Infographic: Gay Love Fun Facts & Figures

Hans Smines
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Infographic: Gay Love Fun Facts & Figures

9 million gays live in the US and there are 1500 “gay” animal species

Did you know that – according to surveys – at least 9 million LGBT people live in the U.S., which is 3.8 % of the adult population?

Approximately 1 million children in the U.S. are being raised by same-sex couples, and the state with the most gay couples is California, with approximately 92,138 couples. The state with the least gay couples is North Dakota, with approximately 703 couples.

Some scholars have proposed that the first gay couple in history is the ancient Egyptian servants Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum who lived around 2400 B.C., but homosexuality in the human race is probably as old as humanity itself.

Homosexual behavior has been observed in 1,500 animal species and is most widespread among animals with a complex herd life. The entire species of the dwarf chimpanzee, for example, is in fact bisexual. (From: randomhistory.com)

Gay Love Fun Facts & Figures

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Sitges

Hans Smines
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Sitges

Why every gay man must visit Sitges before he dies

Sitges is a seaside town about 35 kilometers southwest of Barcelona, renowned worldwide for its artsy and progressive attitude. Together with Ibiza, the town was the counterculture centre of 1960s Spain and later has become a very popular travel destinations for gays and lesbians.

Lovingly referred to as the Saint-Tropez of Spain, Sitges draws a considerable crowd of jet-setters and party-loving people from all over the world, especially during the summer months. In July and August it is packed with gays from all over Europe and the city is one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world.

Sitges is a truly European city, with 35% of its 26,000 inhabitants coming from the Netherlands, the UK, France and Scandinavia. It also has a considerable dog population and is a great place to take your best friend. You can see people walking their canine companions along the beach boardwalk all the time, both enjoying it equally. It is truly a smiling dog city.

Related: A Gay Traveler’s Guide to Barcelona

Most of the gay bars in sitges are clustered within a small area of the town center, which makes it convenient to bar hop if you get bored. No matter what you are into, you will probably find a bar to your liking. There are bear bars, twink bars, video bars, strip bars and more. There are also a couple of sex clubs, even though they are located a little bit further away.

The culinary scene is not that different from most other resort towns and focuses on giving a variety of clientele easy access to simple food that they can recognize. Your taste buds are not likely to be wowed by a meal in Sitges, but it is definitely possible to get a decent meal. Just don’t expect to remember it for a long time afterwards.

The town’s convenient location just a short drive from one of Europe’s main cities makes it easily accessible by almost any mode of transport and also gives you the option to combine a trip here with a day or two in buzzing Barcelona. Also, if your main destination is Barcelona, the mountains surrounding Sitges give the town its very own micro-climate, so even if it is cold and rainy in Barcelona you may be able to hit the beaches in Sitges.

Even though Sitges is a beautiful city with a couple of churches and museums well worth visiting, you may want to take the trip to Barcelona if you want a bit more culture in your life. Shopping is also limited, but there are a few nice stores if you have some money burning through your pocket or if you want a break from baking on the beach. However, to find the really big brand stores you need to take the 20 minute train ride in to Barcelona.

Of course, Sitges’ main attraction is its beaches and the town has a whole lot of them. Seventeen, to be exactly, and among them such a rare thing as a nudist beach within easy walking distance from the city center. As with so many other places the nudist beaches also doubles as gay beaches, but the most popular gay beach is called Platja de la Rodona. It is the place to see and be seen for gay visitors, but you will have no problem snuggling with your boyfriend at any of the beaches in this town.

All in all, Sitges is a town well worth visiting and many people come back here year after year. It is among the most pricy places in Spain though, so if you really fall in love with the place and want to spend your golden years here you better start saving early. The season is mainly May through September, but you can definitely have a good time here any time of the year.

Hotels:

Parrots Hotel is gay owned and operated, and just one block from the beach. It’s perfectly located for bar hopping with most of the gay bars less than a five minute walk away.

Hotel Calipolis is a four star property located in central Sitges and just opposite the gay beach.

Subur is situated on the seafront promenade of Sitges, meters from the beach and the old town.

