January 31, 2025 • 50 mins
Travelers looking for hotels that speak to the heart of a destination should immediately check out Hotels Above Par, a curated guide to the coolest boutique hotels and travel experiences. What began as a fun social media project during the COVID-19 Pandemic by founder Brandon Berkson has become a full-fledged media company covering the best of boutique hotels, restaurants, and destinations around the world.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hotel history is created for adult audiences.
(00:03):
Content may not be suitable for all listeners.
Discretion is advised.
You're listening to Hotel History.
We take you with us through the sordid history and scandals
of some of the world's most famous and infamous hotels.
I'm D'Etta.
And I'm Yael.
(00:24):
Let's get started.
Today we are with Brandon Berkson from Hotels Above Par.
Brandon, I'm just going to let you jump in.
Tell us about yourself and how you got started in this crazy hotel industry.
Thank you for having me first off.
And yeah, I'm the CEO of Hotels Above Par.
(00:45):
Hotels Above Par is an expert curated guide to the world's coolest boutique hotels and
travel experiences.
We really harness the definition of anything boutique, whether that's from hotels to
travel.
I actually have always loved boutique hotels.
They've been my greatest passion.
I started my career as a bellboy at the Mystic Hotel, which is now a Pali Society hotel in
(01:05):
San Francisco.
So I was a bellboy there.
And that was, let's see, that was when I was in college.
And then, you know, fast forward all these years now, I then worked in Hotel PR.
And then when I was laid, or excuse me, I was furloughed during the pandemic.
I had always been, I'd worked on social media a lot while working in Hotel PR.
(01:25):
I have always been so fascinated by hotels.
And I think during this time where, you know, hotels during the pandemic needed love most,
they needed support just to be talked about, I kind of came up with this idea of just,
and also was to keep me busy.
I was on furlough to have these beautiful pictures of boutique hotels and then pair
them with articles that fit in their entirety as a caption.
(01:48):
And it was really for like social media, for people who consume their media, their news
on Instagram first.
And I think a lot of people were on Instagram scrolling, like during this time, because
we couldn't travel anywhere.
So it was this kind of this nice dose of wanderlust.
So fast forward, and we ended up like growing exponentially.
(02:09):
And I ended up having journalists on the, we did these like cringe Instagram lives.
And I would have some of my journalist contacts from when I was working PR join me.
And they, we would just talk about hotels and different subjects and people just were
really into it.
I honestly think it was because like so many people were at home and just didn't have
anything to do.
(02:30):
But, you know, it grew exponentially.
I ended up going back to work in Hotel PR.
And then I was like, you know what?
I want to do this full time, like I feel like I'm in a place where I can do this.
So in April, 2021, I ended up going fully full time with hotels above par.
And, you know, we created a website and a newsletter to make it a full-ledged media
(02:53):
company.
I ended up getting budget to be able to hire a couple of people to do freelance for
articles, help out the website.
And yeah, today we have over 400,000 readers.
We have a print magazine.
We have a network of 40, more than 40 of some of the best travel journalists in the
world, at least I think so.
But, and yeah, we've been featured in Forbes, we've been featured in Travel and Leisure,
(03:17):
CNBC.
So we've gotten some really nice attention from the press.
What's been really nice too, and I think this is one of my favorite parts, is our readership
is these people who love boutique hotels so much.
They like sleep, they eat it, they breathe it.
And it's an interesting place being where we are in the media market, because there
(03:38):
aren't too many other publications that are strictly like boutique hotels and boutique
style travel.
I think it's worth saying also, we do destination guides and restaurant roundups, it just has
to be boutique.
So I think that our, the combined love of, you know, our readers who love boutique hotels
so much, and then just how so many people were looking to travel during the pandemic,
(04:00):
post pandemic really helped contribute to our success.
Yeah, I know I have to say that I remember just sitting in my house in 2020, just planning
elaborate trips for some day, some day when they let us out again.
So I wish that I had found hotels above par way back then.
Instagram is a great place for hotels because it is, it is a great place for hotels.
(04:22):
Because you need to get people's attention through images more than like, if there was
a paragraph describing the hotel, that's great.
I mean, obviously we write about hotels too, but like you want to see it.
So I feel like that's the way to go.
Yeah.
It's like a perfect marriage there.
And I think we recognize that so many people, like at least millennials and Gynx who are
(04:45):
my entire group, like they're consuming their news a lot of the time on Instagram first.
So having that there, and then I know that when I look up something and I'm like, someone
tells me a hotel, I look at the Instagram first before I go on the website.
And I think that's kind of the millennial kind of move.
Also, you know, a lot of these people who are, who read hotels, but part of everything,
(05:07):
it's caters to a group of millennials and Jacks.
We don't really have a huge Gen Z target.
It's mostly like millennial and Gen X, but they don't want to read 2000 word articles
anymore because there's so many distractions, whether it's a boisterous ad or a hyperlink
that takes you to the next page from a 2000 word article.
So all our articles, it's worth mentioning today are between 600 and 800 words that can
(05:30):
be done in two, three minutes and they were able to resonate.
