WeHo's Infamous San Vicente Inn To Be Revamped

Renowned hotelier Jeff Klein has purchased the San Vicente Inn in West Hollywood, WEHOville is reporting. The 26-room, clothing optional hotel has long been considered a landmark in the LA gay community. However, in recent years, its' reputation has plummeted, becoming widely viewed as dilapidated and a drug den. The presence of a drug rehabilitation facility on the premises, KLEAN, has also soured some guests on the prospect of a stay at the Inn. 

Klein, who owns the Sunset Tower Hotel in Hollywood and the City Club Hotel in New York, seems to have made this acquisition of out of love. He told WEHONEWS:

"[The San Vicente Inn is] one of the most magical, special places in all of West Hollywood, and it deserves a lot of love and attention.”

Last week, all the current residents were evicted and renovation of the hotel is already under way. Klein vows the Inn will remain gay-friendly and clothing optional. By the terms of the new lease KLEAN will also be allowed to remain.

it’s one of the most magical, special places in all of West Hollywood, and it deserves a lot of love and attention.” - See more at: http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=8010#sthash.WCY1ZbHe.dpuf

it’s one of the most magical, special places in all of West Hollywood, and it deserves a lot of love and attention.” - See more at: http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=8010#sthash.WCY1ZbHe.dpuf

it’s one of the most magical, special places in all of West Hollywood, and it deserves a lot of love and attention.” - See more at: http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/page.php?articleID=8010#sthash.WCY1ZbHe.dpuf

Australian Hotel Chain Dares Guests to Steal a Banksy Off Its Walls

Melbourne-based Art Series hotels has launched a novel campaign to get people into its businesses. It's hanging an authenticated work by Banksy on a wall in one of its hotels and daring people to steal it.

The art at Art Series Hotels is not for stealing. But this Summer, we’re shifting the goalposts and hiding a Banksy in one of our Hotels for you to steal. The $15,000 masterpiece is one of just a handful of signed and authenticated Banksy's available in Australia...

...Find the art and try and steal it. If you don't get caught it's yours to keep. If you do get caught then back up on the wall it goes.

(via the daily what)

Lesbian Couple Says the Four Seasons Hotel Kicked Them Out for Kissing: VIDEO

Teresa Folds and Julieigh Snell were kissing in the Jacuzzi at the rooftop pool at the Four Seasons in St. Louis when they were asked to leave because of their PDA, told that the hotel does not allow behavior like theirs by any couple, and " insinuated that [they] were not a normal couple," Folds tells KSDK.

The hotel released a statement:

"Four Seasons respects the behaviors of our guests, except where doing so may be a breach of law or create tensions among people. This was the case on the night in question, as our staff received several complaints about the guest's behavior. I can assure you that the gender of the couple was never at issue."

Watch KSDK's report, AFTER THE JUMP...

Las Vegas Hotel Apologizes for Kicking Out Trans Woman

Yesterday I posted about a trans woman who was harassed and then kicked out of the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel for using the women's restroom.

The Cosmopolitan has issued an apology and statement about the ugly incident, Las Vegas Weekly reports:

“The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent dignity of every person, by fostering sensitivity, understanding and mutual respect of our guests and employees.

“We sincerely regret any misunderstanding or inappropriate actions that any member of our staff may have taken. And to ensure increased sensitivity within this area, the organization will focus on continued training and on-going awareness initiatives. In addition, we apologize to the individual guest and welcome her back to the resort anytime.”

Additionally, the hotel stated, “We would like to apologize to the LGBT community and anyone concerned and hope to demonstrate our firm dedication to fair and unbiased treatment of all.”

Previously...
Las Vegas Hotel Bans Trans Woman for Life for Using Bathroom [tr]

Las Vegas Hotel Bans Trans Woman for Life for Using Bathroom

A transgender woman was reportedly "banned for life" from the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas after going there for a drink and using the women's bathroom. 

HotelChatter reports:

Here’s what happened. Stephanie goes to the Cosmo in the early hours of the morning – about 2.30am. She sits down at the Vesper Bar, in the lobby of the hotel, and orders drinks. Her drinks are good, the barman is pleasant, all is well. And then, at 4am, she realizes she needs the bathroom.

She goes, as is her wont, to the women’s restroom, just across from the bar. It’s empty, as you’d expect at 4am on a Monday. Not a single person in there. She powders her nose and exits the restroom, only to be met by two security guards who immediately say “Come with us” and start marching her out of the hotel. As they walk her, they demand to see her ID (to establish her legal gender). It’s in her purse, and she fumbles for it as she’s being forcibly marched through the lobby of the hotel. As she fumbles, one of the men tells her to hurry up. She is scared, and starts apologizing, saying she’s not trying to cause trouble, but it’s hard to walk and look for her ID at the same time.

They march her outside the hotel (the bathroom is near the main entrance) and she finds her ID. One of the guards checks it, establishes that her legal gender is male, and pulls out a yellow form from his pocket and starts writing in her details to the blank spaces. As he does so, he says, “Are you working?” Way to add insult to injury. She doesn’t say “Well as it happens, yes I am working, at the conference, douchebag.” She says no.

There's much more on the incident at HotelChatter...

Watch: Gay Historian David Starkey Defends Anti-Gay Christians

Openly gay historian David Starkey, who has been nicknamed the "rudest man in Britain," has come to the defense of hotel owners who turn same-sex couples away as a result of their anti-gay Christian beliefs. He made the remarks on BBC’s "Question Time" earlier this week:

“The way to do that is not to ban them, not to fine them. It is for them simply to put up what seems to me to be a quite proper notice in a small privately run hotel which says 'we are Christians and this is what we believe.' Otherwise, we are as I said, we are producing a new tyranny...speaking as someone who is gay and had a mother who was a Christian and passionately hated and opposed it. The hatred and the opposition made me what I am. Nice and sweet about gays isn't wholly a good thing."

Starkey himself claims that he is atheist.

In January, a UK court found in favor of a gay couple who claimed discrimination against a Christian hotel owner who refused to allow them to book a room in their hotel. Another couple has also sued an English bed & breakfast whose owners also turned them away because of their religious beliefs.

Watch his remarks, AFTER THE JUMP.