Wilton Manors, Florida. The Cabanas, Wilton Manor’s only guesthouse and spa, is celebrating its tenth anniversary.  What started out as a derelict, transient, weekly rental motel called Sante Fe Landings, is now a sprawling and luxurious all male retreat.  Over the ten years, owners John Dorry and Bill Barnish have transformed the property into an oasis for gay men visiting Wilton Manors, the heart of gay Fort Lauderdale.

As soon as guests enter the property, they are immediately immersed in a lush, tropical setting.  Like walking into a modern day Garden of Eden, Palm trees of every variety, ferns and tropical flowers line the walkway.  The rooms are sleek and well appointed, complete with flat screen TV’s and modern bathrooms.  The tranquil sounds of waves from the intracoastal and the two pools join in orchestra to create a serene environment.  The Cabanas is clothing optional but for those who choose to remain clothed, the atmosphere is still inviting and non-intrusive.

As the only guesthouse that’s located on the water, guests can take advantage of the complimentary kayaks and explore the picturesque intracoastal waterways up close.  Complimentary bicycles are also available for those who want a two-wheeled tour of the city.

The Cabanas is perfectly located so that guests can enjoy the myriad of shops, restaurants and nightlife Wilton Manors has to offer.  During the day, visitors can stroll down Wilton Drive and shop the clothing stores as well as the upscale and casual boutiques lining the drive.  Numerous eateries offering Thai, Japanese, Italian and Mexican fare stipple both sides of the road.  After a full day of shopping and sightseeing, guests can retire back to their rooms to relax in the salt water heated pool, hot tub or steam room.  Minutes away from Wilton Manors, guest can return to the strip as the nightlife start to sizzle.

Over the ten years, The Cabanas has undergone vast improvements.  The latest being the addition of the full service day spa.  The Cabanas is the only resort in Wilton Manors that offers this luxury.  From massages to hair removal, this European style day spa pampers its guests from head to toe.  It’s a retreat within a retreat.

Sticking to their tried and tested campaign of offering value and outstanding customer service, The Cabanas has been a favorite destination for gay men around the globe.  From a rundown hotel to luxurious get-away, The Cabanas continues to re-invent and redefine the notion of a gay guesthouse.  It’s the reason why they have not only survived, but thrived for the last ten years.

The mile-high club got redefined yesterday as two couples, one gay and one lesbian, became the first same-sex couples to get married on board an airplane. This spectacle was organized by SAS Scandinavian Airlines, which hosted a wildly successful social media campaign, Love is in the Air, to marry the world’s first same-sex couple on its plane.

The two winners of the competition, German couple Aleksandar Mijatovic and Shantu Bhattache, and Polish couple Ewa Tomaszewicz and Gosia Rawińska, received the most votes in the campaign and became the ones to create history, as they celebrated their unions on aboard flight SK903 flying from Stockholm to New York.

Besides being a unique way of celebrating their unions, both couples also saw their ‘mile-high marriages’ as an opportunity to fight for gay rights in their countries. Aleksandar said, “We saw this as a great opportunity to spread the word about gay marriage. In Germany where we come from, there’s no gay marriages. It’s only registered partnerships. It’s not really equal. So we thought we’d inspire gay people back home to get married. Or even better, we could inspire people to fight, to get on the streets, fight for their rights and change the law.”

Aleksandar and Shantu had been planning to get married for close to two years. Aleksandar shared, “On December 24, 2008, [Shantu] went on his knees and gave me a ring and asked me if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him [Aww!]. We always wanted to do something special. We had thought about renting a castle and inviting lots of friends and partying three days in a row, or something similar. Then we saw the ‘Love is in the Air’ campaign on the internet and we thought: that’s special!”

Ewa and Gosia, who reside in Warsaw, have been together for six years. They said that they would have gotten married already if Poland allowed gay marriage. Ewa said however that they’ve received a lot of support from Poland. “One of the highlights of the entire experience was when we received a message from some amazing Polish leaders – these four women who are real heroes in Poland. They’re feminists, they’re fighters. And they wrote to us saying that what we’re doing in this contest is really important for the fight for LGBT rights in Poland. It was fantastic,” she said.