Related: Vacationing in Torremolinos

Wine-Tasting and Wildlife-Watching in South Australia

Andrew Collins
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Wine-Tasting and Wildlife-Watching in South Australia

Renowned for fine wineries, esteemed restaurants, and sophisticated country inns

Australia beckons visitors with a long list of “must-see” destinations, from urban gay meccas like Sydney and Melbourne to natural attractions like the Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock. You can add another area to the list: the long-underrated city of Adelaide and its scenic surrounding countryside, which have become renowned for fine wineries, esteemed restaurants, and sophisticated country inns. Though it has a somewhat low-keyed gay scene, Adelaide hosts a two-week gay cultural festival, Feast, in November and has a terrific theater scene and countless exceptional restaurants.

The best way to appreciate this part of Australia is with a series of multiday adventures – allow three days in Adelaide, three more on nearby Kangaroo Island (which offers some of the best wildlife-viewing in the country), and two days each in the Barossa and Adelaide Hills wine regions. Here’s the perfect itinerary for exploring this picturesque slice of Australian sophistication and hospitality.

Days 1 through 3: Adelaide

With about 1.2 million inhabitants, Adelaide is the nation’s fourth-largest city. This civil, if somewhat prim, metropolis is characterized by leafy parkland, a well-developed cultural landscape, and a general sense of order and cleanliness. Aussie surfer dudeThe city has several worthwhile museums, the two best being the Migration Museum and the State Library of South Australia, whose Mortlock Wing has exhibits on Adelaide’s history, including an exhibit of vintage Gay Pride posters. Also check out the National Wine Centre of Australia, which occupies a dramatic contemporary building on the edge of the verdant Adelaide Botanic Park. Here you can learn about Australian wines, attend tastings, and have lunch in the center’s excellent cafe.

Also of interest to gourmands, Adelaide’s bustling Central Market contains more than 250 shops and stalls selling every conceivable type of fresh food. The market and the surrounding neighborhood afford countless opportunities to sample foods prepared by Adelaide’s many European and Asian immigrants. Stop by Lucia’s Pizza for delectable Italian fare and potent espresso, or walk down nearby Gouger Street to Wah Hing, which serves first-rate modern Chinese food, or stylish Mapo, known for beautifully prepared Korean cuisine.

Reliable lodging options in Adelaide include the gay-friendly Majestic Roof Garden Hotel, a modern property in the heart of the East End dining and entertainment area. As its name suggests, a garden on the roof provides a relaxing spot to unwind and admire the city’s skyline. Nearby are such popular eateries as Eros (for commendable Greek food) and the Chocolate Bean, a hip little cafe where you can sample artisanal chocolates. Another appealing choice is the InterContinental Adelaide, a modern high-rise overlooking the scenic River Torrens.

No visit to Adelaide is complete without a short excursion on the tram to the charming beach suburb of Glenelg, known for its slew of sidewalk cafes and restaurants. Head to gay-owned Zest Cafe Gallery, just off Glenelg’s main drag, for a gourmet breakfast or lunch, perhaps a frittata with caramelized onions, sauteed potatoes, and Jarlsberg cheese.

Gay nightlife in Adelaide is fun but rather limited. A handful of mainstream places around town have a mixed gay-straight following, such as hipster-infested La Boheme and the friendly Wheatsheaf Hotel pub. The only true gay establishment is Mars Bar, a festive club with a spacious covered patio upstairs and a crowded dance floor and a couple of intimate bars downstairs.

Days 4 through 6: Kangaroo Island

This green, sparsely populated island that’s roughly the size of New York’s Long Island lies about 10 miles from the mainland and is easily reached from Adelaide by plane – the flight takes just 30 minutes. Until the early 1990s, island inhabitants supported themselves largely with sheep-farming and wool-harvesting. Since that time, entrepreneurs have branched out, diversifying Kangaroo Island’s agricultural portfolio to include free-range chicken, marron (freshwater crayfish), grapes (for winemaking), olives, eucalyptus, and what’s considered by many connoisseurs to be the best honey in the world. Sheep are now prized not only for wool but for the island’s distinctive cheeses. The island has also become a popular haven for artists, many of whom have studio galleries open to the public.

Kangaroo Island’s most notable attractions, however, are its national parks, which provide countless opportunities to observe iconic Australian wildlife. Fringed Lizard in Australia, Kangaroo IslandThis is one of the best places in the world to catch a glimpse of koalas, kangaroos, Tammar wallabies, brushtail possums, glossy black cockatoos, seals, sea lions, and curious-looking echidnas (one of only three egg-laying mammals in the world) in the wild.

The best way to experience nature is to book a trip with gay-friendly Exceptional Kangaroo Island tours, which creates customized itineraries for up to 10 people. The company employs knowledgeable locals as guides, and the rates include picnic lunches of creatively prepared grills and salads as well as local wine.

