts in the area is Twist, a sprawling dance club with multiple floors, seven bars and very few shirts. Best of all, there’s no cover charge.

05

The Standard Miami

Belle Isle

The Standard is an idyllic little parallel universe at the epicentre of a whirlwind of gay energy and excitement. It’s the antithesis to Miami Beach’s non-stop party vibe, perfect for those who want some daytime R&R to help them make it through the morning after the night before. It isn’t gay-only but it is adults-only and provides an extremely chilled, welcoming and, most importantly, LGBTQ-friendly atmosphere.

And for when you need to rest and recharge, The Standard has its very own on-site wellness centre that offers a fully featured gym area, plus a huge range of indulgent spa treatments including hydrotherapy, Turkish Hammam, milk baths and body scrubs. You can also enjoy a variety of treatments in the privacy of your room if you prefer.

06

W South Beach

Miami Beach

There are a variety of rooms available that range from stunning to so stunning that an appropriate adjective to describe them hasn’t been invented yet. The W offers studios, suites, a poolside bungalow, an accessible option and even a couple of magnificent penthouses for those with money to burn. Whether you’re travelling alone, as a couple or as a small group, the W offers a property to suit. Best of all, every room includes a private balcony with an incredible ocean view.

Everything about the W South Beach hotel feels decadent from floor to ceiling. There’s a gym, a basketball court and a tennis court, as well as a spa offering a range of treatments like massage, facials and mani-pedis. Hell, go crazy and get ‘em all – you deserve it!

The on-site restaurant extends the theme of unadulterated extravagance that epitomises the W. I mean, this place serves oysters – and we all know what oysters can do for you between the sheets, right? Whether he’s Mr Right or Mr Right Now, he’s going to be one lucky fella!

07

Posh Hostel South Beach

South Beach

You’ll be sleeping on a bunk bed in a mixed-gender dorm, so there’s the potential to meet lots of cool fellow travellers and have an absolute blast with new friends but not much chance of any naughty business. Guests share bathroom facilities, but there’s plenty of them, so when you want to freshen up first thing or before the next night out, you’ll queue very rarely if ever.

The poshest part of the Posh Hostel is the pool area, which is an unexpected delight for such budget-friendly accommodation. There’s also a big communal living space full of comfy soft furnishings with a TV, computer and kitchen area, perfect for socialising with other guests.

I’ve said it before, and I’m going to say it again – the best thing about this place is the location! The Posh Hostel is spitting distance from several fabulous tourist hotspots like Ocean Drive, the Versace Mansion, the Art Deco Historic District and not one, not two but three gorgeous beaches.

08

Dream South Beach

South Beach

There is a range of different room options available including king rooms, suites, duplexes and deluxe double rooms with two full-size beds, great for small groups. And if you can’t bear to be apart from your furry friends – the four-legged kind, that is – Dream South Beach is even pet-friendly!

The hotel has an on-site Mexican restaurant, bar and café, as well as a Studio 54-inspired lounge and a fantastic spa, but the piece de resistance of Dream South Beach is the beautiful rooftop terrace, complete with its own bar and a spectacular infinity-edge pool. Oh, and then there’s the view. As our beloved Monique Heart once said, “Stunning!” Okay, she said it many, many times…

This hotel is so close to every great tourist attraction, shopping area, restaurant, club, bar and beach in the area that you can almost reach out and touch them all from the front door. Dream South Beach also offers a chargeable transfer service to a couple of cool out-of-town places like the Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater and the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise.

09

Wynwood Place

Wynwood

It’s abundantly clear how much effort Paula, the owner, has put into ensuring her guests have a wonderful stay. The rooms are beautifully decorated and radiate that cool summer vibe – very Miami! Even the exterior of the building is stylish, emblazoned with bold, colourful murals and psychedelic graffiti artworks painted by renowned Miami-based artists. All rooms include a comfortable living area, a fully equipped kitchen and a private bathroom with complimentary toiletries

Staying in Wynwood, you will find yourself slap-bang in the cultural heart of Miami, surrounded by galleries, museums and no shortage of fabulous street art. Top attractions in the Wynwood area include the Walt Grace Vintage museum, where you can view and even purchase a selection of classic cars and guitars – because Lord knows, you can’t have one without the other.

If this isn’t sounding very gay so far, wait until we tell you about the Unicorn Factory – yeah, you heard me correctly. Priding itself on being one of the most “Instagrammable” places in Miami, this wall-to-wall extravaganza of glitter and rainbows was probably made for kids, but that doesn’t stop the gays from going and getting their lives too!

10

EAST Miami

Downtown Miami

The décor plays with several different textures and colors, including polished marble, exposed brick, and laminated wood with burnt orange accents throughout the entire building. It’s a super-trendy combination and a real feast for the eyes from the moment you arrive.

Rooms are bright, airy, and quintessentially Miami, with a private balcony and floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows ensuring there are one of those marvelous Miami views everywhere you look. There’s a gorgeous pool deck with four different pools and a lovely outdoor bar area on the 40^th floor where you can sip a cocktail or two in the summer breeze.

The fantastic on-site restaurant serves delicious Uruguayan dishes. And if you want to work it off, EAST Miami’s gym is pretty great too – decently sized with plenty of cardio and resistance training equipment to help you stick to your fitness regime during your stay.

Overall, a stay at the EEAST Miami Hotel is exactly what it professes to be, an experience, and that philosophy also shines through in the exceptional customer service. There’s a reason why over 1,400 TripAdvisor customers rated it “Fabulous” – with a capital F, honey!

11

Bresaro Suites at the Mantell Plaza

Miami Beach

The rooms are pretty basic, but the owners do everything they can to make sure guests have what they need including a decent-sized bed, futon, and fully stocked kitchenette. Each room has a cute little balcony – and as you may have gathered by now, there’s no such thing as a bad view in Miami!

There’s also a gorgeous pool area out the back with plenty of loungers where you can relax and meet the other guests staying in the building, plus a fitness center if you really want to work up a sweat. And of course, staying in Miami Beach, you won’t have to go far to find somewhere great to eat, shop, party or soak up some rays.

The owners aren’t intrusive in any way, but they’re in the building quite often and, if not, they’re always available by phone if you need any help during your stay. All in all, the Bresaro Suites are a great option for gay guys who want to visit Miami but don’t want to set their wallets on fire doing it.