The celebrations didn’t stop when the flight landed in New York. There was a reception for the couples yesterday night held at the Ramscale Loft, and they let their hair down and boogied!

Designer Efva Attling, who gifted the couples with their wedding rings, showed up at the reception in New York and she also had some advice to dish out to the newlyweds. “Respect each other, and you need a lot of humor. Be sure to forgive and forget, but most of all, remember that love conquers all. I’m sure of that,” she said.

Besides the two European couples who flew into New York from Stockholm, there was an American gay couple who won the chance to get married on an SAS flight as well. Except they’ll be doing it in reverse – they’re flying from New York to Stockholm!

Thomas Landreth and Brett Kessler, both from North Carolina, won SAS’s VisitSweden love competition and they are heading to the IceHotel in northern Sweden for their commitment ceremony. Till death (by freezing) do us part indeed!

Thomas and Brett both come from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and they credit support from the school community for their victory in the competition. “[UNC - Chapel Hill] has the oldest college LGBTQ publication that is still around, so they have a history of supporting LGBTQ causes. We kinda put the word out among our friends. Then, it got to the school papers, and it just spread like wildfire. We have support coming left and right,” Brett said

Brett shared that this trip will be only his second time out of the country. “It’ll be nice to see Sweden, and it’ll be a story to bring back home for the family, that’s for sure,” he said.

And as for Aleksandar and Shantu and Ewa and Gosia, the couples are now enjoying their honeymoons here in the good ol’ US of A, in both New York and Los Angeles.

Here’re some lovely pictures of the historic event from the Facebook page of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association!

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democrats said Wednesday they had a plan to overcome Republican objections and finally repeal the military’s 17-year-old ban on openly gay troops.

The White House also expressed optimism that Congress would overturn the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, despite key GOP senators giving no indication that they would agree.

A test vote was scheduled for late Wednesday on a defense policy bill that includes the repeal provision.

“The president is hopeful, and encouraging Democrats and Republicans to get behind that repeal,” said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Advocates for overturning the law say they are confident that at least 60 senators are on their side, giving Democrats a filibuster-proof majority to pass the measure.

But Republicans, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins and other GOP senators who support repeal, have united to block previous attempts to advance the legislation. They say the bill requires more debate time than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has allowed.

In recent days, GOP senators have said no bill should be considered before tax cuts and government spending are addressed.

Reid, D-Nev., told reporters Wednesday that he is trying to negotiate a deal with Collins that would allow more than a dozen amendments on the bill and extra debate time for Republicans if they wanted it.

Reid’s aides said they expected Collins would swing behind the proposal, especially now that a deal had been struck with the White House on tax cuts and the Senate was awaiting House action on government spending.

A spokesman for Collins, Kevin Kelley, would only confirm that she was in talks with Reid on the subject.

Reid said Republicans had run out of excuses to block the bill.

“Throwing up these artificial roadblocks is just foolishness,” Reid said.

Still, Reid’s decision to force a vote now on repeal was considered a gamble.

If it fails, it would be considered dead for the year. The repeal effort would then face an uphill battle come January when Republicans take control of the House and increase their numbers in the Senate.

If it passes, the Senate would spend the next few days debating the bill before a final vote is cast.

At least four Senate Republicans – Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins of Maine and John Ensign of Nevada – have said they think the law should be overturned.

Conservative Democrats who were initially reluctant on the matter, including Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, have also said they would vote to lift the ban now that a Pentagon study concluded it wouldn’t hurt military effectiveness.

Advocates for repeal said privately they thought Wednesday’s vote was doomed to fail. Publicly, gay rights groups called on President Barack Obama to use his power to ensure the vote succeeded.

“The president set a course for repeal during his State of the Union address and this Senate vote may be the steepest hurdle of this 17-year fight,” said Christopher Neff, deputy executive director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“This is the president’s vote and his leadership can make the difference today,” Neff said in a statement e-mailed shortly after Reid’s announcement.

Yes, it’s already November. Thanksgiving is just around the corner with Christmas and New Years soon to follow. The hot weather has tapered off and as we enjoy some beautiful South Florida nights there are a lot of us sharing the desire lately to get out and enjoy ourselves. Surely there never seems to be a shortage of exciting things to do here, but now is the time when Florida is at its best – the winter months. Don’t let your November go to waste! Get out there and have some fun, there’s more than enough to go around.

