Naked in WeHo—A Visit to the City's Only Gay Men's Clothing Optional Resort

The newly refurbished salt water pool at the San Vicente Inn. Photo by Nicholas Snow.

SnowbizNow!

By Nicholas Snow

Did you know there are gay men swimming and steaming naked just a stone's throw from Santa Monica Blvd. in the heart of West Hollywood, California?

Where, you ask? At the San Vicente Inn, where their current slogan appropriately includes the word “rediscover” because in its fourth year under new ownership, the resort has changed dramatically for the better. An important change, which in and of itself has transformed the clientele, is that the property no longer offers day (or night) passes to non-hotel guests, so it is no longer a magnet for the post-club scene looking to continue the party into the wee hours.

Those with historical knowledge of the property know that it had been expanded to the next city block, but under new ownership, the resort area has been returned to its original size, and the other part of the property is now an independently operated sober living facility. So, instead of being worried about bumping into into a tweeker in the Jacuzzi, guests can now take heart in knowing the new owners have invested in the sobriety of the neighborhood.

Nicholas Snow in front of his bungalow at the San Vicente Inn, West Hollywood, California.

The operating partner Michael Hahn explained that they’re really going for a spa feeling on the property. In fact, the pool has been completely redone and has been converted to salt water, and all of the suites have been completely refurbished, with more room renovations underway. On deck for all rooms are new flat screen TV’s, upgraded interiors, pay-per-view channels, and more.

One of the transformed bungalows at the San Vicente Inn, West Hollywood, California. Photo by Nicholas Snow.

If you’re investigating the online reviews for the property, please take note of the dates of those reviews, many of them written years prior to the change in ownership.

By the way, while the target clientele is in fact gay men, no one is turned away because of gender. In an online review, Samira from San Diego explained, “I stayed here because my friend was spinning at a club around the corner… It was really cute and clean. I thought the staff was awesome too…sweet…and offered some good advice for going out in the area.”

Mark from San Francisco wrote at Trip Advisor, “The place is really a hidden gem in the heart of WeHo… I got a chance to stay in the newly remodeled bungalow suite just past the pool area. Great location, all within walking distance, staff was helpful in suggesting local attractions, printing out bus maps, locations, etc. I didn’t have a computer so using the PC @ the front desk was helpful. Overall we did enjoy our stay and will be back for Easter and Pride!”

The current publicized rate for my refurbished bungalow (the same one Mark stayed in) is $189 a night, and rates include off street parking in ample tandem spaces (you leave your keys at the front desk). For a price comparison, rates at the Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood a few blocks East begin at $149 for their smallest rooms and parking is an additional $27 per night.

About the San Vicente Inn, a traveler from Australia wrote, “This place is ideal for gay traveling men. It is a combination of a gay guesthouse as well as a cruisy gay venue. The heated pool, steam room and hot tub guarantee round the clock cruising… I enjoyed swimming in the heated pool (naked) and meeting the other guests from all over the world. We had just flown for 14 hours from Australia and it was nice to arrive at the very relaxing San Vicente Inn.” He concluded, “I won’t go into detail but we had a lot of fun at this place.”

The San Vicente Inn is literally just a two-minute walk up San Vicente Boulevard from the hottest clubs in the area, including Rage and Mickey’s, just one block from the world-famous Abbey, and near countless restaurants, including one of my favorites Bossa Nova, where I always order the chicken skewers with black beans, rice and plantains. Yummy!

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If you’re ready to get naked in WeHo, check visit the San Vicente Inn's web site.

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