Toast your same-sex marriage on the rooftop bar of the posh Peninsula New York.

By Matthew Link

On June 25, 2011, New York became the largest state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. It was a real nail-biter until the last minute, with the outcome of the marriage bill far from certain. Impromptu public celebrations erupted in the streets of Manhattan, and the mood was giddy and profound at the same time.

So why not support a destination that supports you? Now’s the time to plan a romantic weekend for you and your honey in the gay-welcoming Big Apple. The long days of late summer and early fall are one of the best times to get to the Big Apple before things turn cold and icy. Here are some of some hot picks for gay-friendly New York hotels:

Stay Hotel
Set at the heart of New York’s theater district and within blocks of some of Hell’s Kitchen’s hottest gay bars, the artsy Stay is a newcomer to the Times Square area. The hip Stay offers great value when compared to other boutique hotels in the neighborhood, with gay-pleasing perks like complimentary gym access at New York Sports Club. The 210 rooms are also loaded with the kinds of things that make it hard for you and your partner to leave the room — including L’Occitane bath amenities, iPod-friendly stereo, 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton bedding, feather bed and duvet, in-room movies and DVD.

At last: Celebrate your union — and the landmark legal decision — at a gay-friendly New York hotel.

The Peninsula New York
In a city where luxury hotels abound, the Peninsula is one of the poshest, an oasis of utter refinement at the heart of one of New York’s most bustling and gay-popular East Side shopping areas. Set in a gorgeously restored landmark Beaux Arts building from 1905, it’s just steps from top gay attractions like the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park. The spacious rooms are classically designed, with gay palate-pleasing splashes of elegance like D. Porthault linens and marble bathrooms — not to mention the signature Peninsula bathtub TV. The hotel’s rooftop bar is the setting for the gay-populated “Brunch on the Terrace,” served on summertime Sundays.

Ace Hotel New York
The New York outlet of the uber-trendy West Coast-based Ace chain (founded by a gay couple, and heavily gay-marketed) opened in 2009 in a little pocket just east of the Chelsea gayborhood. The manly-hipster design aesthetic and fun ambiance pulls in cool travelers (a good portion gay) from across the globe, and the downstairs low-lit lobby and lounge pulls in a wide swath of local hot scenesters (many of them also gay) nearly every night of the week.

Eventi
With the June 2010 opening of the Eventi, the exceedingly gay-friendly Kimpton hotel chain has finally arrived in Chelsea –  or more precisely NoChe, as some are now calling the stretch of North Chelsea. The Eventi’s stylish 292 rooms all feature original artwork, custom Frette linens, marble baths and other gay favorites like an onsite round the clock fitness center. The Plaza, the hotel’s 15,000-square-foot multi-level indoor/outdoor public space, hosts an array of unique arts and entertainment events.

The Benjamin
With a Midtown East address that puts it within a stone’s throw of both Broadway and some of the city’s best shopping, the beautiful Benjamin is the perfect home base for an indulgent LGBT New York getaway. During that gay festival also known as New York Fashion Week in fall, the Benjamin even offers the Fashionista Fling package, featuring gifts and discounts from some of the city’s most beloved high-end stores and boutiques. The Benjamin was New York City’s first (and for decades its only) environmentally friendly hotel, and is now one of only five hotels in the country to have been certified as a Five-Globe ECOTEL property.

Related resources

• Cheap New York flights
• Last minute vacations
• Romantic getaways

Matthew Link is the Editor At Large for The Out Traveler magazine, as well as a contributor to Newsweek. Having been to more than 60 countries and all 7 continents doesn’t keep him from getting on the next plane away from his home in New York City.

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