All Visitor Reviews for Parliament House (20 reviews)

Stayed here for halloween, not the cleanest and decor is laughable, however, it beats having to drink and drive in a area that is not safe. Overall I had a great time alot of men and action going on. Show was very good.

It's like a crappy small-town gay bar, only it's really big and has a dumpy motel attached. You'd think that a place that takes in hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each weekend, would try a little harder. An OK time can be had, but mainly because you're hanging out with friends, not because of the facilities. It gets a huge crowd on weekends simply because it's the only large gay club in Central Florida. Very mixed crowd. Absent are any hipsters (not necessarily a bad thing) and there are some REAL "cigarette-picking-out-of-the-ashtray" derelicts amongst the mix. The crowd gets young as the night goes on. Parking is difficult after 11:00 PM and it's park-at-your-own-risk. A few of the bartenders can pour a good drink to deserving souls, but most of them seem ignorant of this skill. The music is uninspired at best. The sound system is ancient and sounds like it. There's fantastic neon lighting over the dance floor (installed in the 80's) that doesn't get much use, otherwise the dance floor is nothing special. The drag shows are par for the course, with an added bonus of middle-aged "boy dancers" doing moves from "Solid Gold" (I'm NOT kidding). This would be fine if it was done with some sense of irony, but alas, it's not. The skanky motel still has some cruising, but now it's just awkward with young gay boys parading their straight-girl friends (in their "going out" straight-girl clothes) past the windows and giggling. One section of an exterior walkway is collapsing and is too dangerous to walk on so they've blocked it off, but oddly you can still walk under it! It sounds like it might be perverse fun, but it's just kind of sad and dull. Weirdest of all is the attempt of the current owners to build a "luxury" time share next to the motel. One forlorn building has sat in a huge weed-filled lot for at least five years. I can't help but think that the people who bought into it must mighty pissed over the promised facilities and renovations that never appeared.

Not as refined as new york clubs but is the best in central florida . Has separate stage area for drag shows outside pool area and one lahe dance floor . Gets crowded on special occasions - but who cares? Alot of cute guys to be sqeezed in with :) mostly a younger crowd - yummy !Submitted via GayCities iPhone application

Well as a young gay man in Orlando, you could not do much better. It had/has everything. I will always miss Miss Vicky's bar. It was the silver sunken bar with mirror ball piano and raised circular patron area with art deco styling. The lighted hallway was very Saturday Night Fever. I would read my school books from early college underage days at the pool and work on my tan. I would go at least 2-3 times a week in college. Off and on for many, many years. All of that has changed. We all kid about what renovation we paid for with all our $ spent here. Many other bars come and go, but the PH always remains. Volley ball used to be big here on the weekends and then it got way too serious. Enter the 90s. The PH really got it's first taste of serious competition, Club Firestone. That really split the night life. Firestone got the A crowd, and the drug crowd. PH kept the B-F crowd, and the liquor crowd. But the drinks and cover are cheap enough that the liquor crowd was often more messed up than the drug crowd. I get roped into going to the PH when friends come to town. Mostly my now famous blogger friend who lives in NYC. We went on Christmas night this last year. A tradition we have had since the 80s. Wow, what a bitter disappointment. Yes the place is filthy and you do have to hold your breath to pee in the mens room and it won't matter which mens room you try. They all wreak of sour urine. Does anyone use a clean mop around there? If you love being shoved or asked to move on the dance floor so the cleaning woman can sweep up napkins and burned out cigarettes while you are trying to dance, then you will be in heaven. That is about the only cleaning that seems to be going on. The speakers are totally shot. They sound like tin. That is especially sad because they will play the music so loud you wish you had ear plugs. Loud does not equal good. Lastly the crowd today. Who are these people? What demographic are they shooting for? Even on their supposed theme nights, you have no idea why this group has come together. There is one of everything, and I do mean thing. Yuck. The parking lot is full and yet you cannot imagine anyone in the crowd even owning a car. Many look homeless. I know it is an Orlando mainstay, but now with the Full Moon completely torn down and gone, you have no where to escape to but the courtyard of the motel. It's dark and dingy everywhere you look. Oh and I've been in those rooms. Anyone who has lived here as long as I have has been and if not then they are lying. I have seen the so called updates. They still give you a paper placemat for a bath mat. Yuck. I refuse to "meet" anyone staying there. I feel bad for them. They are obviously thinking of a PH from long ago. We have other dance bars. I suggest you check them out. The only reason to go to the PH, might be their drag shows. It's a large enough theatre and it really seems like a theatre. If you like drag then go. But beware of all the drunken straight girls there with their gay boys. Why do they always want to see a drag show? Orlando needs a new bar or PH needs a cleaning crew. Shrink that bar outside the disco. Enhance your sound system. Hire a real cleaning crew to come in there after hours and change up your sleazy image. Note to sleazy types, cruising the balconies has not been permitted for years and you must keep your draperies pulled. So it's not for you either. The neighborhood was always scary. Now more than ever. The parking across the street that was always available for many years is no more. They do offer a dirt lot, but it is not watched or if someone is there they leave when it is full. Watch out, my blogger friend spent hours there one Thanksgiving waiting for the police to arrive to fill out the report for the smashed out window in his rental. His was not the only car and the police don't care about the gays down at the PH, unless it's to bust the hustlers who hang on the corners. You can see their faces on the City of Orlando Police web page "Busted". I feel sorry for our sad PH. Their time share idea doesn't seem to be working out as well as they planned. They should have put that money into the club itself. It really needs an overhaul.