Friday November 19^th: Filthy Gorgeous @ Score in Miami Beach. Visit www.ScoreBar.net for more information.

Saturday November 20^th: Demon Pack T-shirt show @ The Manor in Wilton Manors. Visit  www.themanorcomplex.com for more info.

Friday November 26^th: The Leather Masked Ball @ Sea Monster Nightclub in Fort Lauderdale. Visit www.leathermaskedball.org for tickets and more info.

Friday November 26^th: Bear Appreciation Party @ Bills Filling Station in Wilton manors. Visit www.BillsFillingStation for more info.

Friday November 26^th: Bearlesque – Holiday Edition @ The Manor in Wilton Manors. Visit www.bearnationevents.com for more info

And don’t forget that November 24^th – 29^th is White Party Week at Vizcaya in Miami Beach! The white party benefits Care Resource which is an organization that helps care of individuals living with HIV & AIDS throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. It’s a phenomenal party year after year with 2010 promising to be the best yet! Many special events are planned throughout the week – don’t miss out! For more information about White party 2010 or to purchase tickets, please visit www.whiteparty.org/events today. The 2010 white Party will be the final time after 25 years that the event is held at Vizcaya. Organizers claim it costs too much to host at the Miami landmark.

If you plan on visiting South Florida to attend the ever popular White Party, be sure to check out The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa for the ultimate resort stay! The Cabanas is an all male clothing-optional guesthouse located in the heart of Wilton Manors in Fort Lauderdale. Just minutes from the gay district and minutes from the beach, Cabanas is an all-around favorite among locals and travelers alike. Make your reservations today!

On Wednesday, Florida’s 3rd district court of appeals upheld a previous trial court ruling which states that Florida’s explicit ban on gay adoption is unconstitutional.

The appeals court struck down the state law which prohibits the adoption of children by gays and lesbians on the grounds that gay and lesbian citizens are afforded equal protection under law.

The ruling is considered a victory for Florida Gov.Charlie Crist who announced recently that the state would refrain from enforcing the ban. Crist said that he is very pleased with the ruling, although he was a supporter of the legislation earlier on in his career.

The spokesman for the Department of Children and Families Joe Follick stated “As of now, this decision does stand as the law in Florida, and we are currently not enforcing the ban.”

The Department of Children and Families has 30 days to decide on an appeal, “but we will make a decision sooner than that” said Follick.
It’s pleasing to finally be able to say that after 33 long years, the Florida Ban on gay adoption is finally headed for the history archives.  Overall, the ruling is a major win for gay and lesbian activists, gay and lesbian families and the GLBT rights movement in general.

FORT LAUDERDALE: By Word of Mouth • Cafe Vico • The Capital Grille • China Grill at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina • Coco Asian Bistro & Bar • da Campo Osteria by Todd English at il Lugano • 15th Street Fisheries • Grille 66 & Bar Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six • Hi-Life Cafe • Himmarshee Bar & Grille • ilios at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort • Johnny V • Mai-Kai Restaurant and Show • The Melting Pot • Morton’s The Steakhouse • North Ocean Grille at the Pelican Grand • Primavera • Ruth’s Chris Steak House • Sea Level Restaurant & Ocean Bar at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa • Shula’s on the Beach at the Westin Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale • SoLita Las Olas • Sunfish Grill • 3030 Ocean at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa • Tokyo Blue • Trina at The Atlantic Hotel • Truluck’s Seafood Steak and Crab House • Via Luna at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale

HALLANDALE BEACH: Cantina Laredo Gourmet Mexican Food • Links Restaurant & Lounge at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa • III Forks Steak & Seafood

HOLLYWOOD: Aizia at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa • Lola’s on Harrison

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA: Blue Moon Fish Co.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT: Le Bistro

POMPANO BEACH: Cafe Maxx

WESTON: East City Grill • Ireland’s Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure

WILTON MANORS: Galanga Thai Kitchen & Sushi Bar

Watch video clip

Wet Platinum Man at The Cabanas Ft Lauderdale_NEW

Check out the short video about the Cabanas, brought to you by Antonio, the Wet Platimun Man. As always, our special guests have nothing but rave compliments about our resort. For some more compliments and reviews, visit our Trip Advisor page HERE after you watch the video. Over 80 reviews and counting, they speak for themselves. See you soon!