And we did that because we realized that a lot of readers are short on time.
And with all the technological overabundance of content, like we really felt we needed to
keep it at that word count.
Yeah.
I also feel like it's a little unnecessary for 2000 word article.
Like, again, it's a hotel.
(05:52):
The visuals are going to speak louder than anything.
But as you said, the way that websites are set up now, even I'm reading something that
you need all those details.
I'm like, I leave half the time because 40,000 ads have popped up.
How many times are you going to ask me to sign up?
Like I'm in the middle of the article, ask me after or something, or get the ad for
(06:16):
whatever, like laundry detergent out of here.
I always get ones for laundry detergent.
I don't know why.
What are you trying to tell us?
You don't have a laundry in like four months.
Do my clothes smell or something?
I don't know.
So what made you decide boutique hotels?
So boutique hotels have always been my number one passion.
(06:39):
I since I was a kid, it's kind of funny.
Also, like a testament that I didn't have any friends until I was 12 or 13.
I was obsessed with hotels and hospitality.
So I forced my brother to play hotel with me.
And he just wanted to play sports.
So he was like, why is my brother making me do this?
(07:01):
But I would actually, when I was younger, I hated sports.
So they were just like, we're not my thing.
I used to ask my parents when we'd go somewhere.
And we traveled, but we didn't travel as extensively as I do today.
We would go to a hotel and we'd just walk around the grounds and the lobby
and then the restaurant and stuff like that.
(07:21):
And then I would go home and I would draw it.
And I would like, yeah, so it was kind of a fun little thing.
I ended up then, just when I got older in high school, I was like,
okay, this is not cool.
I'm not doing this anymore.
And then I, but I always loved to travel.
And I'd gone to, I went to Spain for a summer and we stayed in a couple
(07:42):
of boutique hotels and that was amazing.
And then I just, I knew that I wanted to do something with hotels.
I didn't know that this is what I wanted to do, like working in media,
but I had always had an adoration for boutique hotels.
I think they're so special, you know, they really connect you to the heart of a destination.
And yeah, it's a lot of the time, I think what's cool about boutique hotels is like
(08:03):
the first, when you come in and that person at check-in like greets you,
like that a lot of the time is like my first memory
of a specific destination that I'm visiting.
And I just think boutique hotels have a way of just being so intimate
and having such a personality.
So then yeah, when I worked as a bellman, I got to learn the ins and outs.
And then through my career, you know, I just really
(08:25):
emphasize and amplified how much I love boutique hotels
and how much I would rather spend.
And like our readers, I would rather spend, leave a little bit more money
if it means that I'm staying at somewhere that's like,
connects you to the heart of the destination or feels boutiquey
as opposed to some corporate.
Nothing wrong with mega resorts, nothing like the really corporate one.
They're just not our jam.
Yeah, that.
(08:46):
Okay.
Wow.
There's so much there.
I also want to like say that I love that story when you were younger.
And I have not the same story.
I have a similar story about my younger self going to hotels
and having like a connection to it and also wanting to play as a kid.
It's funny you call it hospitality.
(09:07):
I didn't realize, but I used to play bartender and librarian and secretary,
which are all like catered to helping people.
And but it wasn't just me.
It was my other siblings.
We liked it.
And I realized those who want to play that when they're younger
actually are very successful.
Okay.
I didn't want to be a doctor.
I want us to be a cashier.
(09:27):
All we wanted was the long nails.
And we're like, okay, that's going to be three 75 like and tap on the keyboard.
So I relate to that so hard.
And the fact that you had these positive memories in the hotels,
I think says something because when I was younger as well,
my mom would take us.
I'm from New York and we didn't get to stay at hotels,
(09:50):
like actually, you know, go on vacation, but we would go to Manhattan.
And the first thing we do is go to the Plaza Hotel
because you're allowed to use their bathroom for free.
And they're not weird about it.
Like everyone did this.
So my mom's like bathroom break.
And I was I started to become obsessed with the Plaza with Eloise, all that stuff.
And it's that that childhood memory.
And you're like, this is a safe place.
(10:11):
This place is nice.
They're so there's there's something there.
Like when you said I was like, yes, I get that.
That's awesome.
No, I love that you relate to that.
That's awesome.
Well, I love that you found this niche of boutique hotels
because I think that they have this like energy and vitality that travelers,
(10:32):
millennial travelers are looking for because growing up, like my idea of a hotel
is there's either the Plaza, the major resort or there's Holiday Inn, Best Western, Radisson.
Like there's you don't there.
There's this whole world of in between that I think that interesting,
like a place that really makes you go, oh, I want to go to the
(10:55):
hotel, I want to stay there, and I actually want to spend time in the hotel.
I don't want to just sleep there and go.
So I think that a lot of the places that you're focusing on really have that energy to them,
which is very clear from the photography on your Instagram and the website.
But I also want to say something that it makes sense when you said if you go to a boutique hotel,
(11:19):
it's like the you're getting the heart of the wherever you're going.
