Discreetly Booking a Gay Hotel

[tanman4u]

I've got an upcoming biz trip to Fort Lauderdale where there's several great gay resorts. Problem is I'll be turning my expense report in to the nosy bean counters that pay the bills. Does anyone know of a travel wholesaler or travel agent I can book a room through, and have the bill show up on my credit card as something other than the actual hotel name? Thanks and Happy Easter

[Lankypeters]

Check out the Travel section of today's (3/23) NYTimes. On the second page, top (I think) there's a short item about a new consortium of gay-friendly hotels around the world. The hotels welcome gays as well as those other people, so they're not identifiable as strictly gay hotels. There may be a property you can book. If you can't get hard copy of the Times, go online (http://www.nytimes.com). You'll have to register to use the site, but at no charge.

 

I know this isn't exactly what you request in your post, but it may help.

 

 

 

 

"I'd say that's a bit of an extreme reaction, now wouldn't you?" -- N.F. Bates

 

 

Lankypeters

[Guest Wetnwildbear]

Unless you work for the CIA how would your bookkeeping dept.

 

know which hotel/resort was "Gay" and which was "Straight?"

 

Unless of course you are planning to stay at

 

-Dicks Do Cum Inn!

 

-The Phallus Palace!

 

-The Bendover and Spread'em Motel!

 

-Mary's House of Fairies!

 

If the bookkeeper knows the names of Gay Hotels/Resorts in Ft.

 

Lauderdale then maybe you shouldn't worry and instead ask him out

 

for a drink!

 

In the alternative if your employer is that Homophobic - Maybe - Just

 

Maybe it is time to look for a new job.

 

And Finally! Much as we try a Hotel/Resort - Cannot be Gay -just its

 

patrons! }( }( }( }( }( }( }(

[tanman4u]

Yea my employer is that homophobic but the job's too good....waaaay too good. Of all of the places I've looked at online, every one of them make it very plain that they're gay oriented. Wouldn't take the CIA to figure that out, just a quick Google of the name.

[Damascene]

Book it through online booking service. You can always say you were book the bargain in the range your company will pay for.

[rentingdad]

I have to say this is one of the strangest and saddest posts I've read on these boards in quite a while.

 

What are you - working for the Ad Agency where Larry Tate worked in the 1960's?

 

Why in God's name would you think that the "bean counters" would be googling the hotel name on your expense report?

 

This is 2008!

 

Some of us are getting legally married in the US! We have openly gay elected officials at the local, state and federal levels! In fact the days of the "gay hotel" located in the "gay ghetto" are fast coming to an end, gays and lesbians are staying anywhere they please and aren't being relegated to smarmy, "gay" hotels and guest houses.

 

Maybe it's time to nut-up, have some self-respect and not let yourself be bullied by an employer living in the 1950's.

 

I don't care how great the job is - if you're afraid of a homo which hunt by your companies accounting department it's time to get a new job.

[Guest LatinoRican]

My thoughts exactly!

[Guest Wetnwildbear]

I was trying to be nice about it in my post.

 

But I agree - It sounds like he works for the equivalent

 

of the McCarthy - House Un-American Affairs Committee

 

 

People staying in the closet is one of the things that

 

hurts the community most.

[Epigonos]

Gee guys what a great way to drive a relatively new poster off the site. Since when do any of us have the right to tell another guy how he should live his life? The man asked a question if you don't have an answer for him fine but this isn't a church so why not leave the preaching to Sunday School.

[Guest PWIT]

Amen

[seaboy4hire]

Ok for what it is worth or isn't worth here is my say. For those of us who are out at work and our personal lives we know how hard it is to live a double life, sometimes fibbing on what we did during the weekend, who our friends are, switch him to her when referring to our boyfriends etc. But for those of us who are out at work and our personal lives we know how liberating it is to be able to be ourselves and not having to switch nouns around and we know how painful and often times destructive it is mentally to have to deal with often times living in fear of being found out. So while it might not be right for the couple of people to have been critical of the op I can see where they are coming from. Also we need to realize that people come out when they are ready. Some when they are just a mere 13 years old and some when they are 63 years old. The important thing I think is to remember that when it was time for you to come out might not be the right time for someone else to come out and when that person decides to come out try to be as supportive as possible because often times it isn't easy.

