Our Super Awesome Gay Staycation at Borgata’s Water Club

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of The Water Club at Borgata: I’ve been going there for a long time because, well, it’s just over an hour away from Philly and it’s a super easy escape from the drudge of city life, especially if I don’t have a ton of time to take a huge vacation. But, Borgata got all the more attractive when they started their LGBT initiative earlier this year, OUT at Borgata, that aims to not only bring more gay bucks to the entertainment establishment but create an inclusive, affordable, enhanced environment for their LGBT guests. There are a lot of places that are aiming to compete for our dollars, but I can say from experience that Borgata really does an extremely fine job. In short, they deserve our business.

This past weekend, I took a friend and we had a three-day getaway down in AC, partially to take part in Sandblast, but also just to enjoy the amenities that the resort offered. We arrived Friday afternoon and checked in to our super nice room at the Water Club. Our view was just spectacular and the accommodations were clean (sparkling, actually) and extremely comfortable. We spent the rest of the early evening at the outdoor pool and then cleaned up before we headed down to dinner at Wolfgang Puck American Grille (note: you must get the truffled potato chips that they make in-house). We tried our hands at a little gambling (well, when in AC, you must) before heading for a little fun at MIXX nightclub, which attracted a pretty diverse crowd for the Sandblast kick-off party. In fact, we were both a little shocked at the range of folks who showed up: Everyone from the typical “party crowd” to a group of middle-aged lesbian moms from Ardmore were in attendance.

The next day, my friend spent the day at the pool, while I had a facial at Immersion Spa. It was really fantastic: I often times have problems with the harsh chemicals used during treatments, but my esthetician took care to handle my skin right. Also, Immersion Spa has an amazing indoor lap pool at the top of the Water Club tower. The views are great and the mood is just serene. After our morning/afternoon of relaxing, I hit up the in-house Hugo Boss shop (where I did a little damage) and we had a seriously killer drink at Bobby Flay Steak (the grapefruit mojito is to die for). That was all before having dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, period, Fornelletto. The staff treated us so well, and the food was just perfect. I’m not a huge fan of Italian restaurants, but Fornelletto does it right. I highly recommend just about any of the pasta dishes, and the buffalo mozzarella bar is a must.

We closed out the evening by seeing the epic comedian Margaret Cho (you can read my review here) at the Borgata’s Music Box venue. I’m generally scared of casino theaters (the smoke and the itty bitty chairs), but the Borgata’s Music Box is roomy, spacious, clean, and comfortable.

The next morning, we packed our bags and headed back to the city, but not before a little in-room breakfast (great pastry) and coffee. We had a refreshing, totally fun weekend that wasn’t crazy and a super quick ride home. It’s a great example of a concept in AC that is actually working, and kudos for Borgata for launching a LGBT initiative that actually is worth our time and dollars. In fact, I’m bringing a friend down next week for a mid-week escape. Everyone needs a pool day, and it just feels better doing it a place where you feel valued.