I was in town to celebrate my B-day on sept3rd-09 and my friends took me to th parliment house and it was latin night. I speak very little spanish but i have to say i had so much fun and everyone was so warm and caring. Making sure i was having fun\drink etc.These were people i just met!!Wonderful. As for the show, The Hostess\M.C. was a class act and very talented. Kept the show moving and upbeat.My friends Granny& Ms.Bernice showed me a fierce time and suggest when in orlando go see The Lisa Lane show. Hot Papi's Everywhere!! Special shout-out to Josephine Andrews who wore it out!!While i was there i went to see the girls permform at another venue and think it such a sense of community to have club's work together to bring a good time for the visiting people who come from far away at times. Thank you for a great B-Day.Sicerely, Thomas Hunt

I traveled to Orlando for a business conference and stayed the weekend at The Parliament House. During the days the place is virtually empty – unlike Palm Springs where there’s always guys walking around the grounds. But in the evenings the place comes alive and becomes the social center of Orlando – each of the numerous clubs on site and the drag show is standing room only. Hundreds of guys. And that’s when it’s convenient to be staying there – it’s a short walk to bring a “guest” back to your room. A few warnings: (1) There are a lot of older guys who get rooms there and during the day and evenings they walk/stalk back and forth around the balconies on the 2nd foor. One local told me they call them “balcony bats”. (2) The neighborhood is extremely dangerous and is the highest crime rate area in the city. It’s on Orange Blossom Trail, but locals call it the “O-B-T”. I made a quick stop at the local liquor store to stock up and all the people loitering around started to gather around my car, kind of like Dawn of the Dead. Creepy.

Hey yall just have to say i will never go back there ever. It was dirty nasty smelly. Now id u are looking for unsafe drug sex well then this is the place for u. I went thinking i would run into some leather bear people wrong. and the few that is did meet were so rude it ws not funny at all. and from what i was tols p h now has a bear club well i met someone from that club wow if that what a bear in orlando is suppose to be let me out NOW. This guy was i mean very very large shall we say and would not leave me alone. anyway then later that night we saw whom i was tols is the straight female ownew wow what a piece of work she is. She is a loud drunken woman witha truckers mouth. She was bacshing my people the leather bears. saying we are nasty fat and cheap. well let me tell u honey i will never ever give that beotch any of my money again. The staff outside of the bartenders who are always nice cause they want a big tip for there watered down high priced drinks. were as mean as could be. I say if u come to orlando go somewhere else i know i will. I feel sorry for those that live in orlando and go ther cause it is more of a straight girl hang out with the twinky gay boy friend than it is of gay men. And my lezy friend that was with us wow they treat gay women worse than they do gay men. so take my advice if u want and stay away unless u want to have to go to your dr and get shots . take care