Kangaroo Island’s largest town, Kingscote, is worth a stop to grab a coffee or a salad at Roger’s Deli and Cafe, which also acts as the island’s best newsstand and a purveyor of local wines and food products. Your best bet for dinner here is Restaurant Bella, where you might try pan-seared kangaroo fillet or local whiting (the most common seafood catch on the island) pan-fried in olive oil with a cherry-tomato salsa.

Kangaroo Island has relatively few accommodations, but there are some gems. Most remarkable is LifeTime Private Retreat, a hidden compound with unbelievably cushy accommodations set among three distinctive buildings, one of them on a cliff overlooking the ocean. At this intimate, gay-friendly, all-inclusive retreat, spectacular meals using fresh local ingredients are served in a converted sheep-shearing shed. Rates are steep, but a stay at LifeTime is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Kangaroo Island Seafront is a 4-star accommodation set in tranquil gardens on Kangaroo Island, just 400 metres from the Sealink ferry terminal. Less pricey but still perfectly charming accommodations can be had at the Aurora Ozone Seafront Hotel in Kingscote – the best rooms are in the newer section across the street from the original building.

Days 7 and 8: Barossa Valley

The Barossa Valley, which lies just an hour’s drive northeast of Adelaide, has become one of the world’s great wine regions, growing tremendously in esteem just in the past decade. Anchor yourself for a couple of nights in this sunny, pastoral region, spending your days tasting award-winning Shiraz and Riesling, not to mention some of Australia’s finest cuisine.

One place to combine your passion for food and wine is The Louise, a country inn whose contemporary, sophisticated accommodations are surpassed only by an exemplary on-site restaurant, Appellation. Chef Mark McNamara uses local provisions to craft creative yet classic farmhouse fare. The menu changes daily but might feature breast of pheasant with a juniper-infused game glaze, or a dessert of bittersweet-chocolate torte layered with a Shiraz sorbet.

There are a handful of lovely little towns in these parts worth a stop between vineyard tours. Most visitors make it a point to stop by some of the Barossa’s winemaking powerhouses, such as Penfolds and Jacob’s Creek. But also make time for some of the less-commercial, high-quality wineries, such as Langmeil, Peter Lehmann, and Turkey Flat Vineyard. For a quick nosh, stop in the cheery village of Angaston, which is home to a few cute shops and an excellent bakery-cafe called Blond Coffee, which serves up delicious panini sandwiches, poached eggs, and delicious pastries.

Another outstanding food stop in the area is Maggie Beer farm shop, a charming gourmet market and eatery run by and named for a renowned Aussie TV chef and cookbook author. Enjoy lunch here on the deck overlooking a willowy pond, snacking on such rarefied treats as duck-and-star-anise pate with wood-fired bread, followed by fig-caramel ice cream.

Days 9 and 10: Adelaide Hills

From Barossa Valley, drive south to reach the Adelaide Hills, a vertiginous, lightly wooded area less than a half-hour drive east of Adelaide. Here you’ll find still more fine wineries, restaurants, and country inns.

Don’t miss gay-owned Hahndorf Hill Winery, run by partners Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson, who moved here in the late ’90s from South Africa and have developed a top-notch selection of wines, including a celebrated Sauvignon Blanc and similarly remarkable Shiraz. The tasting room occupies a handsome building on a gentle hill, and on weekends you can enjoy lunch here – venison, raised right on the property, is a specialty. Other vineyards of note in the Adelaide Hills include Nepenthe Wines and Petaluma-Bridgewater Mill.

Stroll through the handsome village of Hahndorf for a bit of shopping. At Udder Delights, a dapper sidewalk cafe and cheese shop, you can tuck into platters of venison salami, local goat cheese, and wood-baked ciabatta bread. The owners also rent out a handsomely furnished studio apartment with a loft bedroom and a huge bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub. In the same village, the lesbian-owned Six Degrees Jazz Cafe presents live music and serves excellent regional cuisine (roast duck is a favorite here).

A highlight of touring the Adelaide Hills is a stop at Mt. Lofty Summit park, from which you’ll enjoy unsurpassed views of the city of Adelaide and the surrounding region. Nearby is one of area’s best lodging options, Mt. Lofty House, a beautiful country lodge that offers similarly magnificent views. The hotel’s Piccadilly Restaurant & Wine Bar has earned considerable kudos for its well-chosen wine list and tasty food. It’s a great place to enjoy the final meal of your stay, high above the stunning South Australia countryside.

