Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
No true queer-themed travel itinerary would be complete without a trip to Philadelphia – one of the most significate cities in the world both when it comes to recent historical events in gay culture and the modern international queer scene.
According to recent statistics published by several major newspapers in the area, the LGBTQ+ population of the larger Philadelphia area is considered to take up over 4% of the general figures, and if that doesn’t prove the city’s significance to queer travelers, we don’t know what does!
The history of the gay community in Philadelphia is recorded to go back as far as the 1930s when a loose network of underground scenes sprung up to give queer residents of the city a way to communicate with one another and support common interests.
Just as the city is incredibly important to the history of the USA in general, it is here that some of the most important movements and moments in even international queer history have taken place, and that trend continues to be prevalent to this very day. Philadelphia’s current yearly pride march is one of the biggest in the country, and the celebration of love and equality is hardly confined to that date.
The most important modern areas of Philadelphia for queer people include the Midtown Village & the so-called Gayborhood, both of which serve as both unofficial and official hotspots for gay activity and socialization.
These neighborhoods have been officially recognized as distinct and important to the city’s culture by its government, and as such, it’s widely clear that Philadelphia serves as not only the setting for important moments but also a place with great respect for gay history. Perhaps the only danger that queer people will likely feel in this city is the undeniable urge to stay right where they are and never leave!
Even given that Philadelphia is just about as queer-centered as an American city is going to get, we always like to sample the very best local gay hotels instead of just those with queer marketing factored in, and as such, our usual disclaimer still applies.
Although there are some truly wonderful places in the world for queer people to explore, with Philadelphia being one of them, things that appeal to gay travelers aren’t always necessarily marketed toward them. We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated in general.
If you’re ready to embrace one of the USA’s best-known but still criminally underrated queer hotspots, then get your best outfit picked out for the club, scratch up on your moves and your style, and prepare for the best cheesesteak and hoagies of your life with our special journey through the top eight gay hotels in Philadelphia!
In this article we will cover...
The Logan Philadelphia
It’s always good to start your first glimpse at a city from a high point of reference, and this is the position that the Logan fills to an absolute tee. This five-star luxury location may be a little on the pricey side, but we can promise that if you do leap, not a single cent will be put to waste.
Logan starts this list strongly in another way as well, thanks to the fact that it is openly marketed as queer-friendly. This factor is another step the hotel takes to strengthen the security, feeling of welcomeness, and relaxation that its customers experience while staying there.
There’s both a steakhouse and a formal restaurant located within Logan’s walls, providing the perfect opportunity for you to eat in instead of going out the entire time you’re staying here in Philadelphia. The individual rooms of the Logan are spacious, well-maintained, and exactly what one comes to expect from a five-star hotel, and there are even kitchens, room and laundry service to sweeten the deal even further.
The Logan Square that the hotel gets its name from is also an amazingly central and densely cultured district, home to far more than its share of museums, art displays, and trendy eateries, as well as quite a few queer establishments if you’re looking for something to scratch your gay itch a little bit more specifically.
It can be said that the Logan Square district is the cultural melting pot of the city and that just about any specific or individual taste can be fulfilled here, just as long as you’re willing to walk for a few minutes in any direction or to dig deep enough in the immediate area.
Inn On Camac
Taking a steep but comfortable step down from the five-star luxury of the Logan before it, the Inn On Camac may not have the previous hotel’s highbrow shine, but it makes up for it where things count – service, convenience, and location.
The Inn On Camac’s smaller-than-average size is a benefit in disguise both when it comes to comfort in making your way to and fro from the hotel without having to make your way through busy streets and crowds and thanks to the hotel’s very own complimentary parking place if you decided to tour the city with a car or if you came on a road trip.
Even if that doesn’t apply to you, and if you’ve decided to make your way through Philadelphia on foot, then the Inn On Camac’s connection to the city center and public transport will surely get you moving fast even so.
Positive reviews for this hotel focus heavily upon complimenting the Inn On Camac’s decoration, the quality of the service offered by its staff, and the sheer feeling of catered comfort that one experiences while staying there.
Although the hotel isn’t officially marketed as queer-friendly, which could very well be little more than an effect of its somewhat minimalistic online presence, this fact is quickly curtailed from becoming a negative thanks to the company of quite a few positive reviews made by queer people who were previously guests here.