We just stayed at the P-House during Gay Days -'09. It would have been a better time if the owners would have been a little less controlling. As customers and patrons of this hotel, it was less than inviting to see the owner (an older middle aged lady in a moo-moo) running around screeching orders at her employees to "get those people off the balconies" before the show. Those "people" are your customers, lady. We could not even stand in front of our rooms on the balconies but it was just fine for HER invited "special guests to stand in front of OUR room to watch the show and flaunt their "special" status at US while we had to stay in our room and watch the show from behind our window glass. Talk about feeling like a 2nd class citizen. I can understand that there can be too many people on the balconies and it can be unsafe. However in this case, her SPECIAL GUESTS should not have been allowed there either. We put the money in that place this past weekend. WE were her special guests. Thanks for NOTHING. I won't even talk about how the north stairwell on the pool side was blocked (fire/exit violation)

We went on a Wed. and it was still a great place

Some of the negative reviews here have left me stunned. YES it's a bit trashy...YES it's a bit grubby in daylight and NO the rooms are not fancy. But that's what makes PH a great place to visit!!! The drag shows are world class...the music is fantastc and although offering a limited menu..the Rainbow Cafe serves excellent food... and despite other comments here the drinks are NOT expensive. The Pariament House is whatever you want it to be....a bar to meet friends...a place to people watch....or if you like....a place to have some "fun" with other men. Every gay man should visit the Parliament House at least once in their life...but many keep on going back.

I drove to the Parliament House in my father's Mercedes S 63; wrong car to drive to this place. After parking and seeing the crowd heading for this old building one thought came to mind: White Gay Trash USA. People were asking for money, offering sex for money, people with the room doors open, inviting anything with a pulse to join them, selling any drug you want; and it all seemed normal to the establishment. I had read in school about this sub-culture, but never expected to actually experience it. I have never seen a group of people stuck in another quantum reality; and they do not look like happy folks. The area is really scary, run down, and drug dealers all over. In the bar a conversation quickly reveals these people barely can grasp grammar, and rudimentary social skills. Some have no manners to speak of, and very little in the way of pride, and hardly any respect for anybody or anything; they are obvious losers and it bugs them. But instead of submitting quietly to their collective fate, they have made it the basis of a full-time social vendetta. They don't expect to win anything, but on the other hand, they have nothing to lose. Left in 10 minutes, back to the world I know. Order room service, and went to sleep. We left next day back to Palm Beach., and experience I will never forget nor repeat this experience. Sayonara Orlando, NIKI

Every tourist will enjoy the P House. On weekends--Always crowded with people and themed events. 5 different kinds of bars and hotel rooms. For locals, they do not improve on parking issues. (Sometimes you have to park in a lake or a mile away) and there drinks are outrageously priced compared to other bars in town. Cover can be as much as $25. Really, they never improve ANYTHING because people keep coming back. I still have fun at the P House though...

best bar in town

Very difficult to describe this place. From a horrible dirty, vulgar and awful looking place to one of the best late night spot in Orlando. Very good drag show, very good music. Strange place.

Exactly what your mother warned you about when going to the gay bars.....ugly drag queens, old dirty men, drugs and random sex, makes for a bad HBO special.

Thsi place is over run with twinks and queens....also kinda "ghetto" on the weekend. Same ole scarey place..just a "new" look.

If you are in to raunchy, dirty and sleezy gayness, then this will feel like Heaven. If you have a little class, then I would go elsewhere. I feel like I need to get tested just for being there.

one word WOW, i have been here more than once,stayed overnight, and also performed here as "sheila", on thursday nights, very busy and alot of hot latin men so many so little time!! so come to the parliament house where your dreams and fanasty's can come true! this is SHEILA saying have fun!

Fun, but in a sketchy part of town.

Orlando's staple for gay nightlife. Draws a very diverse crowd. Excellent for cruising or hanging out with friends. Variety of indoor and outdoor spaces.