You're getting an experience versus a Best Western.
It's like your travel.
Everyone has a different reason for traveling.
And if you're going to go and see a place, you want to stay at a boutique hotel.
But if you're going and you have to go to like a convention or something
and you want just the predictability of like a Best Western, like that's why they're there.
(11:41):
You know, like every place has its purpose.
And too often, I think boutique hotels are overlooked.
But something I noticed is that a big corporations are trying to acquire these boutique hotels
and they they realize the gems that they are.
And sometimes they'll just be like, OK, we're going to fund you,
but you get to keep your personality.
(12:03):
And because they realize people don't just want a cold like box to stay in.
They want that experience, especially if they're traveling for vacation.
No, I think that's a really good point.
You know, we don't just limit ourselves to independent properties.
We also do the boutique brands, for example, like a boutique brand,
such as Design Hotels, which is technically under Marriott or, you know,
(12:26):
a Kimpton, which is technically under IHG.
You know, we never cover an Intercontinental.
We'd never cover, you know, a JW Marriott.
But these boutique brands that feel boutique to their core, we would absolutely cover those.
So I think that that's a really interesting place in the market right now is how all these like
the larger hotel conglomerates are realizing the boutique is kind of the future,
at least the zeitgeist thing that's happening right now when it comes to hospitality.
(12:50):
I also wanted to play off your point about, you know,
about us saying that boutique hotels connect us to the heart of a destination.
I think something worth mentioning too is like with boutique hotels is
there's so many ounces of like a different of a story everywhere,
whether it's the art that was inspired by the destination
or it's like the furniture is from a really cool interior designer
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that it's like out of that place or the restaurant is like,
is based on a gold wives tale in this town that you're staying in.
I just think there's so many different elements that are worth mentioning.
When I say like connect to the heart of a destination, that's what I mean.
Yeah, yeah, I totally get that.
And when you walk into a place, you can feel that if they if the person in charge
(13:33):
understands that you can feel that in every room of a boutique hotel.
So what was your vision for where this would go
whenever you made your very first post in 2020?
Did you did you foresee all of this?
Did you have this like laid out in your head or were you just like, this will be fun?
(13:58):
No, I had no idea it was about to come.
I remember I started and I was just I was at home
and I just remember being so like, what's happening in the world?
Am I going to get a job again?
Like, OK, like I'm someone who has to be doing something all the time.
Like, I'm not chill.
And I like I need to be doing something.
(14:20):
So it was really it was like nice to occupy my time with this.
And like, I got really passionate about it.
I know that this is awesome.
But did I think it was going to go where it is today?
Oh, no. I had no idea.
I learned along the way.
It's kind of it's a really unique story.
I think that like kind of when life gave me furlough,
I guess I made lemonade out of it.
And I just I didn't think it would become a full fledged media company
(14:44):
like to what it is today.
I thought I would I I didn't I didn't know how successful it would become.
And I'm so fortunate for that.
So, yeah, I think I just saw it as a fun Instagram page
to highlight hotels and write little articles.
But now it's so much more than that.
And I couldn't be more proud of my team and, you know, what we've created.
And I'm just so fortunate that we've had all these amazing readers
(15:06):
and have really brought us to where we are today. So.
Yeah, well, I think some great things came out of the pandemic.
But when when people who need a project, me included, I relate to you say,
I can't sit still like I need to have something.
And then we're given the time. Magic happens.
(15:27):
Yeah, I was collecting unemployment and then I was like, just doing this.
And the yeah, I think that what really when it really started
to get serious is when we like I left to do full time and we created a website
and that really solidified like, OK, this is here to stay.
(15:49):
You know, when I was able to dedicate all my time to it and, you know,
we just expanded past just an Instagram.
That's when I started to see a little bit more of a vision each and coming day.
And now today, now today, like we are where we are.
So how did you well, you kind of did mention how you grew your brand
from the pandemic to now, which is like the Instagram lives
(16:11):
with your journalist friends.
But is there anything else like you did it because it is a relatively short time
like business wise, when you look in the years, like people are like,
it's been around for 40 years, something like that.
It's been around for 40 years, something.
And that makes sense why it's big.
But I feel like yours is amazing.
And I'm just I rocketed really. I rocketed.
(16:32):
Like, how did you do that?
It's it's it's just really impressive.
Thank you for the kind words.
I appreciate that. And I appreciate your support for the publication.
I sold my soul to social media.
I literally sold my soul to Instagram and was like, hey,
I'll see you in like five years.
So we there are a couple of things.
(16:52):
So with the journalists, we would have them share it on LinkedIn
and tag hotels of up par when they'd write a story or was an Instagram live.
They go on their account.
And then in addition to that, giveaways with different hotels.
And we started doing Instagram lives with different hotels, too.
And they put it on their feed, which is really good.
We ran some Instagram ads, which was which was definitely good.
(17:15):
And then giveaways like I said, in sweepstakes.
We also did a lot of collaborating,
like co-collab tools with different brands that were like kind of similar to us.
For example, we did one with Mr.
