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By Dave Demerjian
The Out Traveler, January/February 2005
Reports of the Boatslip Hotel’s death have been greatly exaggerated. In our last issue we mentioned that this gay-owned Provincetown, MA property, home of a legendary waterfront tea dance since 1978, was being sold and redeveloped into condos. Boatslip owner Richard Farrell found himself struggling to save the hotel after his business partners accepted a $14 million buyout from developers.
While vacationers lamented the loss of the tea dance, town officials saw the sale as a sign that Provincetown risks becoming another overpriced vacation spot for the rich. They rallied behind Farrell, who announced his opposition to the sale, and a petition to save the Boatslip received nearly 3,000 signatures from town residents in August. After a contentious battle that saw the two sides squaring off in court, Farrell announced in October that he would buy out the property’s seven other owners and continue operating the Boatslip as a hotel. “We’re going to completely remodel over the next two years to make the experience even more special,” he says. “The Boatslip and tea dance are important parts of life here in Provincetown, and I’m proud to be able to continue the tradition.”