 

Hugs,

Greg

seaboy4hire@yahoo.com

http://seaboy4hire.tripod.com http://www.daddysreviews.com/newest.php?who=greg_seattle

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/6707/lebec084a9ad147f620acd5ps8.jpg

Tentative travel cities 2008: Denver, MSP, SF, Chicago, NYC.

[rvwnsd]

It seems like most, if not all, of the replies to this post assume that the guy is closeted and doesn't want his employer to find out that he is gay. Sounds to me like he wants to get around his company's travel policy (read: "approved" hotels that provide a company discount) and doesn't want to get caught. Personally, I would stay at the company's approved hotel and try to hang at the gay resort (perhaps they have a day pass) or schedule some vacation time at the end of the trip and stay at the resort on my own dime while using my vacation time.

[rentingdad]

Oh geez - quit whining that we're driving newbies away from the board - if you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

[Epigonos]

Damn I wish I was as sure of myself as some of you guys seem to be. I live MY life day by day struggling to make decisions that will enhance that life. Living MY life to its fullest is a full time job. I live and walk in MY own shoes and sincerely resent others who don’t live and walk in MY shoes telling Me how to live MY life. What enhances or “liberates” one persons life does NOT necessarily enhance or “liberates another. If we self righteously criticize and or condemn other gays for the way they choose to live their lives then just why was it so wrong for assholes like Jerry Falwell to self righteously criticize and or condemn us ALL? Come on guys let’s try to be a little more understanding, accepting, and tolerant of each other. Just answer the guys question, if you can, and leaving the preaching to the likes of the Falwells of the world.

[rentingdad]

oh man - this isn't a therapy session board - if you ask a question and can't stand to have truthful replies then this isn't the place for you.

 

The poster who asked the question has been a member for a couple of years - so unless he never read a post here he had to be aware that he might get responses that he may not have wanted or liked.

[Epigonos]

"oh man - this isn't a therapy session board - if you ask a question and can't stand to have truthful replies then this isn't the place for you."

 

"TRUTHFUL REPLIES" Your post would lead one to believe that, as far as you are concerned, there is something called "absolute truth" regarding this matter. You sure as hell can't prove that by me.

 

The man's question had NOTHING to with whether or not he sould or should not be out in his work place. Several posters have simple presumed to tell him how to live his life and that sounds to me like therapists speak.

[edjames]

OK, I'll add my 2 cents to this post.

 

First, I agree with many others who say that if your bookeeping department is googling your hotel choice, it's time to look for another job and report the homophobia to the ACLU!

 

Second, you say you're going on a business trip. Shouldn't you be devoting your time and effort to the "business" end of your trip and leave the "gay" hotel out of the equation. I would think your first objective would be to find a hotel close to you business activities and if you chose to play in the evening, take a cab to the bars or baths. I'd be worried about late nights, lack of sleep and possible hangovers affecting job related decisions while you are one this trip. I always booked first class hotels for the business ends of my trips and then spent one or two nights elsewhere while I played in privacy.

 

You might want to book a few nights into a gay hotel before or after your business activities are completed. Play and business do not always mix well.

 

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

 

Ed

[rentingdad]

Hi RentingDad, LatinoRican and Wetnwildbear,

 

I couln't "agree" more. People should be open about their homosexuality as much as possible :

 

http://mc.daddysreviews.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=120358&mode=full&page=

 

 

With best intentions, Anton/Amsterdam.

 

Aton - please don't equate the news of the teenager killed by bullies to being honest at work with your employer and yourself.

 

that's just a silly comparison.

[Guest pj4florida]

>Gee guys what a great way to drive a relatively new poster

>off the site. Since when do any of us have the right to tell

>another guy how he should live his life? The man asked a

>question if you don't have an answer for him fine but this

>isn't a church so why not leave the preaching to Sunday

>School.

 

 

I agree we are not all openly gay people and many industries still don't accept being openly gay. I assure you the industry I am in would never accept. While most of my friends either know or suspect the companies I do work for have no idea.

