Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary
By Tony Adams
David Medici, the owner, and Thomas Hazel, the general manager, the Big Coconut Guesthouse, in Fort Lauderdale, are no strangers to the hospitality business. Both men worked together at the Coconut Cove Guesthouse on the beach, and both men took some years off to travel before returning to the business they know so well: the provision of a centrally located but secluded lodging for gay men visiting Fort Lauderdale. Medici explains the difference between Coconut Cove and The Big Coconut saying,”The Big Coconut is like ‘Godfather Part II.’ The first one was great but the second one is better.”
This year, 2026, marks the tenth anniversary of the Big Coconut, and the property never looked better. They took a moment away from managing their expanding venue to talk about why this venture is successful. For the record, they want us to know that they are business partners, not life partners.
Tom Hazel says that their priority is the maintenance of a clean and comfortable clothing optional property where men can relax and socialize without anxiety. (Proving his point, the music in the common areas and by the pool is not the relentless screaming of divas that saturates many other gay venues. At the Big Coconut, you can hear yourself think and you can easily converse with those around you.)
While other guesthouses offer day passes to locals, Medici and Hazel (who accepts with an eyeroll the way everyone has turned his last name into his first), based on earlier mixed experiences, do not offer them. However, the friends of guests are always welcomed.
Because The Big Coconut is secluded, many locals are unaware of its existence, but guests from around the world who stay here keep coming back. Medici says that 60% of the guests who stay with him are return customers. He likes it that way, saying, “I keep the rates low because I want those guys to come back.”
The guesthouse is just off Sunrise Boulevard near Holiday Park and Publix and the Stonewall Archives, and just a short jaunt into Wilton Manors. There is ample parking and 17 spacious rooms, many with kitchens and everything you need for an extended stay that might even include cooking and dining in your room or in the gracious courtyard. They provide coffee and light breakfast items every morning, and they host a happy hour on weekends. They sell out for Pig Week, Halloween, and often during their peak season of December through April.
When thinking about the Big Coconut, you ask yourself, “What do gay men really want from a gay resort when they travel?” They want their hosts to be attentive. That means providing a comfortable bed in a safe and clean venue where you will meet like-minded men who will share easy laughter. The Big Coconut gives you all that and more. Been traveling for a while? Been getting down and dirty? They have a complimentary washer/dryer.
Hazel and Medici want everyone to know that The Big Coconut is an unpretentious place. They emphasize that guests here tend to be sociable at the pool and in the private courtyard. Hazel adds with a wink, “We manage things without trying to be on top of you…unless you ask for that.” That said, Medici is a hands-on owner who is passionate about plants. The lush landscape of the courtyard is ample evidence of that. He owns an additional property across the street which he calls “The Little Coconut.” It is accessible to all guests, contains two apartments, the communal washer/dryer, and a tropical garden that is a work-in-progress. Medici envisions it as a place of repose for his guests who seek a few moments of refuge from the excitement of Fort Lauderdale.
The newly renovated apartment of the Little Coconut is sleek and contemporary, in contrast to the vintage, high quality, mid-century vibe of the furnishings in the 17 rooms of the Big Coconut.
Both friendly Coconuts are for men who like a lush, laid-back, casual, and clothing optional lodging that is close to everything, except attitude.