Exploring Victoria

Andrew Collins
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Exploring Victoria

Victoria is a popular spot for gay honeymoons and weddings

Dignified, historic, studded with parks, and packed with some of the nation’s most notable cultural attractions, Victoria offers the perfect recipe for a short getaway in western Canada – it’s also easily reached from Vancouver or Seattle by way of regular ferry service. At the southern tip of Vancouver Island, this leafy capital of British Columbia has also become a popular spot for gay honeymoons and weddings since Canada legalized same-sex marriage in 2005.

Great Britain’s first colony on the Pacific Coast of North America, Victoria was established in 1849 as a trading outpost. By the end of the century, when the now much larger city of Vancouver was still a mere blip on the radar, Victoria had become B.C.’s capital. The city remains an important political center, but tourists definitely butter the bread these days. The formal, London-inspired Parliament buildings and the Fairmont Empress Hotel edge the harbor, set against a commanding backdrop of snowcapped mountains.

With its low skyline, downtown is compact and user-friendly, and fine shopping and cafe-hopping abound. The south end of the Inner Harbour contains Victoria’s provincial government buildings as well as the imposing Fairmont Empress Hotel, which is famous not only as a place to stay but for its regal afternoon high teas. Few museums in Canada are more fascinating than the Royal British Columbia Museum, whose artifacts and exhibits document life 12,000 years ago in what is now Western Canada. Around the corner, the Crystal Garden Conservatory contains more than 65 endangered species that make their home in this re-created tropical forest.

Just south of here, off Douglas Street, the 185-acre Beacon Hill Park is typically filled with joggers, strollers, and sun-worshipers soaking up the atmosphere and the floral aroma. Nearby you can visit the Carr House, which affords a glimpse into the life of British Columbia’s most beloved painter, Emily Carr.

Walk 15 minutes or drive a short way east of downtown along Fort Street, which is lined for several blocks with fine antiques shops, to reach one of B.C.’s greatest house-museums, Craigdarroch Castle. From the top (fifth) floor you’re treated to outstanding views of the city. Just west is the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, one of the top art museums in Western Canada. Once you’ve exhausted Victoria on foot, consider tooling around the city and its environs by car. A favorite excursion is so-called Marine Drive – not the name of any one street but a scenic coastal circuit extending from Ogden Point, which is southwest of the Inner Harbour, to Cadboro Bay.

Victoria and the surrounding area are also ideal for outdoorsy activities – in fact, it’s been named Canada’s fittest city, owing to the high percentage of residents who regularly participate in outdoor recreation. Favorite activities include diving, kayaking, fishing, mountain biking, and hiking. A number of local outfitters lead tours through nearby old-growth forests, up rugged mountain peaks, and on whale-watching expeditions – visit Tourism Victoria’s helpful website (www.tourismvictoria.com) for a full list of providers.

Victoria lies at the southern tip of the Saanich Peninsula, a fertile strip of land dotted with family farms and a growing number of esteemed wineries. It’s worth spending an afternoon exploring this region, whose most famous attraction is Butchart Gardens, a half-hour northwest of the city. The Butchart family made its fortune manufacturing cement in the late 19th century; when they finished mining their quarry, they transformed it into this magnificent collection of gardens. Among the 55 acres you’ll see every imaginable flower, and there are concerts as well as Saturday-night fireworks displays in July and August.

From Butchart, there are several wineries within an easy drive. As you motor around the countryside, keep an eye out for farm stands and roadside markets, many of them selling fresh jams, baked goods, flowers, and produce. They often operate on an honor system – pick out your goods, and leave behind payment. Dragonfly Hill Vineyard is located alongside one of the original wagon trails through the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver and Muse Winery is a family owned & operated Boutique winery.

Where there are wineries, there are virtually always wonderful restaurants, and Victoria is no exception. Probably the most gay-popular of the city’s up-market restaurants, Cafe Brio is a sophisticated little chef-owned bistro that’s an absolute delight for romantic, intimate meals. The contemporary West Coast cuisine has Tuscan overtones – you might start with crispy roasted sweetbreads with poached rhubarb, followed by tomato-and-molasses-braised lamb shank with fresh-mint-potato gnocchi. For some of the best modern Italian food in town, including fantastic wood-fired pizzas with such creative toppings as smoked ahi tuna and marinated artichokes, dine at Il Terrazzo, whose airy dining room resembles a cloistered courtyard. It’s steps from the diverting shopping along Johnson Street and features one of the city’s best wine lists.

