Welcome to Orlando! Where to Stay, Eat, Drink and Party in The City Beautiful

So you’re thinking about visiting Orlando for Come Out with Pride weekend. This is a great time to visit; over 120,000 people will be celebrating gay pride this weekend. Orlando is a very friendly and progressive city. Being based in Central Florida, I visit all the time, and I’ve been able to keep my finger on the pulse of the community here. Let me tell you about gay-friendly Orlando and where you should stay, eat, drink, and party. Lodging Parliament House Resort Parliament House is an Orlando institution, having been in business as a gay resort for nearly 40 years and serving as a mainstream motor inn before that. This hotel is home to six bars and a pool, and that’s not even counting the condominium-style Gardens complex next door. Stay where you play! (410 N. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-425-7571)   DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando Downtown The host hotel for this year’s Come Out with Pride celebrations, the luxurious DoubleTree is located on Lake Ivanhoe. The hotel includes a complimentary shuttle that will take you to various downtown landmarks so you won’t miss a thing. (60 S. Ivanhoe Boulevard, 407-425-4455) Aloft Orlando Downtown Aloft is young, chic and sassy. Right in the middle of downtown, Aloft features the w xyz bar, where a cosmopolitan group of people mingle over cocktails, and the re:mix lounge, where people can relax before heading out on the town. (500 S. Orange Avenue, 407-380-3500) The Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named the Grand Bohemian Orlando one of the top twenty hotels in Florida, and just one night in one of their plush, impeccably decorated guest rooms will tell you why. Also of note is the luxurious on-site restaurant, The Boheme. (325 S. Orange Avenue, 407-313-9000) Dining Hamburger Mary’s Orlando Hamburger Mary’s, located at Church Street Station, brings you delicious burgers and other fun entrees while entertaining you at the same time. Ginger Minj and The Minx host Facebook Fridays and Sunday Broadway Brunch, while local legend Leigh Shannon hosts a Saturday cabaret show that’s been sold out every week for five years! (Open 11 a.m. daily, 110 W. Church Street, 321-319-0600) The Hammered Lamb This place is a favorite with the locals, so much so that it won a Pride in Business Award from MBA Orlando this year. The Hammered Lamb is open for lunch and dinner and they recommend that you try one of their 75 available beers. (11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, 1235 N. Orange Avenue, 407-704-3200)   Ember Ember plays host to “Surrender Sunday,” where people can enjoy music by DJ Ants and a post-brunch-brunch atmosphere, with food and bottomless mimosas. This is a lively spot every day of the week. Order lunch here on a weekday and see what I mean! (11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Friday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sunday, 42 W. Central Boulevard, 407-849-5200) Nightlife Orlando has quite a few nightlife options for gay people. The largest party in town is easily the aforementioned Parliament House Resort (410 N. Orange Blossom Trail). After all, the complex does have six distinct bars, and the entertainment is always of a high caliber. Stonewall Bar Orlando (741 W. Church Street) is a fun bar that welcomes all types. Have a drink inside or out on the patio! BarCodes (4453 Edgewater Drive) is a laid-back place where you can make new friends. Be sure to check out The Store @ BarCodes, located inside the bar. SAVOY (1913 N. Orange Avenue) features cool drinks and sexy bartenders. Wherever you choose to have your drink: at the main bar, side bar or the outside “depot,” you’ll have great service with a charming smile. Other gay nightlife options in Orlando include Pulse (1912 S. Orange Avenue), a nightclub which features excellent drag talent and other entertainers from all across the country; The Brink (47 W. Amelia Street), which attracts a young, attractive crowd even during the week; Southern Nights (375 S. Bumby Avenue), formerly known as Revolution, updated its look this year, while they brought back the people who made the club a classic; Hanks (5026 Edgewater Drive), the chosen haunt for quite a few locals; and Hammerheads (8526 Palm Parkway), a fun pub that’s mere moments away from Walt Disney World. Find gay-owned or gay-friendly businesses at your fingertips by downloading the Hotspots Magazine app for your smartphone or tablet, available now on iTunes or Google Play.

Mike Halterman

Mike Halterman has been the editor of Hotspots Central since its launch in July 2016. He joined the Hotspots Media Group family as editor of Hotspots' South Florida magazine in June 2013. A former "40 Under 40" honoree in The Advocate magazine, Mike lives in the Tampa Bay area.

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