LGBTQ+ travelers tend to look for accommodations and locations that are LGBTQ-welcoming. Based on a 5-point scale, with 5 being most important, 80% of LGBTQ+ travelers planning their next trip rated "destination is LGBTQ-friendly" a 4 or 5, according to Community Marketing & Insights — leaders in LGBTQ+ research since 1992 — 24th Annual LGBTQ Tourism & Hospitality Survey.

Whether you’re looking for a gay-friendly all-inclusive resort or an LGBTQ+-friendly hotel with fun outside activities nearby, there is a host of them across the world. We dive into some of the top LGBTQ+-friendly and gay-friendly resorts.

1. Axel Hotel Barcelona

The Axel Hotel Barcelona, located in Gayxample (the heart of the gay scene in Barcelona), is one of the top LGBTQ+ resorts in the world. The hotel is so welcoming of the LGBTQ+ community that it goes out of its way on its website to let guests know that it’s also “heterofriendly.”

The hotel’s website includes a LGBTQ+ community page which tells guests:

“In Axel Hotels we have supported from the beginning all those social causes related with LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) rights and pursuing LGBTQ standardization and promote integration and diversity as the basis of human rights. In Axel Hotels we engage with all associations, foundations and organizations combating discrimination in the international gay community, and participate in all those campaigns that look for social equality worldwide.”

While the Axel Hotel Barcelona is our favorite Axel Hotel, other LGBTQ+-friendly options include Axel Beach Miami – South Beach, Axel Beach Ibiza and Axel Hotel San Sebastián.

How to book the Axel Hotel Barcelona with points

You can use American Express Membership Rewards to book the Axel Hotel Barcelona using points by visiting the American Express travel portal. While the number of American Express Membership Reward points you’ll need will vary, rooms start at less than 13,000 points per night.

2. Blue Chairs Resort by the Sea Puerto Vallarta

It’d be hard to write an article about the top gay-friendly resorts without mentioning Blue Chairs Resort by the Sea in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is a well-known LGBTQ+-friendly destination, with the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board having a page dedicated to LGBTQ+ vacation resources.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Josh Garber)

On its website, the Blue Chairs Resort by the Sea says that the hotel is “open to the entire LGBT community” and that its beach club — located right in front of the gay-friendly Los Muertos beach — “has become a hot favorite among the LGBT community.”

How to book Blue Chairs Resort by the Sea using points

You can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards® to book Blue Chairs Resort by the Sea by booking your stay through the Chase Travel portal. Though the amount of points you’ll need will vary based on room category and when you visit, standard rooms start at less than 10,000 points per night.