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Reprinted from AllBoy,
May 2000
The Parliament House
Aging Lady Landmark Gets a
Major Facelift.
By Nye Willden
  Mention the name "Parliament House,"
and you're going to get a reaction... either a blank stare from those who won't
admit that they've either heard of the place - or that they've been there - or a
smile of recognition.
Founded as a gay resort 25 years ago, the
Parliament House, a large U-shaped, motel structure on Orange Blossom Trail in
Orlando, Florida, has served as a gay Mecca for thousands and thousands of gays
who were looking for a few more thrills than nearby Disney World, Epcot, MGM or
Universal Studios provided.
Whether the Parliament House was ever
"chic" is debatable. It certainly must have been a lot less broken
down and tacky than it eventually became, but the "P" House, as it's
commonly called, was always notorious - a hedonist's paradise. When every gay
establishment was still operating somewhat underground, the Parliament House was
a place where you could always go to get played and laid. And the place was
internationally known, drawing gay vacationers from all over Europe as well as
the United States.
 The old lady, like a broken down whore, had
become quite shabby, even tacky. Plaster was peeling off the walls, the
draperies and bedspreads had too many washings, the carpets were stained with
mysterious substances that we can only shudder about and the air conditioning
had become such in name only.
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The
Courtyard and Pool (above) and
Sunset at the Beach (below) |
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Rumors had been circulating for the past few
years that something was about to happen. The then-owner, a brother of the
founder, obviously had no idea how to run a gay resort and even less interest in
doing so (although the steady income must have been some compensation) and the
place was going to the dogs. It was announced sporadically that "new"
owners were about to take possession, but in the end nothing happened and many
who loved the P House breathed a sigh of relief. Who minded the hustlers, drunks
and silly little faggots who prowled the walkways and hallways until the late
hours of the morning, being loud, obnoxious and sometimes ever sinister? After
all, this was a place of revelry where, no matter what you looked like, had a
sexual preference for, or acted like, you could find a bed partner for an hour
or a night, provided you were persistent.
Over the past year, the police had begun a
campaign of harassment, invading the grounds with their undercover cops who were
arresting people for indecent exposure, driving through the complex with huge
spotlights which they shone into private rooms and literally playing havoc with
people's privacy.
Things were looking bad.
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| Donald
Granatstein with wife Susan Unger, who, as he tells us, is the
creative person behind the all new look of the Parliament House |
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And then, along came developer and entrepreneur
Donald Granatstein and his wife Susan Unger, and the bought the place in
partnership with the Parliament Partners and began making plans for some big
changes!
Again, the rumors flew... that the new owners
were going to renovate and sell, turn the place straight, get rid of the
cruising, blah, blah, blah. All of these rumors were ridiculous if you thought
about them. Here was a complex in the middle of a decidedly dicey area on the
fringe of a ghetto where no straight family, black or white, would dream of
staying. The place is nowhere near any tourist attraction, and without a liberated
sexual atmosphere it wouldn't stand a chance with the gay clientele, either.
"What our goal was and is," says
Granatstein, "is to remodel and make the place attractive and desirable for
the gay tourist. We made the cruising more subtle and got rid of the blatant sex
that was happening in public areas, and we began appealing to a wider range of
gay visitors. And I think we did that without compromising the general
atmosphere of the place."
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| Rick and
Michael, two great guys, keep the liquor flowing |
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And, the new owners made dramatic changes in
record time. According to Mr. Granatstein, "we put a deadline of December
31 on the changes to the exterior, the courtyard and the entertainment complex,
but even I didn't think we would make the deadline. Much to my astonishment, we
did and everything looks beautiful. It doesn't look the same at all."
He's right, the courtyard was once the main
parking lot and it is now a painted concrete courtyard with beautiful flowers,
palm trees, various plantings in pots, beautiful patio furniture and wonderful
lighting which, at night, gives the area a true "fairytale" look. And
it's great cruising.
The theater, which had also fallen on hard times,
is now a beautiful club, reminiscent of the best places in Las Vegas (where the
Granatstein's were once business partners with Debbie Reynolds in her hotel).
The drag shows are now Broadway professional and the lighting and other theater
amenities second-to-none. The buildings have all been painted, the doors to the
rooms replaced, the restaurant totally refurbished and a number of the rooms
remodeled. I stayed in one of them and it was luxurious, with beautiful tile in
the bathrooms, soft lighting in the room and the walls painted soft, inviting
hues of gentle beige and browns. The furniture is invitingly soft, blond wood...
hotel-like but very comfortable. And, Granatstein vows that any raises in rates
will be modest... just a few dollars at most.
To launch their new Parliament House, a huge Millennium
New Year's Eve bash was held on the grounds where the patio paint was barely
dry. And what a bash it was! Miss P,  the most famous drag queen in the
Southeast, who has held court at the Parliament House for years and years, was
flown in at midnight suspended from the bottom of a helicopter!
Dressed as Peter Pan in skintight green, Miss P
was lowered to the courtyard where she took a bow and the disappeared, appearing
a moment later clad in a "big bird" yellow feather outfit. She
exclaimed that the helicopter trick was the "fucking thrill of my
life!"
It was a great beginning although many of the
guests were picking potting soil and leaves out of their hair from the violent
stirring of the propellers of the copter.
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| A lovely
antique shop on the grounds of the P House |
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The show proceeded with a great drag show, other
entertainment, scantily clad go-go boys, gallons of champagne and, naturally,
lots of sexual assignations all over the place. It was a grand beginning... and
promise of more to come.
Granatstein credits his wife, Susan Unger for the
efficient and marked changes. "Susan does everything," he says.
"She's the decorator, manager and contractor. She's done an amazing
job." He also credits Susan with the original idea of buying the resort.
"For years she's been after me to buy or build a gay resort, pointing out
how important the gay tourist has become and that they have so much disposable
income. Also, Susan and I have lots of gay friends and are completely
comfortable in the gay community, as is our combined family of six (adult)
kids."
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| Scott
Cammack, director of entertainment at the resort |
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| The
Gardens, a planned time share resort next to the Parliament House,
breaking ground later this year |
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Plans are to have the remodeling of the complex
mostly completed by this summer.
And then, another major change is taking place
and that is the razing of a large trailer court complex to the north of the
Parliament House, which the group also owns, and the building of over
two-hundred time-share condominiums for sale to gays. "Already," says
Granatstein, "queries are pouring in from all over the world from people
interested in purchasing one of the units."
And, the owners plan to expand this idea of a
luxury hotel/time share complex to other major areas of the country,
establishing a "chain" of Parliament House resorts where gays can
relax, meet each other, have a wonderful vacation in the security of knowing
that they're in a totally gay-friendly atmosphere and that there's always the
chance of meeting "Mr. Right" (or at least "Mr. Right-away")
during a vacation."
Watch for the P House's web site, for their
national advertising campaign, and plan a trip to Florida for a stay at the
famous and now new Parliament House. And, what the hell, you might even
plan a visit to Disney World. After all, they're gay-friendly too.
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