With a memorable setting inside a former schoolhouse in Canada’s oldest Chinatown, Brasserie L’Ecole is the domain of talented chef-owner Sean Brennan, who utilizes local produce in his innovative regional fare, such as local trout with escarole and Jerusalem artichokes. Well-seasoned, imaginatively prepared vegetarian fare is the specialty at Re-Bar Modern Food, an offbeat spot on downtown’s Bastion Square, where you might dine on shiitake-tofu potstickers or Thai coconut-cashew prawn curry.

For lighter dining and snacking, grab a latte or cappuccino at gay-popular Bean Around the World Coffee, a Chinatown java joint that uses organic coffee beans. Or nosh on eggs Benedict, hefty burgers, and other short-order fare at Rosie’s Diner, a downtown cafe with a festive ’50s-inspired retro look. The city’s sizable Asian community ensures a wealth of first-rate Chinese, Thai, and Japanese restaurants. For sensational Thai fare, try Siam Thai.

Victoria is by no means a major hub for gay nightlife, but the popular Paparazzi Nightclub (formerly the Prism Lounge) draws the city’s alternative crowd – gays, lesbians, and plenty of others. It is located on the north side of downtown and has a large dance floor, show stage, and bar areas.

In Victoria, there’s no fancier lodging in town than the Fairmont Empress Hotel. This 1908 Edwardian hostelry is the most sumptuous grand dame on Vancouver Island, and its Empress Room is a superb restaurant. Newer rooms are larger than those in the original section but keep with the hotel’s tradition. Celeb spotting is not uncommon. The hotel is also notable for its beautifully decorated Bengal Lounge, which serves traditional Indian cuisine in an old-world Colonial ambience.

Abigail’s Hotel is a great bet, in part for its enviable location – it’s at the end of a quiet, residential lane, yet it’s just three blocks from the Inner Harbour. The 23-room gay-friendly hotel consists of two Tudor-style buildings, one with more traditional decor, and the other with more modern-feeling units. Many of the accommodations have wood-burning fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs, and rates include an extensive full breakfast (enjoy it on the sunny patio, overlooking the English gardens, when the weather is cooperating).

Set inside a former warehouse near Victoria’s Market Square and within walking distance of downtown attractions, Swans Hotel has been refitted into a distinctive all-suites accommodation. Groups of friends traveling together will find Swans a bargain – up to six people can easily fit into its huge rooms. Each has a dining nook, a patio or a terrace, and many have skylights. There’s a microbrewery and an excellent restaurant, Wild Saffron Bistro, on the premises.

Also worth consideration is the Magnolia Hotel and Spa, a snazzy and modern boutique hotel with a first-rate spa and a great location in the Inner Harbour neighborhood. There is plenty of sunlight in the rooms due to the floor-to-ceiling windows and views of downtown and the waterfront.

If you’d rather stay out in the country, but still within striking distance of Victoria, consider booking into the swank yet low-keyed Sooke Harbour House, which is a 45-minute drive away. This is the ultimate luxury hideaway, complete with 28 imaginatively decorated rooms, many with views of Washington’s Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

There’s also a splendid restaurant serving fantastic four- and seven-course dinners, complete with wine-pairing options. One signature dish is the trio of garden-inspired sorbets (which might include quince-lemon-verbena or rhubarb-fennel). Indeed, this perfectly tended inn is surrounded by some of Vancouver Island’s most beautiful gardens – a night or two here will leave you totally refreshed and relaxed.

Great Places to Stay in San Francisco

Andrew Collins
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Great Places to Stay in San Francisco

A sampling of some of the best gay-friendly hotels in the city

San Francisco shines when it comes to atmospheric accommodations, with luxurious old-world lodgings on a par with the best grand dames of Europe; charming small hotels rivaled only by those in New Orleans; and the best selection of gay-friendly B&Bs of any big city in the country. North America’s boutique-hotel craze started in San Francisco and continues to thrive today – the city has dozens of first-rate properties with highly personalized staff and clever decorating themes.

Most of the city’s best gay-popular hotels are downtown, close to Nob Hill and Union Square. Here, you’re a 10-minute cab ride from the Castro and an even shorter ride (or a manageable walk) from the nightclubs in SoMa (South of Market); you’re also close to many of the city’s top attractions. If you wish for proximity the Castro, consider the neighborhood’s many appealing guest houses. Wherever you plan to stay, keep in mind that hotel rooms in San Francisco fill up quickly in summer and on holidays – book at least a couple of months ahead when possible.