Hudson Explorers, which is this really cool LGBTQ publication.
And so what's great about those co-collabs, it's like I'm reaching them
and they're reaching me.
(17:36):
And it's just so mutually beneficial.
And I think that when we did these like different partner,
these different co-collabs, whether it's a conjoined article
or it's giveaway or whatever, like you were so special at those.
It's like you're putting yourself on their whole readership,
all their readership's eyeballs and they're the same thing for us.
And so it's just a really good way to maximize reach and exposure.
(17:56):
And then, you know, it's it's really helpful.
And I'm going to go back to this again is like one of the reasons that it
excelled so much is because we have really some of the best travel journalists
and they spread the word and they they were they took a liking
to the concept of this boutique hotel publication.
And, you know, I just think really it they took a liking to it.
(18:17):
And that helps spread, you know, the message out there
that we're this new publication and we're here to stay.
And this is what we cover. So.
So a lot of work goes into it. Oh, my God. Yeah, I know.
You know, we were like, oh, my God, you travel all the time.
That's so fun. And I'm like, yeah, it's fun.
But I'm like also like working 20 fucking hours a day. Yeah.
(18:38):
Yeah, we we understand.
And obviously, we're we're learning all this stuff also.
And that's why even asking these questions and learning from you,
like we're we're taking notes or like, yeah, this is how we should do it.
We definitely had an amazing opportunity this past fall.
(18:58):
We collaborated with a hotel and people were going to release all that stuff soon.
But yeah, when we got there, it was we were only there for like four days.
We worked nonstop.
That wasn't like it was so much fun.
I would do I would work every day like that.
But you wake up as early as you can and you're doing all this stuff
(19:21):
and like you go to bed as late as you can because you're still doing all this stuff.
And it's a lot of fun, but it's the work.
It's not just like, oh, God, we just you travel.
Yeah. Yeah.
Not just by the pool with a cocktail.
It's like we're not.
Yeah. Or like when people compare me to like an influencer, like that,
I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
(19:42):
No, it's it's skilled.
This is like something I would love more businesses and hotels to understand.
Social media, even influencing, like what we're doing
is just a different variation of marketing and advertising. Right.
It's like this is and journalism.
It's not just us with our phones and like whatever.
(20:05):
You got to learn editing.
You have to learn to copywriting.
You have to learn the advertising strategies.
You it is you have to have all these skill sets.
And if you don't, then you're screwed or you got to pick it up really quickly.
But people too often will be like, we're not going to do that.
That's just some social media thing.
And I was just like, no, this is this is hard.
(20:28):
This is like where it's at.
And so many will consume their news on Instagram.
So I think something that we try to do, too, is we we recognize that
like sometimes like influencers have taken the authority
on like in the expertise position.
Yeah. On like a lot of traveling, people trust them for travel.
(20:51):
But we want to keep that trust with the journalists.
So what we've done is we've kind of made this hybrid of like bringing
putting these journalists on pedestals on Instagram
and really valuing their expertise and saying like,
this is where you're going to learn the most from this journalist.
And there's nothing wrong with influencers.
There really is not.
And they work really hard and they're great.
But we really wanted to restore the knowledge and the expertise
(21:14):
and put these journalists on a pedestal during a time where media is kind of
having a dark these dark days with, you know, layoffs and all of that.
So us really championing the journalists is definitely something I found
to be really important in mixing that with social.
Well, I like that because I think journalists or people
who take this job as a journalist view like you.
There is some level of respect and understanding.
(21:39):
I think journalists have versus like the influencer when they go and do business.
And it makes sense that the journalist becomes the influencer
and the influencer becomes the journalist.
I mean, it is such a weird thing.
But the thing about influencers that I think I have a criticism of is that
there's no professionalism and there's a lot of entitlement.
They go and they're just like, you know, there's no understanding of
(22:03):
like there's a person behind, you know, the desk.
There's not everything is going to come to you right away.
And like, it's just so I just like the idea that you're taking your journalists
and you're like, hey, they're the experts.
And this is the avenue that we're going to show everyone.
But don't forget that they know what they're talking about.
(22:24):
Yeah, we definitely try and to emphasize that we don't we don't
we try to stray away from like, you know, the influencer who's
the influencer who takes a picture with like, like, at least like in the gay world.
I mean, my boyfriend and everything, we always laugh at these insta gays
who like literally will just like be in a speedo and be like, oh, my God,
at the best time in Hawaii, like blah, blah, blah, blah.
(22:45):
And we're like, that says nothing about Hawaii.
Like, like this would probably take you to be there and everything.
But that literally didn't tell me anything about the destination,
didn't tell me anything about like the hotel.
And so it's kind of it's just kind of a funny thing.
Well, it's all about me, me, me, me, me. Right. Yeah.
That's something that I
(23:06):
I don't feel comfortable with.
I have to get more comfortable with that because that is the world we live in.
But yeah, as you said, it doesn't say anything about the hotel.
Like I'm I'm taking pictures of like the little chachis in the hotel,
the old telephones, and I'm just like, how cute is this?
