Gay-Popular Kimpton Hotels Has Come to Scottsdale

The highly gay-friendly Kimpton Hotel Group, which pioneered the boutique-hotel concept in its hometown of San Francisco but has since spread to dozens of markets around the country, has just developed its first property in Scottsdale, Ariz., the FireSkye Resort & Spa (formerly known as Caleo Resort & Spa). The stylish hotel, whimsically decorated hotel has spacious rooms with flast-screen TVs, Carrara-marble bathrooms, and L'Occitane bath amenities, and Jurlique Spa offers a slew of cushy treatments.

Scottsdale has long been known for its ritzy, if rather traditional, golf and spa resorts, but lately a number of trendy properties have opened here, greatly increasing the city's cachet among gay and lesbian travelers. These include intimate CopperWynd Resort, the affordable but stylish Hotel Indigo, the retro-chic Hotel Valley Ho, the futuristic Mondrian Scottsdale, the sybaritic Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, and the ultra-hip W Scottsdale, slated to open in fall 2007.

Of course, Metro Phoenix has long had a vibrant gay scene, with dozens of gay-owned businesses and cool bars and clubs. Here's my round-up of the 10 best gay nightlife venues in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area.