Photos in order: Getty Images (1); Courtesy Companies (3)
Story by Joseph Alexiou
This summer has been an exciting time for LGBT rights, specifically the right to same-sex marriage in California. Ever the hospitable and cheerful hosts, California’s hotels and spas are celebrating and encouraging gay matrimony with some very generous gay-oriented travel packages.
Our number one choice for best gay-owned spa, the Stevenswood Spa Resort in Mendocino, is hosting a dozen gay and straight couples in a unique "group nuptials" wedding ceremony in an exercise of everyone’s right to marry. The ceremony takes place on October 29, a week before California residents will vote on overturning the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage, and one serendipitous couple will be awarded a complimentary wedding package worth $990.
The resort offers as well a special summer rate for its full-service wedding package (complete with planner, DJ, buffet, and more), at $10,000 for up to 50 guests.
San Francisco-based boutique hotel chain Personality Hotels is also celebrating the good news, offering a "Pride and Personality Package" for a special gay honeymoon. The package including deluxe rooms at any Personality hotel location, his/his or hers/hers pillowcases, champagne, and rose petals, all starting at $169 a day.
Joie de Vivre is also encouraging the gays to get married, not just by opening their rooms to gay weddings but also by giving the option for 10% of the revenue from any group stay from a gay wedding to the Human Rights Campaign, Equality Marriage USA, or other similar charities.
The offer is valid at four Silicon Valley/Santa Cruz destinations: the Dream Inn, the Moorpark Hotel, the Hotel Montgomery, and the Wild Ponds Hotel.
See our San Diego posting for another California hotel stay package at the Hyatt Regency with some very useful rewards. And finally, other hotels not necessarily in Cali that offer pride and marriage-related packages are the Kimpton Hotels chain (including their 70 Park Avenue Hotel location) and the W Hotel. Read about the offers here.
There are also great additional accommodations in our California travel guides -- San Fransisco, Russian River, Los Angeles, and more!