The dog days of summer have come to an end in Gay Fort Lauderdale.  Waiting just around the corner is the winter season, better known as “the real tropical summer” of South Florida.

As the temperatures slowly begin to cool to a comfortable daily average of 78 degrees with a tropical breeze, the excitement at The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa and all of Gay Fort Lauderdale is just beginning to heat up. While we prepare for another season of super-hot guests, rampant relaxation and extreme fun in the sun, it’s our duty to invite you for an unbelievable getaway at Fort Lauderdale’s Premier Gay Guesthouse, Resort and Spa.

The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa is the ONLY all-male guesthouse and spa that offers you luxury amenities, tranquil and relaxing water views, and most importantly, a convenient location to shopping, extensive variety of fine dining and incredible nightlife entertainment.  Located in Wilton Manors, (dubbed as “Gay Mayberry”), The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa is in the heart of Gay Fort Lauderdale and is one of the top gay destinations in the country.  Only The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa allows you access to all the excitement while providing the best in gay resort vacationing in the center of it all.

Fall and Winter are the busiest times of the year, and rooms at The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa tend to fill up quickly, so make your reservation in advance and indulge yourself at South Florida’s premier all male gay resort. The unique privacy offered only at The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa allows for clothing optional, yet it’s still a comfortable environment for those who are less inhibited but still enjoy some eye candy. As our regular guests will tell you, there’s no place quite like The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa.

Besides swimming in The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa’s luxurious saltwater pool, mingling with new friends while sunbathing or sweating it out with the boys in the steam room, make sure to plan an evening out to party in the Gay Mecca of Wilton Manors.  There’s absolutely no telling what fun the night will bring, where you may end up or whom you’ll bring home! Wilton Manors has everything you could ask for including an abundance of hot men, delicious food, packed bars, sexy clubs, non-stop shopping and more.

In addition to the never-ending fun at our resort, there are plenty of spectacular events lined up this season, and there’s surely something to suit everyone’s taste. From the annual Wicked Manors Halloween bash where the half-naked hunks strut through the streets, to the ever popular FLIFF Festival (Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival), you’ll definitely be amazed at just how hot Fort Lauderdale’s gay scene can get.

If you haven’t made plans for Wicked Manors, Wilton Manors’ Halloween Street Party, The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa is the perfect place to trick and treat.  Visitors from all over the country, as well as locals, flock to what can only be described as “The Mardi Gras of South Florida”. Over 10,000 people dress up in extravagant outfits from the extremely creative to those leaving little to the imagination.  It’s one party you don’t want to miss and with a full Halloween moon, you never know what the night can bring…

So whether you come dressed as an angel or a devil, we’ll make sure your room is a little piece of heaven.  If you’re looking for a REAL gay vacation experience that will completely satisfy your senses, then it’s time to check in at The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa. Trust us, you’ll never want to check out!

Don’t wait any longer, make reservations now and enjoy the stay of a lifetime! For more information on our award-winning resort & spa or to book reservations online, visit our website at www.thecabanasguesthouse.com or call us at 954.564.7764 and we’ll be glad to assist you. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Spa Cabanas Special – Heaven on Earth?

Spa Cabanas is The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa exclusive on-site private Day Spa, providing our guests with some of the finest, most unique European style spa treatments available in Fort Lauderdale. Take some time to relax with an exceptional session from one of our highly trained professional Spa Therapists, as you step away from your thoughts at our modern and luxurious refuge.

At Cabanas Spa, relaxation is the name of the game and we offer everything you’ll need to totally pamper yourself!  Drop in after lunch for an hour massage to relieve tension from sore/achy muscles, or spend the afternoon and allow us to completely rejuvenate your mind and body with one of our customized spa packages.  Whether you choose a therapeutic massage that you’ll wish never ended, to body treatments, facials, waxing and nail care that simply can’t be compared to, our designer spa is nothing less than an absolute addiction to our guests.

