Gay Friendly Hotels and Travel in San Francisco

Since the 1950s, or perhaps even earlier, no city in the world has been more closely associated with gay and lesbian culture than San Francisco.

Of course, San Francisco also ranks among the elite when it comes to scenic beauty, superb dining, sophisticated inns and boutique hotels, and provocative museums. The shopping and recreational opportunities are amazing, and there is plenty of gay nightlife to be found. All in all, gay travel and San Francisco go hand in hand, and gay hotels in San Francisco are a must.

Gay and lesbian guests and employees have always been important to C-Two Hotels. We are proud to provide an eclectic and affordable collection of boutique gay friendly hotels in San Francisco, each one offering top-notch service and artful décor.

Learn more about C-Two’s diverse portfolio of gay friendly hotels San Francisco.

Gay Travel San Francisco: Top 5 Attractions

The Castro Theater

The city declared this remarkable Spanish Colonial structure a landmark in 1977, calling it San Francisco’s finest example of a 1920s movie palace. Inside the 1,600-seat theater sports an awesome plaster ceiling resembling a giant cloth canopy. The loyal, enthusiastic audience revels in the theater’s opulence and the thrill of seeing favorite classics as they were originally presented. If you’re lucky, you’ll be at a performance where the theater’s multi-pipe organ rises from the orchestra pit and the organist regales moviegoers before the show. Special events are also staged here, such as concerts of the Gay Men’s Chorus, and numerous film festivals, including the International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. 429 Castro St. (between 18th and 17th Streets).

Glide Memorial United Methodist Church

In his 40 years as Pastor of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, Reverend Cecil Williams has created a church that practices diversity, spirituality, and compassion. The Glide Church serves as a meeting place for gay men, lesbians and transgender people. Sunday services offer great Gospel music for everyone. This is a fabulous experience not to be missed, especially for guests of the Hotel Mark Twain located right next door. 330 Ellis. Sunday celebrations at 9am and 11am.

Harvey Milk Plaza

A small brick plaza in front of the Castro and Market Muni station was dedicated in 1985 to the slain civil rights leader and former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. At the railway’s entrance is a plaque giving a thumbnail history of Milk’s career in the city, from 1973 when he opened a camera store at 575 Castro, to his assassination at City Hall in November 1978. The memorial concludes movingly with a quote from Milk: “I am all of us.” Market and Castro Streets.

James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center

Located in a wood-paneled circular room in the seven-story San Francisco Public Library (known to locals as “New Main”), this center is a landmark as the first facility of its kind in the world to be housed in a public institution. Named for its single largest benefactor, a member of the Hormel meatpacking dynasty (and controversial ambassadorial nominee in 1997), the center is dedicated to research on gay and lesbian culture. Highlights of the collection include material from filmmakers Rob Epstein and Peter Adair, journalist Randy Shilts, pioneering lesbian publishers Barbara Grier and Donna McBride of Naiad Press and, of course, the personal papers and memorabilia of San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. M, F-Sa; Tu-Th 9am-8pm; Su noon-5pm. 100 Larkin St. (at Grove St), third floor.

Museum of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender History: A Project of the GLBT History Society

The mission of the GLBT Historical Society is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and otherwise make available to the public historical, cultural, and artistic materials related to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender communities, identities, and practices, as well as of other sexual minorities. The legacy of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to hold high public office in a major American city, is profiled in Saint Harvey: The Life and Afterlife of a Modern Gay Martyr. Old photos, posters and personal belongings including the blood-stained suit he wore the day of his assassination are part of this provocative exhibit. 657 Mission St., Suite 300.