Marlin Beach Hotel Historic Gay Resort Ft. Lauderdale Florida FULL Matchbook

Description: Marlin Beach Hotel Historic Gay Resort Poop Deck Restaurant Lower Deck Disco Ft. Lauderdale Florida FULL Matchbook Own a Rare Piece of Smoking / Advertising History / Matchbook Art "Do You have a Match?"..... you never get asked that anymore. Remember this being your favorite spot and the good times you had? Did you work, manage or do a shift there? Maybe someone in your family owned this establishment or was it your In-Laws? Did you attend a Party or Celebrate a Birthday? Was this place in your neighborhood and you went by there often or get something to go? Were you able to ever "Run a Tab or Buy a Round" for the House (and then buy another one?) When you walked in, did everyone shout your name? Examine and take a real close look at every image. it is not a stock image. It is the actual item. We always combine shipping and handling on multiple orders. Charges are calculated quickly and a refund is sent back to you immediately. We are unable to hold on to merchandise over any period. Purchases really should be paid for almost immediately. There is a 48 hour limit before the buyer gets an automatic "unpaid item reminder" from eBay for not paying in a timely manner. WE SHIP EVERYDAY UNLESS THERE IS A HOLIDAY, IT WOULD BE THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY. READ THIS>>> We are UNABLE TO SHIP BEYOND THE USA / NO INTERNATIONAL SALES OR OR 3RD PARTY SHIPPERS (Customs will not allow it and will be canceled) / NO FPO / APO - USA DESTINATION ZIP CODES ONLY. We have many Matchbooks currently listed. New ones are added weekly. Please consider saving or following our store to see our newest items as they get posted. "If you have any questions, we respond 365 days a year, 24/7" Expect Great Service! When the Marlin Beach Hotel opened its doors in 1972, it was the first. And the reaction wasn’t all that pretty.According to Gay Weekly News contributor Fred Fejes, after a few years of operating under the radar, the Marlin incited the wrath of Mayor E. Clay Shaw, Jr.“If a family from the Midwest comes to Fort Lauderdale and sees men making love on the beach, what will they think?” Shaw said. “They’ll never come back.”According to the Fort Lauderdale News, the mayor’s goal was to eliminate every vestige of homosexual activity from the beach: “If he had his way, the Marlin Beach… will go straight.”Fejes quotes the head of the city’s Hotel Resort and Hotel Association as chiming in, claiming that the presence of a gay hotel was “a social stigma and it will drive families away.”But the Marlin survived.According to Fejes, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale had previously tolerated the gay and lesbian community. There were gay-friendly neighborhoods in Riverside Park and Sailboat Bend. There was a gay community church, plus gay-owned bars and clubs.But the Marlin Beach Hotel “was America’s first explicitly gay resort hotel.”Built in 1954, the Marlin was among the first group of large beach hotels that grew the city’s tourist market, according to the Sun-Sentinel. But with the Marlin becoming a gay destination, it “quickly built a persona as party central, known for a rocking disco and weekend afternoon tea dances.”A 1977 Washington Post travel story said this of the 88-room hotel: “Today, the Marlin Beach ranks as one of the most attractive hotels on the strip, and grosses over $2 million a year.“The resort includes a heart-shaped pool with three outside bars, one of the better restaurants in the area, a hair salon, elegant disco and a boutique.” The hotel also had a large indoor aquarium (sans fish), where swimmers could be seen from a surrounding bar.The writer noted that the staff was trained to inform those “who look out of place” that the Marlin Beach is a gay hotel. “Some stay anyway, and some decide to leave.”“Pre-AIDS, almost every gay man’s dream was to take a trip and stay at the Marlin,” said one travel expert in the Sun-Sentinel.But at some point the Marlin lost its way. Ten years after its opening, there was more competition. In addition, a succession of new owners let the place deteriorate. In 1986, management sought to attract Spring Break college students, thereby losing the gay trade. The Marlin went bankrupt.In 1992, it finally went under. “The gay community is losing absolutely a landmark,” said Penny Present when doors closed. President of Broward’s Gay Business Association, Present said, “If the gay community were a wheel, the Marlin would be the hub. The grand old lady, that’s what we called it.”The hotel was torn down to make way for restaurants, bars and shops on the site that is now Beach Place. Yet, as many of our citizens know, the hotel is not forgotten. In March of this year, near the Sanctuary Church, an event called Marlin Beach 2.0 celebrated the hotel’s famous Tea Dance parties, advertising a “full-on party with music, men, muscle and more.” In the outdoors along the banks of the Middle River, festival-goers danced to the music of the day and recalled once again the history of an iconic venue.

Price: 34.75 USD

Location: San Diego, California

End Time: 2025-01-28T05:34:39.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.15 USD