Slumber Party: Floris Suite Hotel and Spa, Curaçao

In all the Caribbean, there may be no other island that embraces LGBT travelers with quite the enthusiasm of Cura�ao. A constituent country of the Netherlands located off the coast of Venezuela, it sports a laid-back, free-spirited vibe to go with more than 30 stunning beaches ideal for sunning, swimming, snorkeling, diving and just about anything else your imagination can dream up.

Cura�ao boasts more businesses that are members of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association than any other Caribbean isle, but our favorite is the Floris Suite Hotel and Spa, site of this year's Pride.

According to Jurandy Regina, sales and marketing manager of the Floris, "On Cura�ao, we greet LGBT travelers with open arms. The 'live and let live' mentality creates an atmosphere that makes everyone feel welcome. Cura�ao is a safe island where you can easily rent a car and explore at your own pace, and the Floris is the most captivating hideaway on it."

Adult Fun in the Sun
One of the few properties solely for adults on Cura�ao, the Floris is open to those 18 and older. During the day the action centers on the boutique hotel's spectacular free-form pool, draped by majestic palm trees, where Sundays at 4 p.m. the Water Club pool party heats up.

Steps away, two private beaches offer sublime white sand, gentle blue-green waves and restaurants serving cocktails and locally-caught seafood. Or hit up Floris' brand new spa, which in addition to plush treatment rooms, features a steam room built for 20, dry sauna, fitness facility and a rain shower big enough for you and a few friends.

Nighttime is the Right Time
When the sun goes down Cura�ao comes alive with a vibrant, uninhibited nightlife scene. The Rainbow Lounge Happy Hour at the Floris Suite Hotel and Spa kicks off the weekend right every Friday at 6 p.m. "All hotel guests and island residents alike are invited," says Regina. "This is the perfect place to meet and socialize with locals in the LGBT community. It's one of the biggest gay happy hours on Cura�ao!"

Afterward, further fortify with a meal at the hotel's gracious open-air restaurant, Sjalotte, or head to beach bar and eatery Zanzibar, which has a long reputation as the place to be early on Saturday and draws a mixed crowd. Other hotspots include G-Lounge, where the island's premier after-party blasts off seven days a week.

A Room with a View
When the cocktails have been drunk and the dances are done and it's time to get horizontal, Floris Suite Hotel and Spa, just a 5-minute ride from Willemstad, Cura�ao's capital, offers some of the island's best accommodations. All rooms are spacious suites with kitchens, high ceilings, gleaming mahogany doors, limestone floor tiles and private patios or balconies with garden or pool views. Want to splurge? Floris has recently debuted a pair of gorgeous new Imperial Suites complete with two bedrooms, including a master bedroom with king-size bed, living room, fully-equipped kitchen and large covered patio and balcony.

If all this sun and surf and bronzed skin sounds too good to pass up, Cura�ao is easy to reach with direct flights on Jet Blue Tuesday and Saturday from New York, and twice-daily direct flights out of Miami with American Airlines. Just remember, the island's Pride runs September 30 to October 4 - and if Cura�ao is this much fun on an average day, think about the kind of good time awaits you this fall...