5* Casa Hermes Gay Guest House

The Pillars feels a world away from the bigger resorts lining Fort Lauderdale Beach, despite being only a short walk from the sand and Sebastian Street gay beach. This is a small, grown-up hotel beside the Intracoastal, with a quieter and much more personal atmosphere. One particularly useful Fort Lauderdale touch is the Water Taxi stop right at the hotel, so you can explore the city’s waterways and Las Olas without always relying on a car. Dinner beside the water is part of the charm, and the location gives you the beach action when you want it without putting it directly outside your room. GayMapper tip: a lovely couples’ choice if you want something intimate and upscale with the gay beach close by.

Casa Hermès puts you right in Wilton Manors but takes a very different approach from the larger clothing-optional resorts. It’s an intimate, design-conscious gay guesthouse with just a few rooms and particularly hands-on hosts. Wilton Drive and its bars, restaurants and cafés are just steps away, so evenings couldn’t be easier. Back at the house there’s a clothing-optional saltwater pool, hot tub and peaceful garden, while the homemade Mediterranean-style breakfast gets plenty of attention from returning guests. The small scale makes it feel more like being welcomed into a very stylish private home than checking into a hotel. GayMapper tip: a great splurge for couples who want Wilton Drive on the doorstep but prefer personal service and a calmer atmosphere at home.

If you’re coming to Fort Lauderdale primarily for Wilton Manors, the location doesn’t get much easier than this. Inn On The Drive is just off Wilton Drive, so bars, restaurants, cafés and LGBTQ+ businesses are only a few minutes away on foot. Back at the inn, things are considerably more relaxed. It’s adults only and clothing optional, with tropical gardens, several pools and a hot tub, so you can quite happily spend an afternoon doing very little before walking out for dinner and drinks. The small-resort atmosphere also makes this a sociable choice without the scale of some of Fort Lauderdale’s larger gay properties. GayMapper tip: one of the best choices if you want to walk to Wilton Manors nightlife and leave the Uber app alone for a few days.

Worthington is one of Fort Lauderdale’s long-standing gay men’s resorts and now forms part of a large interconnected complex with The Grand, Alcazar and Villa Venice. That gives the place a genuinely sociable resort feel, with multiple clothing-optional pools, hot tubs and courtyards shared across the different buildings. It attracts plenty of repeat visitors and a good mix of couples and solo travellers, so meeting people tends to happen naturally around the pools. The Atlantic is only a few hundred feet away and Sebastian Street gay beach is around five minutes on foot. Wilton Manors is a short rideshare when you want the bigger bar scene. GayMapper tip: ideal if your perfect Fort Lauderdale day involves gay beach, pool, drinks and very little logistical planning.

Residence Inn Intracoastal works well if you want more of an apartment feel and don’t mind staying a little north of the busiest stretch of Fort Lauderdale Beach. The suites come with proper kitchens, balconies and even washer-dryers, making this particularly handy for longer trips. You’re beside the Intracoastal Waterway, with beach access and neighbourhood restaurants nearby, while Wilton Manors is also relatively easy to reach by car. It’s less useful if you want to walk to Sebastian Street gay beach or the main nightlife every day, but the quieter location has its advantages. GayMapper tip: a strong longer-stay option if you want space, water views and easy access to both the beach and Wilton Manors by rideshare.

Conrad is a good choice if your version of Fort Lauderdale involves a proper beachfront luxury hotel by day and LGBTQ+ nightlife when you feel like venturing out. It sits on the quieter northern section of Fort Lauderdale Beach, within an easy walk of Sebastian Street gay beach and with restaurants and bars stretching south along the oceanfront. The all-suite accommodation also gives you considerably more space than a typical beach hotel, with balconies and kitchen facilities in every suite. Wilton Manors is a short rideshare away, so it’s easy enough to swap ocean views for The Drive after dinner. GayMapper tip: especially good for couples wanting a polished beach holiday with the gay scene available rather than dominating the whole trip.