Men-only and adults-only stays explained

Booking a room in Blackpool's Rainbow Quarter, you will see a lot of labels. They are not just marketing: each one tells you who can stay, how the house runs and what you might see in the corridors. Here is a plain-English guide.

Adults only (18+)

Most of the quarter's guesthouses are adults-only. That usually means:

• no guests under 18, and often no family rooms at all
• photo ID may be requested at check-in (Hotel Neon and Mardi Gras both ask for it)
• a quieter, grown-up atmosphere, but not necessarily an LGBTQ+-only one

Adults-only houses in our guide include Hotel Neon, Q Accommodation, DeLovely, Westfield House, Lawrence House, Chaps, McGraths, Legends, Mardi Gras, Peek-a-Booze, The Dragonfly, Evanescent and Lee & Chris's Belvedere.

Many of these also refuse stag and hen parties, whatever the sexuality of the group. Hotel Neon even says that booking rooms separately will not get round the rule. Westfield House turns away all group bookings, and Chaps asks parties of more than six to arrange things in advance. If you are travelling as a big group of friends, say so honestly when you book.

Adults only but mixed

"Adults only" does not mean "men only". Women, trans and non-binary guests are welcome at the mixed adults-only houses above, and so are straight friends. Lawrence House puts it well: run by gay people for gay people and their friends.

Men only

Three places in Blackpool are for men only:

• Trades Hotel, 51 to 55 Lord Street. A private members' hotel for gay and bisexual men aged over 18, with around 60 rooms and a residents' bar that opens late. Booking a room makes you a member for your stay. The booking form asks you to accept that this is a members' hotel where adult behaviour may happen around you.
• The Prince Albert, 11 Yates Street. A discreet, four-star hotel for gay and bi men, with no street sign. Clothing is optional midweek, and themed event weekends run through the year.
• Welhorny's, 33 to 37 Banks Street. A private members' naturist guesthouse and bar for men. You must arrange membership at least 24 hours before your visit.

The two saunas, Acqua and W3, are also men-only, apart from occasional advertised mixed events at Acqua.

What "members only" means in practice

In Blackpool's men's hotels, membership is usually how the house:

• limits entry to the group it serves (gay and bi men)
• makes sure every guest has agreed to the house rules before arrival
• keeps things discreet

At Trades, membership comes automatically with your room booking. At Welhorny's, you must apply in advance, at least 24 hours before you visit. At Acqua Sauna, membership is optional and simply gets you cheaper entry.

Clothing-optional, naturist and event weekends

• Pride Lodge, which is mixed and not men-only, has clothing-optional use of its guest sauna and garden.
• The Prince Albert is clothing-optional midweek. It runs ticketed nude, kink, jock and other themed weekends, and treats some big town weekends (Pride, the air show and the lights switch-on) as clothing-optional.
• Welhorny's is a naturist house throughout, with themed weekends such as a bears and pups weekend.

If clothing-optional spaces aren't for you, check the calendar before you book, as the atmosphere on a themed weekend is very different from a quiet Tuesday.

Etiquette in men-only houses

• Consent always comes first. A polite "no thanks" is the end of it.
• No photos of other guests, ever.
• Respect the shared spaces. In naturist areas, sit on a towel.
• Respect the staff and the neighbours. These are small businesses in residential streets, so keep the noise down outside.
• Look after yourself. Pace the drinking, carry condoms, and remember the monthly testing clinic at W3.

Trans and non-binary guests

The mixed adults-only guesthouses welcome trans and non-binary guests. Acqua Sauna explicitly welcomes trans men in its men-only hours and has a code of conduct that bans misgendering and questions about people's bodies. The men-only hotels describe their guests as gay and bi men. If you are unsure whether a men-only house is right for you, contact it privately before you book.