What follows are a sampling of some of the best gay-friendly hotels in the city, from top of the line to budget-oriented:

A San Francisco Treat
Several luxury hotels occupy the downtown’s fanciest address, Nob Hill, but for the ultimate in cushy amenities, superior service, and lavish furnishings, stay just down the hill at the Ritz-Carlton, which is one of the finest urban retreats in America. Guests inside this gorgeous neoclassical 1920 building enjoy an immense fitness center and two outstanding restaurants. Another high-caliber downtown option, the whimsical The Marker’s distinctly Parisian flair has made it the talk of the city. The lobby, with its soaring vaulted ceilings, tromps l’oeil murals, and sweeping staircase, is magnificent. You’ll find the guest rooms similarly captivating, with faux-bamboo writing desks, high-back chairs, four-poster beds, and wallpaper striped in bold colors.

Trendy Trappings
Among the San Francisco properties run by the illustrious and gay-popular Kimpton Group, the Hotel Triton might as well have a pink-triangle welcome mat outside the front door – it markets very enthusiastically to the queer community. The lobby is famous for its abstract lamps, chairs, and pillars, and rooms have fanciful designs and whimsically hand-painted walls. You can grab espresso, dinner, and a newspaper at Cafe de la Presse, which has one of the best periodicals selections in the city. The seven suites were each decorated by a different celeb designer, from Joe Boxer to Suzan Briganti. Joie de Vivre is another gay-friendly local chain, and its swanky Hotel Rex adds a touch of Roaring ’20s style to Union Square, with murals and portraits depicting sophisticated salon society. There’s even an antiquarian bookstore on the premises.

Downtown Charmer That Won’t Break the Bank
It is possible to find pleasing lodgings downtown with rates starting at under $150 nightly. Consider the Andrews Hotel, an intimate 48-room property with a great little restaurant, an always-smiling and gracious staff, and lovely rooms with pastel-peach walls, white-lace curtains, and quilted bedspreads.

Calling all Eccentrics
As you walk through the ornate lobby of Chateau Tivoli, a riotously bizarre 1892 “painted lady” whose exterior glows with 22 vibrant colors, it’s difficult not to find yourself humming the opening bars of the Addams Family theme song. Rooms are decked top to bottom with fanciful antiques and collectibles (including more than a few stuffed and mounted animals). Another offbeat pick is the The Phoenix, a cult favorite that bills itself as the city’s “creative crossroads.” It’s also the gateway to the seedy Tenderloin neighborhood, but don’t hold that against it. All kinds of fabulous celebs and gay icons have stayed here, including John Waters, River Phoenix, Keith Haring, Faye Dunaway, and Keanu Reeves. This ’50s-style motor lodge has funky rooms, a groovy on-site bar and restaurants, and one of the city’s most distinctive swimming pools.

Great Things in Small Packages
You’ll find dozens of small historic inns throughout San Francisco, each oozing with personality. A four-story former girls boarding school built in 1890 high on a hill in Pacific Heights, the elegant Queen Anne Hotel has 48 rooms, each furnished differently, with a mix of well-chosen antiques; many have fireplaces and wet bars. Parker Guest House is a splendidly restored 1919 Edwardian B&B fringing the Castro and Mission neighborhoods – you can make considerable use of the lavish public areas and appreciate the antiques, rich fabrics, and modern conveniences (voice mail, modem hookups) in the five sun-filled rooms.

Castro Bargains
When all you seek is a clean room and a convenient location, go with a Bed & Breakfast. Rooms at the Willows have shared baths; but they do come with sink basins, kimono bathrobes, and very nice toiletries, and the hall baths are each self-contained and clean. It’s an economical choice with a convenient if not particularly scenic location, and the innkeepers are pleasant and easy-going. If you can stand the hilly 15-minute walk from both the Castro and Hayes Valley, go with the super-cheap Metro Hotel. This no-frills place isn’t for everybody – furnishings are seriously dated and the rooms a bit stale-aired, but the funny, helpful staff keeps things clean and pleasant as can be. Rates are the same no matter how many people you cram into the room, so the triples and quads can be real bargains. Cafe Metro, on the ground-floor, is a delight whether for coffee or a full meal.

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