This guy is so nice.
The bartender, the whatever.
But for some reason, social media doesn't necessarily love that.
(23:26):
They do love the pictures of like someone half naked by the pool.
And maybe if I had those abs, I would do it.
I don't know. Yeah.
Well, so you did.
You started out, you know, writing everything on Instagram.
But now that you do have contributing writers and editors,
(23:50):
how has that shaped Hotels Above Par or how is it,
you know, maybe changing it a little bit or leading it in a in its direction?
Yeah, so I'm really fortunate about the journalists
that I've taken a liking to the concept.
And what's great about them is, you know, they're based all around the world
and they give different perspectives to these different destinations.
(24:10):
And what's really, I think, one of the most beneficial things
is I can't be in Bhutan for like a hotel opening
because that weekend I'm going to like, I don't know, like Paris
for like a hotel convention or whatever.
Like there's always there's so many places around the world
that are opening up as new hotels and a lot of them.
I like I said, I can't go to Bhutan for three days.
(24:31):
So like if we have a journalist who's like based around there, they'll go
and they'll find them out and then they'll do a review and everything.
So it's nice having a whole network and that really enriched
our our assemblage of hotels that we feature and that we've written
hotel reviews on, because without them, we wouldn't have been able
to access these different places.
And when we do a hotel review, the journalist has to have stayed there
(24:51):
and experienced it.
So I would say that.
And then my colleague, Brittany, she's amazing.
She's our associate editor.
She takes on some a lot of like the writing to
and then we have a couple of two other part time people
who help take on the writing as well.
So they're amazing. They're great.
My team's phenomenal.
(25:12):
I'm really so fortunate for them.
But in addition to that, I'm so fortunate for the freelancers
who are really around the globe.
So what elements does a place that you're going to cover,
you know, boutique hotel, you said you also do restaurants as well.
And I noticed some just kind of general like destination articles on the website
to getting a bit bigger from just looking at a hotel.
(25:36):
But what do any of these places need to have?
What makes you want to feature them?
Yeah, I think, you know, we really go for things that are boutiquey.
They feel independent or they are independent.
They feel that they have their own unique vibe to them
and that they're inimitable.
You can't get it anywhere else.
Just these really these things that make it such
(25:58):
and make it feel so individualistic, I would say, is the biggest trait, you know,
and straying away from anything hyper corporate, anything like too commercialized.
And we're very, very like meticulous about that.
So if something's borderline, we'll really have to analyze it
and because we really do want to maintain our editorial integrity.
Yeah. So it just really has to feel individualistic because if it doesn't,
(26:22):
then that really is kind of a disappointment to our readers.
Very boutiquey, boutiquey boutiquey.
Well, OK, I have another like random question about that.
So boutiquey, there's so many when when you do pick a hotel,
let's say you're traveling for whatever reason, maybe not even for work,
but just to stay.
What are the things that like you look for in a hotel?
(26:45):
This, uh, I guess the accommodations are like,
what are they called? It's on the tip of my tongue.
The amenities. The amenities.
Yes, thank you.
Uh, like, what do you what does a hotel need to have?
I am a workaholic, so it needs to have good Wi-Fi no matter what.
And that's a big thing.
(27:06):
I love a hotel with a library.
I'm obsessed with coffee table books.
I was just at this one hotel in Berlin and they had like this awesome library
with all these cool coffee table books.
And I was just like in heaven.
So I mean, not every hotel has to have this,
but I really do when like when there's a really cool library,
because there's always a different assemblage of like books in there.
Um, I would say I also really enjoy having a balcony,
(27:32):
which is nice. I like to go outside and like in the morning start my day.
Yeah, I think those things.
And then, of course, more than anything is the service.
Um, you know, you can have a really beautiful hotel.
That's amazing.
But if the service is off, it ruins your hospitality experience, you know,
and we do work in hospitality.
So we need to emphasize that word.
Um, so yeah, I would say service has to be good.
(27:52):
The Wi-Fi always has to work.
I hate having to like leave the hotel and go to like some place at like a 10 p.m.
Like at some like internet cafe that still exists and be able to do my work.
So yeah, that's it. That's a big thing.
So yeah, Wi-Fi, the library, which is, like I said, so fun and the service.
I feel like those are essential.
(28:13):
Like, yeah, that's like a good list to have.
And my favorite is when they have thematic suites.
So there's like this one hotel in Amsterdam called Pulitzer Amsterdam.
They have a book collector suite and then they have like one that's like based on music.
And then Riggs Washington, D.C. has like the First Lady suite,
which is dedicated for first ladies throughout our history.
And so when there's a theme for a suite, I get so excited to see it
(28:35):
or have to stand it.
Have you ever stayed at the Watergate Hotel?
I haven't.
OK, they have the Richard Nixon suite.
We got to collaborate with a hotel in D.C. and we went to visit a bunch of all these hotels.
Oh, you would love it.
So fun.
Like we didn't stay in the suite, but we spoke to the people about it.
(28:56):
They have like a little museum like it's.