 

If they do they pretend to not at least.

 

PJ

[Guest zipperzone]

>First, I agree with many others who say that if your

>bookeeping department is googling your hotel choice, it's time

>to look for another job and report the homophobia to the ACLU!

 

Perhaps he happens to LIKE his job, the paycheck and the people he works with. Being "out" in one's emplyment isn't necessarily the be all and end all. If you can - great, if not, well there are other considerations.

 

>Second, you say you're going on a business trip. Shouldn't

>you be devoting your time and effort to the

>"business" end of your trip and leave the

>"gay" hotel out of the equation.

 

Give me a break! He is paid to do his job from 9 to 5. After that his time is his own so the hotel he satys in should be irrelevant. Who the hell are you to preach such shit.

 

I always booked first

>class hotels for the business ends of my trips

 

Cause your so important?

[rentingdad]

"After that his time is his own so the hotel he satys in should be irrelevant."

 

Agreed Zipper - but obviously that isn't the case with his job or situation.

[rentingdad]

"An me? I was reminding us all what the consequences can be if someone's open about being gay."

 

so Anton you say you weren't comparing the two - then in your final statement (quoted above) you say you were equating the two....

[+ deej]

>I've got an upcoming biz trip to Fort Lauderdale where

>there's several great gay resorts. Problem is I'll be

>turning my expense report in to the nosy bean counters

>that pay the bills.

 

Couple of thoughts about this.

 

IF: your employer is paying the bill

IF: your employer has negotiated special rates with some chains

IF: those special rates are contingent on a minimum level of use (likely)

IF: you intentionally deflate usage, potentially incurring penalties

THEN: those bean counters are doing their jobs properly when they find out about it.

 

Also, if the company is paying for it they have every right to make sure you're not staying somewhere on their corporate card that would make for salacious headlines.

 

If you're afraid of *them* knowing about it, imagine how they feel about potential headlines in the Washington Post.

 

Obviously I don't know your situation but in general if you're traveling on business, stick to business and order in for fun.

 

>Does anyone know of a travel wholesaler or travel agent I

>can book a room through, and have the bill show up on my

>credit card as something other than the actual hotel name?

 

Ah, you mean credit card fraud? Isn't this sorta what brought down Elliot Spitzer? ;-)

 

You should call any of the resorts that interest you and ask how they show up on your CC bill. *Many* companies use an umbrella billing company where the name is difficult for ME to reconcile once the bill arrives, much less anyone reading the bill. It's a throwback to when we had to hide. :-(

[Guest zipperzone]

>Also, if the company is paying for it they have every right to

>make sure you're not staying somewhere on their corporate card

>that would make for salacious headlines.

 

Do we actually know he will be using a "corporate" card. When I used to travel for my company, they expected you to use their own card and they would reimburse you when you submitted your expense account. That really bugged me because they were a multinational company, expecting to use MY credit. What if my cards were maxed out? - that should have been none of their business.

 

I also somewhat doubt that if he stayed in a gay friendly hotel, news of it would appear on the front page of the local papers with "salacious headlines"

 

When you travel on business for a corporation, the company tends to overlook the fact that in some ways you are really working 24 hours a day - simply because when 5 o'clock rolls around, you're not where you want to be. Your social life suffers not to mention your family life. Do I really want to be in Bumfuck Alabama on a rainy night in February? NO! So I should be at least able to pick my hotel and stay where I think I will enjoy myself the most. So long as I show up at "the meeting" tomorrow morning at 9:00, sober, that's all they should expect. They don't own me...... yet!

 

>If you're afraid of *them* knowing about it, imagine how they

>feel about potential headlines in the Washington Post.

 

See above - it ain't going to happen.

[+ deej]

You clearly skipped over:

 

>Obviously I don't know your situation

 

I've done travel both on a corporate card (where I paid the bill but got reimbursed) and using personal cards that got reimbursed. Either way, the company paid the bill. They have a right to specify what they'll pay for.

 

Sorry, zip, you don't have the right to spend someone else's money any way you see fit. They have a say.