Long story short, if you’re looking for a serviceable hotel that is just as affordable as it is nonetheless polished, then the Inn On Camac is for you. There’s no need to sacrifice your comfort to save your wallet from being overextended on accommodation costs, and here at the Inn On Camac, that will be your last worry.
Warwick Hotel Philadelphia
Suppose you’ve browsed through even one of our other curated gay hotel lists. In that case, you’ll know that we have quite a soft spot for Warwick Hotels, and this particular location in the center of Philadelphia’s bustling mass is anything but an exception.
Located in the same fraction of the city as the Rittenhouse Hotel that came just before it, the Warwick Hotel is sophisticated from the outside and elegant and well-decorated from the inside – matching aristocratic tones of luxury with a modern edge that well and truly cements it as a top-shelf 21st-century place of accommodation.
Not only are the individual rooms and common spaces of the Warwick commendable, but the hotel also has a series of large event spaces available for both personal and business hire, so if you’ve got a birthday or a wedding to hold, or if your trip to Philadelphia has more to do with work than pleasure, then you don’t have to go out of your way to make everything flow as one without even having to source your needs outside of the hotel that you’re staying in.
Some other wonderful on-paper benefits that the Warwick offers to its guest include its very own Mediterranean restaurant that goes by the name of the Spice Finch, it’s very own steakhouse for something hearty, and even a coffee shop to get you a pick-up in the morning so that you can truly devote your energy to exploring the colorful city of Philadelphia!
On top of all that, staying here isn’t all that expensive either, so you won’t need to feel as though you are being robbed of your hard-earned money as you lay back and enjoy everything that this wonderful place of accommodation lays out on a platter for you to choose from!
The Rittenhouse Hotel
Moving back up into the clouds both figuratively and literally with its five stars and high-rise structure, the Rittenhouse Hotel is just about as fancy and exclusive as it sounds – boasting wonderful views over the appropriately-named Rittenhouse Square, which was upon a time the very center of the queer movement in the city.
There’s a spa for those who love to be pampered, a fitness center for those who like to keep up their workout goals, and the lot of it are set within a positively stunning hotel that is sure to raise the eyebrows of even the most experienced hotel connoisseurs in pleasant surprise. The Rittenhouse is smoke-free, though, from its very bottom to its very top, so take that into account while picking it as your home-away-from-home in Philadelphia.
Not only is this hotel one of the oldest in the entire city, but it is also one of the most enduringly popular and has quite a stunning reputation with business travelers and those looking for a luxurious, all-needs-catered experience. This defiant level of self-respect and respect for its guests has allowed the Rittenhouse to remain true to itself for a long time, all while keeping up with the ages and sharpening its modern edge.
Although the morning breakfast at the Rittenhouse isn’t free like it is at even some of the cheaper locations on this list, the price of that small inconvenience is made up by far by the array of other cost-saving benefits that the hotel has to choose from, such as its luxurious indoor pool, it’s flawless air conditioning for when the weather gets extreme, the kitchens it has in its rooms, and – of course – the wonderful food served of an evening by its restaurant and bar ensemble.
The Four Seasons Philadelphia
Clad all in marble and rising strong amongst the noble skyline around it, this gay hotel is truly one of the best – a paradise of luxury, all-needs-catered service, and relaxation. Although the Four Seasons brand holds somewhat of a reputation as a widespread but middling step into the luxury accommodation scene, it’s when it comes to the franchise’s locations in crucial international hubs such as Philadelphia that we see the transformation of a great hotel into a top-shelf one.
You may be inclined to think that the appearance and luxurious interiors of the Four Seasons Philadelphia are the factors that set it above the rest of the hotels in the city and, indeed, those on this list, but that isn’t the core of its brilliance at all.
The true benefit and exquisite factor of staying at this hotel come from its sheer number of services and amenities. For example, there is a fully heated indoor pool, a spa facility with trained attendants, and a restaurant and bar combo downstairs that is sure to scratch just about every culinary or drink itch you could have.
Even given that it isn’t officially marked as queer-friendly on any major platforms online, the Four Seasons Philadelphia nonetheless has one of the strongest reputations with gay guests that we’ve ever seen and therefore seems to have earnt its position upon this list of gay hotels very well nonetheless.
