The Gran Melia Golf Resort Puerto Rico, although a mainstream property, has enthusiastically courted gay and lesbian visitors for years, and its most recent promotion welcomes LGBT visitors who would like to hold wedding or commitment ceremonies on the property. The deal (which is good throughout 2009) is, if you and your wedding party book at least five rooms over four nights in the hotel's adults-only Royal Service category, you receive a "complimentary symbolic wedding with the following services/amenities for up to 12 guests." It's a great deal, but moreover, it indicates just how much Gran Melia wants to be known as a gay-friendly property - something to keep in mind even if you're just planning a vacation with a significant other or a few friends.

For more on gay travel in the Caribbean, check out the article by About.com's Caribbean guide, Robert Curley, describing the best destinations in the Caribbean for gay and lesbian travelers.

Purely in the name of research (sort of), I've been visiting plenty of cool bars in my travels lately - just last night I was out checking out some fun spots in Atlanta, where I spent the holidays visiting my family. I'll be writing about some of these places - The Jungle, Oscar's, Amsterdam, Bellissima - in the near future, and you can view my current article on gay Atlanta nightlife here.

I've posted new write-ups of a bunch of places over the past week. Here are the latest reviews:

Sappho's in Baltimore

Le Drugstore in Montreal

The Gay 90's in Minneapolis

Triple R Bar and Grill in the Russian River

La Reserva in Mendoza, Argentina

Lime Lounge in San Francisco

Hawk's Gym and Spa (along with a mention of Entourage Bathhouse) in Las Vegas

White Horse Inn in Oakland/Berkeley area

La Avispa in San Jose, Costa Rica

Bench and Bar, Oakland

Cafe Cafe, Celebrity Cafe, and Tingl Tangl in Prague

Few urban settings capture the spirit of Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's than New York City, which even received a fresh layer of snow over the weekend. The city's most gay-popular neighborhood, Chelsea, abounds with energy, its many bars, restaurants, and shops offering holiday-themed specials and events. The nearby Empire State Building, just a 10-minute walk north of Chelsea, is lit up green-and-red for Christmas, and blue-and-white for Chanukah - from the building's famed observatory some 1,050 feet above 5th Avenue, you're treated to amazing views of the Manhattan skyline. And then there's the signature Christmas tree and skating rink at Rockefeller Center, the New Year's buzz around Times Square, and Manhattan's many other engaging landmarks. Here's my visual tour of gay Chelsea's businesses and attractions, plus online guides to both Manhattan and New York City's five boroughs.