Or in New York, the library hotel where they each floor is a different.
Dewey Decimal System section.
And so all the rooms are then themed around part of whatever is in that Dewey Decimal number.
That yeah, that's so cool.
(29:16):
I love when you're going to a boutique hotel and it has like 12 or 13 rooms
and each room has a different decor like the Chandler Newport.
Each one has like a different personality.
And I think that that's just so cool.
Yeah, it's so fun.
Oh, that makes me think of the Madonna in here.
It's yeah, I know.
I know.
Yeah, it's quirky.
It's cool. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, I don't know why people why hotels don't do that more like they should really
(29:44):
whenever there's a history there or a story, people I think hotels need to lean into it.
Some hotels are stay away.
Like there are some hotels that have famous ghost stories and they'll be like,
we don't want to talk about this.
I'm like, but everyone in here, they came for the ghost story.
(30:04):
They like are spending all their money to stay in the suite that the ghost
haunted or whatever, whatever story.
And they're like, don't mention it.
I'm like, you, you have to mention it's like it's part of your history,
how can you not?
So just like lean into the theme, like the Plaza did with the great Gatsby and Eloise.
And, you know, I just love that.
To that end, my least favorite thing, my biggest pet peeve
(30:28):
is when places try to be another place.
So if you're like in like New York and you're going to like the my,
this is a made up hotel, but I just can't think of anything on the top of my head right now.
But like you're in New York and you're going to like the Tahiti Inn and it's like,
I'm like, no, like make it cool.
But it's New York.
This isn't Tahiti.
Like Tahitian hotels should belong in Tahiti.
(30:49):
Like let's come up with something else that connects to the heart of the destination
because like Tahiti is not it.
Yeah, I agree with that.
Yeah, absolutely.
It's stick to the essence of the location.
Unless you're Vegas.
Unless you're in Vegas, Vegas gets a pass, like maybe like Atlantic City, too.
Yeah, you get passes for sure.
And they can be gaudy.
Anywhere the mafia ran at some point, we're going to give them a pass.
(31:13):
But Vegas, the whole existence is that they created this kind of like paradise in the desert,
which was a blank slate.
Like there was no theme, really.
Even the desert there is not like, desert wasn't a good enough thing.
No, it's because it's like you have to like go.
I lived in Vegas for a little bit and I worked on the strip in the hotels a lot.
(31:34):
So it's like the desert that you think is nice is a little bit farther out and where Vegas is,
is really just like dead.
Like it's just land, beige land, in my opinion.
I don't know someone else has a different opinion, but so I feel like they went and they're like,
OK, let's make anything happen.
And the bigger the better.
(31:54):
Is there, do you have a favorite hotel?
Hotel in Vegas.
Have you been, you know, I haven't been to Vegas in like, let's see, like 10 years.
I wouldn't know.
Let's see.
I went when I turned 21, so it was eight years ago.
And I like didn't.
I think we stayed at Planet Hollywood, which was definitely not a favorite hotel.
(32:19):
But I'd have to go back.
I'm dying to say the Delano.
They keep things really boutique and they just opened up their or not just what they had.
The Cosmopolitan is supposed to be really cool, but I can't tell you a first person
because I haven't been there in so long.
But I like the branding of the Cosmopolitan.
Yeah, yeah, I haven't necessarily stayed in a lot of the hotels, but I've been in a lot of the hotels.
(32:41):
And yeah, the Cosmopolitan is interesting.
It's fun.
Something that's really sad is these like historic boutique hotels are closing in a lot of places,
like the Tropicana, I think, closed recently and like makes me sad.
But go before they close everything.
That's where they close.
(33:02):
So you were mentioning that one of the things you have to have is great service and a hotel.
So what, in your opinion, is great service?
What makes a hotel have great hospitality?
So there's a couple of things, but I think the main paramount thing is personalization.
It goes a really long way from a handwritten note that says welcome, like thank you so much for staying with us.
(33:24):
If you need anything like my name is Jim, I'm the manager, that kind of thing.
If it's someone's birthday, the staff doing little things like putting balloons outside their door when they wake up or giving them a complimentary dessert.
That's his happy birthday.
Just like those kind of things really, really propel a hospitality experience.
And that was definitely something I learned while working as a bellman is because I also would do the front desk sometimes and I would do breakfast.
(33:50):
It was a small hotel, so it's kind of like a jack of all trades there.
Everyone had a hands-on experience.
So I would say that that's definitely something.
It's just being able to say to your guest, oh, hey, like I know it's your birthday tomorrow.
So like we wanted to like arrange this for you.
Did you want us to make a birthday party for you?
Like we wanted to arrange this for you, did you want us to make a reservation somewhere?
(34:11):
Or is it like when you get back, let's say it's your honeymoon and you need the hotel to do something romantic and they set up rose petals and put you and your partner's name on the bed like in like, I don't know, chocolate.
Those kind of things go a long way.
And I can tell you that some of my most memorable experiences have been through that.
(34:34):
I know there was a recent one which was at the Leela Uttapur in India.