You owe it to yourself to indulge every once in a while, and Spa Cabanas is surely the ultimate indulgence! In addition to offering the areas finest spa services, our Spa Therapists use only imported Babor© products to achieve the absolute best in quality and results. A few of the exotic services we can spoil you with at Spa Cabanas are:

• Swedish, Deep Tissue, Swe-Thai, Reflexology and Hot Stone Massages
• Anti-Aging and Deep Cleansing Facials
• Scen Tao Organic Exfoliation and Body Wraps
• Gentlemen’s Manicure & Pedicure
• Waxing, Shaving and Body Hair Trimming

SPECIAL OFFER! For a limited time, you can receive a 60 minute massage and a 60 minute facial treatment for only $144.00 ($80 savings from the regular price of $224). Please note that this special offer is only valid if you schedule spa services at the same time reservations are made for a stay at The Cabanas Guesthouse and Spa! Visit the spa section of our website HERE or call us direct at 954.565.2307 for more information.

As we roll into the month of August in South Florida, things really begin to get hot – and we’re not just speakng about the weather. There’s so much to do in Fort Lauderdale for tourists and natives alike, regardless of the season, age, or sexual orientation. With August being one of the hotter months, is the ultimate time to take advantage of some of the more unique activities Fort Lauerdale has to offer such as boat rentals/tubing, scuba diving, wave runner rentals, speed boat rides, para-sailing and more.

Within recent years, Fort Lauderdale itself has grown into what may seem to be no less than one giant gay resort. Fort Lauderdale’s gay scene, or as many call it Gay Fort Lauderdale, is flourishing with gay-friendly everything – from bars and nightclubs to shopping, fine dinning and resorts – many specifically tailored to the gay lifestyle. Even those which are not specifically “gay oriented” often boast themelves as “welcoming all lifestyles” as in Fort Lauderdale there seems to be no “norm”.

The neighboring city of Wilton Manors (the gayborhood) is about 2 miles from the beach and loaded with a concentration of LGBT focused businesses and venues. A quick trip through Wilton Manors on any given weekend may leave you with the impression that you’ve slipped into a gay-only fantasy world, often one which may cause you to cringe at the simple thought of leaving, and for good reason. Did you forget to pack swim trunks in your suitcase?? No probem, you can always stop at Gay Mart and pick up another pair. Got munchies after a long night of clubbing at RamRod or other gay bars along the strip? Stop at Humpy’s Pizza at 1:45a.m. for great Pizza & Panini. And the list goes on and on.

It’s quite shocking, not to mention very satisfying to discover a whole culture of LGBT couples and individuals, all gathered into one beautiful area…. Have you died and gone to heaven?? No, you’re just gay in Fort Lauderdale.

Having been informed of a few things that Gay Fort Lauderdale has to offer, let’s talk about where to stay. There’s an abundance of gay hotels and resorts in the Fort Lauderdale area, however none quite as appealing as The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa. Located just blocks from Wilton Manors on its own privately enclosed paradise rests The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa. Bordered on 2 sides by a quaint yet refreshing waterway padded with lush tropical landscape, The Cabanas is an award-winning clothing-optional resort and a definite favorite of those who are “in the know”.

Since opening in 2001, The Cabanas excellent scenery, prime location, generous amenities and superior customer service have yielded a loyal following of gay travelers from literally around the world. When you stay at The Cabanas, it’s more than just a hotel room to sleep in – It’s the experience of a lifetime. It’s an opportunnity to meet great people and enjoy great company. It’s the freedom to walk, swim or sun-bathe in the nude. It’s the chance to make lifelong friends with whom you can create memories that will never be forgotten. It’s the luxury of being who YOU want to be, because unlike the other gay resorts, The Cabanas is all about YOU.

Indulge in yourself, indulge in your relationship, indulge in the real gay lifestyle. The ultimate gay vacation begins at The Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa of beautiful Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors. Don’t believe the hype??? View our (over 70 and counting) reviews on TripAdvisor.com, one of the most trusted and respected traveler review sites in the world. The words of our loyal and satisfied visitors say it all.

Visit us now at www.thecabanasguesthouse.com for more information on rates, availability and to make reservations. We’ll see you soon!