W Aspen & The Sky Residences at W Aspen Among the Winners of the 2021 Gay Travel Awards

The 2021 Gay Travel Awards presented by GayTravel.com has released its list of official winners.

GayTravel Chief Visionary Officer Steve Rohrlick said: "This year has been another challenging one for travelers. With the pandemic ebbing and flowing across the globe and the uncertainty related to the latest Omicron variant, many are restricted from traveling or waiting for a safer time. The Gay Travel Awards affords us all a moment to focus on the industry's best as a prologue to getting back out there."

The Gay Travel Awards support and promote LGBTQ+ travel and tourism by identifying and rewarding select destinations, properties, events, influencers, and other organizations that exemplify a spirit of inclusiveness and hospitality excellence. These distinguished winners lead by example and inspire other inclusive companies and brands.

Every year, especially now, The Gay Travel Awards offer something to look forward to while inspiring future travel. The Gay Travel Awards are akin to The Oscars^® for LGBTQ+ travelers.

Returning for its sophomore year, "The Gay Travel Influencers" category consists of creators who inspire travel with their inclusive spirit, a drive for diversity, and a desire to change the world for the better.

The 2021 Gay Travel Awards Winners by category appear alphabetically below:

AIRLINE
Delta Airlines, Atlanta, Georgia

BED & BREAKFAST/ INN
Banff Ptarmigan Inn, Alberta, Canada

CAR RENTAL
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, St. Louis, Missouri

DESTINATION, BEACH
Aruba, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean

DESTINATION, CITY (US)
San Francisco, California

DESTINATION, CITY (NON-US)
Barcelona, Spain

DESTINATION, FAMILY
Oahu, Hawaii

DESTINATION, ISLAND
Puerto Rico, Caribbean

DESTINATION, MOUNTAIN
Banff & Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

DESTINATION, NATURE
Costa Rica, Central America

DESTINATION, WEDDING
Kauai, Hawaii

FAN-FAVORITE
Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts

GAY TRAVEL INFLUENCERS
@michaelandmatt

HOTEL, BEACH
The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

HOTEL, BEST VALUE
AC Hotel, Guadalajara, Mexico

HOTEL, BOUTIQUE
Moxy NYC Chelsea, New York

HOTEL, CASINO
San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, Puerto Rico

HOTEL, CITY NON US
W Mexico City, Mexico

HOTEL, CITY US (TIE)
Fairmont Austin, Texas
San Francisco Marriott Marquis, California

HOTEL, FAMILY
Orlando World Center Marriott, Florida

HOTEL, GOLF
Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, Playa Herradura, Costa Rica

HOTEL, HONEYMOON
Saii Lagoon Maldives, Maldives Islands

HOTEL, LGBTQ+ SCENE
Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, Florida

HOTEL, LUXURY
Zadún, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, San José del Cabo, Mexico

HOTEL, MOUNTAIN
W Aspen & The Sky Residences at W Aspen, Colorado

HOTEL, PET FRIENDLY
XV Beacon Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts

HOTEL, SPA & WELLNESS
Carneros Resort and Spa, Napa, California

HOTEL, TROPICAL HIDEAWAY
The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands

HOTEL, WEDDING
W Punta de Mita, Mexico

LODGE/RANCH
Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, California

PRIDE (NON US)
Pride Amsterdam, Netherlands

PRIDE (US)
Pride Northwest, Portland, Oregon

TOUR OPERATOR
Voyemo, Worldwide

GayTravel connects the LGBTQ+ community with gay-friendly destinations, hotels, cruises, tours, events, entertainment, attractions, clubs, and restaurants worldwide. Their mission is to provide the community with safe, welcoming, and curated recommendations to ensure that every vacation is both pleasurable and memorable. Wherever the journey ends, it begins with GayTravel.com!

For additional information, visit www.GayTravel.com or call (800) GAY-TRAVEL or follow @GayTravel on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Get Snowbound in Aspen with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force This Thursday!

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force presents Snowbound in Aspen this Thursday, January 16. An evening of hosted cocktails and small bites hosted by board member Shilpen Patel, Mardi Moore, Leadership Council members Will Forrest and Jimmy Ruiz and Matt Capucini and Gorsuch, tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door with a chance to nab lots of schwag from Winter Party Festival, Grey Goose vodka, and lots more.

The Aspen Institute Arts Program and Aspen Film's Third Annual NEW VIEWS: Documentaries & Dialogue Program Announced

The Aspen Institute Arts Program and Aspen Film present the third annual NEW VIEWS: Documentaries & Dialogue series highlighting critically acclaimed documentaries with post-screening discussions featuring special guests. The series begins at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Sunday, July 1, and continues on Monday nights July 23 through August 13. All films will be shown at Paepcke Auditorium in Aspen.

Documentaries continue to play an increased and exciting role in public discourse, bringing a vibrant voice to current events, personalities, and issues affecting culture and society. This carefully curated selection of important films and speakers offers a fresh insight designed to intrigue, expand, and enrich the creative conversations of our time. Each screening will be followed by a conversation with the director or relevant special guests.

Tickets for NEW VIEWS are $20 per show and go on sale to the public June 20 through Aspen Show Tickets at the Wheeler Opera House box office and at aspenshowtix.com. If available, tickets will also be sold at the door starting 30 minutes before show time.

Margaret Cho comes to Aspen, Colorado

Margaret Cho comes to the Belly Up in Aspen on October 6 with her new show which is a mix of new stand-up and live music. She will be showcasing songs from her forthcoming album, tentatively titled 'Guitarded', which will feature guest appearances by Patty Griffin, Jon Brion, Grant Lee Phillips, and others.

Get your tickets here.

Aspen is one of the America's Prettiest Towns

Aspen, Colorado has been named to AOL.com's list of America's Prettiest Towns.

Here's what they have to say about it:

Originally a silver-mining town, Aspen was transformed into a ski resort in the mid-20th century, and four ski mountains, owned and operated by the Aspen Ski Company, now take center stage.

Greg Melville says, "The Western-style downtown etched into the narrow and breath-stealing Roaring Fork Valley; the aspen-laden mountains rising above it; the atmosphere -- no wonder why the real estate there is so insanely expensive."