Like honestly, if Indian hospitality is phenomenal, I think it's really some of the best in the world.
We had like a private butler and we would just like talk to him via WhatsApp.
We'll be like, hey, like, how's it going, Rishabh?
Could you please, you know, send over like a chicken tikka masala?
(34:55):
We're kind of hungry.
And then it would be there in like 10 minutes.
There's also service like this is not as much personalization, but just like being so hands on.
Casa Angelina, which is really one of my favorite hotels in the world.
Like you sneeze and they're like, here's a tissue.
Like in a second, like just from personalization to just being so hospitable and accommodating.
I think that those two are kind of a fusion that create the perfect recipe for a great hotel experience.
(35:21):
Yeah, almost like the staff, this maybe is a tall order to ask, but like to treat the guests as if
they were coming to your house.
You know, if your guests sneeze, you'd be like, here's a tissue or if you're, you know,
uh, we agree and you know, not everyone, the higher end, the hotel, you, you assume it'd be better
(35:44):
hospitality, but I believe that you can have good hospitality anywhere just with like the right
attitude, you know, um, obviously if there's some guests that are incredibly rude, maybe you don't
have to go like over the top.
I understand it's stressful cause I also have worked in a hotel, but for the most part, I think
there is just like, if you can do the bare minimum, it should be like, good, you know, say their name,
(36:08):
like good morning, Mr. Whatever.
And so there is this like attitude that should be there in a place that it really makes the whole
vibe change and the experience better.
Totally.
I mean, from your experience really starts from the second that you check in and that's your first
impression.
So yeah, it's the same being hospitable all around and being gracious.
(36:31):
So I think everything that we've just been talking about probably leads into our next question,
which is, uh, on your website, we noticed something called the star awards.
So, uh, what is that?
So yes, so the star words, um, we awarded hotels are being exceedingly boutique.
So whether there was a, if there's a story behind them, cause most boutique hotels have a story
(36:53):
behind them, if there's an above par element that, you know, basically separates it from other
public, uh, from other hotels, something that's inimitable, something that's different, like a
vine draped courtyard or, uh, a really cool cinema, it's that kind of thing.
Um, and I, the biggest thing about it was it feeling individualistic and we wanted to,
(37:15):
I'm not going to say any names, but I think we all know that there are some publications and like,
it's just working in the industry and that's how we know where a lot of the awards that are won
are allocated and given to the big advertisers and they seem a bit not genuine.
Um, and they seem like it's kind of breaking editorial integrity.
(37:40):
And I think we really wanted to give hotels awards for being boutiquey and cool hotels, not just
because they advertise with us and we don't, and we're kind of set up for that not to ever happen
because you know, boutique hotels, a lot of the time they don't have the money behind them to do
big advertising campaigns, like a lot of these big brands.
With that in mind, we wanted to make sure that like these hotels were not just, you know,
(38:04):
these hotels were being awarded for fair game and they weren't really backed up by an advertising
budget. And I think that it really resonated as really authentic and yeah, really just,
they, they competed for being the most boutiquey that they could be.
So where do you see everything going next? What's, what's next on your plate for hotels above park?
(38:30):
So a couple things, you know, we just had a really busy year. We launched, um, our print magazine.
So, and that got a lot of, you know, nice recognition. So next year we're going to do
it again as an annual thing. Let me tell you, I don't know if you've ever done a print magazine,
but like putting it together and like all the back and forth, it is a pain in the ass.
Like I like have garnered so many more gray hairs in the last seven months than I ever have in my
(38:55):
life. Like it's so funny. Like I'll, I'll like, I'll look at myself in the mirror and I'm like,
oh my God, like this print magazine has aged me. Um, and so, but it's done now. And you know,
I'm like for how much at work it was, like, I'm so proud of how it came out and our team did such an
amazing job in helping conjure the vision. Um, and so that was a big thing. And if you know,
(39:16):
people really value print, there's a resurgence in print going on right now. People love it.
Really? Yeah. Just the cover that you can see on the website is gorgeous. So I cannot wait.
Well, it's an annual thing. It's just one magazine a year. Yep. One a year. Yes. This
was our first one. We'll do it again next year. And all this, what's nice is all the stars got
a page in there. Um, the ones that won awards. And then in addition to that, we had a couple
(39:38):
destination guides and it's really a magazine for people who love, love, love boutique hotels.
Cause then at the end there's like eight essays from eight of big, really great freelance
journalists about different things in hotels. Like what's it like to go to hotel school?
What's it like to, um, these are the hotels that are like, uh, are groundbreaking with the
retail concepts. Like, and so it's really, if you love hotels, then you're, I feel like you'll love
(39:59):
that magazine. At least I hope we, um, kind of quietly just launched a booking engine. Um,
and that's going to be a big focus for next year. And with the booking engine, it, we're doing it
in partner with this, uh, travel agency called essentialist. So it's really cool is if you book
a hotel with us, like 40% of them, you'll get like VIP perks. So whether that's early late check-in
(40:24):
or like daily breakfast or a $50 spa credit, like all those kinds of things, because essentialist
has relationships with a lot of these hotels. Um, and if they don't we, but they're still on
the booking platform, which is like Sabre, we, there aren't VIP perks attached, but what we're
trying to do is next year is come up with a comprehensive program where there's VIP perks.