On top of that, the Four Seasons Philadelphia also has an event space available for hire, so if you’re planning on holding a get-together, a birthday, or even a wedding, then this is the perfect place for you to do in absolute luxury and comfort without having to travel long at all from your temporary home.
Conwell Inn
Although the Conwell Inn may only have two solitary stars to its name, much like the Inn On Camac earlier on this list, we’ve long thought that official business vocabulary, such as the star system, has very little to do with the actual quality that a hotel has to offer, and this particular location is a perfect example of that.
The Corwell Inn breaks the trend started by the last few hotels on this list by being explicitly marked as queer-friendly, so if you’re particularly worried about how a hotel is going to treat you and your potential traveling partner based on your identity, then that is the assurance that you were undoubtedly looking for.
The rooms of the Conwell Inn are large and well-maintained, truly taking the expectations of humble settings that one has of any establishment with an ‘Inn’ title and subverting them back around in absolute satisfaction. The fashion sense of the Conwell may not be as modern as that of a modern chain, but the classical charm that the hotel has is undeniable and nonetheless gives the feeling of a wide-open welcome.
This location is also one of the very few hotels on this list to open its arms to our little ones as well – be they furry or human. While many other establishments in Philadelphia – especially the city center where tourists or businessman spend their time – don’t recommend staying with children or pets, the Conwell Inn does the exact opposite and makes clear that it has just about every possible amenity and allowance for those two special kinds of travelers.
There are also wheelchair-accessible rooms for those with special mobility requirements, which is truly a unique thing in a city filled with skyscrapers, tight elevators, and not a lot of helpful hands!
The Westin Philadelphia
If you’re looking for a hotel that takes a perfect middle position in terms of price and luxury, then this is the ideal place for you. The Westin has a full four stars, an excellent location, and an aesthetically appealing inside and outside, yet it manages to be one of the most affordable hotels on this list. Quality doesn’t have to harm your wallet, after all.
Like the Conwell lnn before it, The Westin is explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly, which means it joins the ranks of the specifically gay-welcoming hotels on this list with a smile and a sterling service reputation.
On top of that, the Westin has on-site parking available, breakfast served every morning, much like the other hotels on this list, and – perhaps most importantly and dynamically – an event center available for hire most days of the week. As we said for the Four Seasons earlier on this list, if you have something to plan, this is yet another place for you to do it without leaving the comfort of your hotel or spending extra on additional bookings!
Before leaving this wonderful location, however, we must dig out the last few surprises Westin has up its sleeve. There’s the fact that the hotel has its very own golf course for one, and while that may not seem like a factor about it that is exactly useful for most of us, it is a sign of prestige nonetheless, and certainly yet another addition to the list of new things that the Westin enables its guests to try out and maybe even fall in love with. Aside from that, however, there’s also a fitness center if you want to maintain your routine!
The Windsor Suites
Although it may only have three stars to this name, nothing about that factor should make you turn away from the Windsor Suites or consider them as being ‘cheap’. As we always say, it’s not the stars that matter, but the quality and the reviews, and both of those factors are where the Windsor Suites shine.
Suppose the name of this particular hotel didn’t give it away from the start. In that case, the Windsor Suites consist of a set of spacious, luxurious apartment-like rooms rather than what one might expect from a traditional hotel. As such, guests are afforded every bit of space they could need to let their hair down, stretch out, and enjoy themselves.
The Windsor Suites are explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly, much like the Logan at the beginning of this list, and have a large outdoor pool for the enjoyment of their esteemed guests. Individual rooms at the Windsor Suites come with full kitchen setups for convenience and adaptability and separate dining areas if you want to dine in rather than out or hook yourself up with something from the hotel’s quality room service.
Another one of the many selling factors of staying at the Windsor Suites is the hotel’s proximity to public transport, but you needn’t even take advantage of that thanks to the varied, colorful range of both culinary and cultural experiences that the hotel’s surrounding Logan Square has to offer.
This is also true for the hotel itself, thanks to the Windsor Suites’ very own Irish pub, Con Murphy’s, and the attached restaurant, Asia on the Parkway. There’s even a car rental service directly nearby if you’re interested in picking up and dropping off a hire vehicle with an almost uncontestable level of convenience!
Gay Hotel Map Of Philadelphia
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Philadelphia? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Philadelphia! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Philadelphia.
