Women and lesbian-friendly stays

Blackpool's gay hotel scene was built mostly around men, and a few of its best-known houses are still men-only. But most LGBTQ+ guesthouses in the quarter today are mixed. Women, lesbian and bi couples and trans women are welcome, and are often a big part of the crowd. This page sets out what we have been able to confirm.

Places that explicitly welcome everyone

These houses say clearly, in their own words, that they welcome the whole LGBTQ+ community:

• Pride Lodge, 12 High Street. A gay-owned house that describes itself as a safe space for LGBTQ+ guests and friends, where everyone is welcome. With only five rooms, a group of women can book the whole house. The sauna, gym and seasonal hot tub are shared, and the sauna and garden are clothing-optional, so ask about the house mood when you book.
• Q Accommodation, 27 Lord Street. It welcomes "gay, lesbian, bi, trans, straight", couples, friends and solo travellers, and says most of its guests are LGBTQ+. Adults only, with no stags or hens and quiet hours at night.
• Lawrence House, 33 General Street. Run by gay hosts for gay guests and friends, it welcomes the wider LGBTQ+ community. It is adults-only and calm, with evening meals and a roof terrace.
• Mardi Gras, 41 to 43 Lord Street. It calls itself an LGBTQ+ safe space and removes anyone who discriminates. Its quiet chesterfield lounge is a good place to start an evening. Regulars say one downstairs area of the bar is used as a men's space.
• The Molly House, 47 to 49 Dickson Road. Gay-owned with a zero-tolerance policy on homophobia, it welcomes guests of all kinds. It has twin and family rooms.
• Lu-Lu's and Peek-a-Booze, both on Dickson Road. These bars with rooms say everyone is welcome and draw a mixed LGBTQ+ crowd.
• Hotel Neon, 15 Yates Street. A gay hotel that is adults-only but not men-only. It turns away stags and hens, which keeps it calm.

A note on Gabrielle's

For many years Gabrielle's Hotel on Lord Street was known as Blackpool's women's hotel, and it was a favourite with lesbian visitors at a time when almost every gay guesthouse catered for men. Today it markets itself as a mainstream small hotel, and it no longer advertises a women-only or lesbian focus. It is still a very highly rated, calm place to stay, with a gin bar and no stag or hen parties. If a women-focused stay matters to you, ask the hotel about its current approach.

Places that are not for women

• Trades Hotel: members only, for gay and bisexual men.
• The Prince Albert: men only.
• Welhorny's: a men-only naturist members' house.
• Acqua Sauna and W3 Complex: men only. Acqua runs occasional advertised mixed events, which are the only times women are admitted.

Trans women and non-binary guests

The mixed guesthouses above welcome trans women and non-binary guests. The Gynway on North Shore has long hosted a twice-monthly trans peer-support group, with overnight stays for people travelling in. If you are going for the group, check it is still meeting before you travel. The Molly House, Mardi Gras and Acqua all publish anti-discrimination rules, and Mardi Gras and the Molly House will remove guests who break them.

Tips for women travelling to Blackpool

• Choose a house with a small or quiet bar if you want calm, and a bar-with-rooms if you want to be in the thick of it.
• Book direct and ask questions. Small owner-run houses are happy to tell you who their usual guests are.
• Look for the Be You mark. Bars, hotels and guesthouses that hold Blackpool's Be You quality mark have been audited as welcoming to LGBTQ+ customers and staff.
• Plan your nights out. Women-led and mixed nights change often. Check our venues and what's-on pages for the latest.
• Lone travellers: the station-end Lord Street and High Street houses are on well-lit, busy streets, a minute or two from the bars and from the taxi rank at Blackpool North.