(40:44):
They're just really perks for all of the hotels. Um, and so just really going to build on that.
And I think the important thing here is to maintain our editorial integrity and not be too salesy,
not be like, Oh, by this, by this book, this book of it, you know what I mean? Like that I think
would ruin like the integrity that we have with our readers and our brands. So, um, I, it's going
to be a real, it's, it'll be really interesting to see how we, how this like really like plays out,
(41:08):
but yeah, we're going to, we want to be also like a booking engine for people who love boutique
hotels and want fun, cool VIP perks or just really advantageous, like kind of elements when they do
stay there. So that's a big focus for next year for sure. Yeah. Another print issue and then just
growing our readership, you know, we're at around 400,000 monthly readers now, and I'm so excited
about that. Let's get to 700,000 next year. So yeah, yeah. Well, we're definitely going to,
(41:33):
uh, talk about you on our newsletter and I will put you guys in our newsletter too. Yeah.
And people can sign up for the newsletter on the website so they can just do everything right there.
Right. Yep. Exactly. Yeah. Very excited for you and this whole thing. Like this is amazing. Like
it's just, it's fun to see and it's a, you know, fun to support something that is so genuine. And
(41:57):
like, yeah, I feel like it has all the right ingredients. I so appreciate all the support.
It's like, you can tell it's high end and quality, but it doesn't feel too elitist.
Obviously this is quality and I, you know, either is a target of people who can travel and have
like disposable income, but I don't feel like it's, um, I feel like you're talking to everyone.
(42:21):
Yeah. I, I try to, you know, have that message go out. That's fair. When we actually have,
you know, while we feature like really lux boutique hotels, we also have a series called
affordable and adorable. And that's where we highlight boutique hotels in a certain locale
that have starting nightly rates under 250. So we try to, you know, just the big, like you said,
this niche and like, um, having a wide audience and appealing to everyone while still seeming
(42:43):
refined. Like that's the goal that we really tried to put forth. So I'm happy that that
resonated. Yeah. I think you're also giving a good name to boutique hotels in the sense that, uh,
too often shitty hotels will consider themselves boutique and they'll be like, we're boutique.
You should still have some level of cleaning standards. Yeah. Like, yeah, I got, I got a pitch,
(43:06):
I got a pitch from a very corporate hotel. Um, and it was like the antithesis of like corporate,
it, it was the excuse me, it was the antithesis of boutique. And it was just like,
I was like, what, like, did you, like, why'd you think I would cover this? Like,
I do not read our content. Probably not. They probably like just read as everyone.
(43:28):
Yeah, it was, yeah, it was, it was really funny. I was like, God, I really hope the message is
getting across that we feature boutique hotels. It definitely is. Yeah. Okay. So where are you
traveling next? Good question. So we're doing a big partnership with Tampa. So I'm going to Tampa
next week, AKA the Paris of Florida. I'm excited. I actually, I really do like Tampa and I'm excited
(43:55):
to go because there's, there's a really cool neighborhood there called Ybor City. And it's,
I love a area where there's like cool indie boutiques. Like we've been starting to do the,
we opened up an online shop and it's just like cool boutique indie brands that relate back to
travel. And we do a thing where it's like the coolest boutiques to shop at, indie boutiques or
to shop out in different cities. And so we're going to do one for Tampa and then we have some,
(44:18):
we're doing a destination guide and then some other things. But after that, I'm going to Sri
Lanka, which will be cool. And then I'm going to India with my boyfriend. Yeah. Some, some fun
trips in the next three, four weeks. That's so exciting. And I think we just have one last
question for you, which is what is your favorite hotel? Ooh, that's a hard one. But if I were to
(44:41):
but if I were to narrow it down to two, I would say Casa Angelina on the Amalfi coast, this
beautiful hotel, it's really my happy place. And it overlooks the sea, it's whitewashed and
contemporary, which is kind of a different decor than a lot of the other hotels in the area,
which take on more of like a traditional kind of look. The service is impeccable. Like, like I said,
(45:04):
SMEs and someone's like here from the team, like the breakfast is phenomenal. And the food for
lunch and dinner is amazing. They've got a really beautiful beach at the bottom called Lagavitella
beach or one fire beach. And it's one of the only places in the area that you can swim because it's
a lot of the Amalfi coast is quite rocky. So this is like one of the accessible places. In addition
(45:27):
to that, they have this they have all this amazing art that's like Murano glass and really cool
inventive pieces throughout the place. And like I said, it's like a big whitewashed color palette.
So it feels quite contemporary. And I'm very much into that contemporary decor. There's that and then
the other one I have to say is for us this which is up in the Dolomites. This is truly one of those
(45:49):
remarkable hotels I've ever stayed at. You've probably seen it because viral via different
videos all the time. But they had this one presidential suite where we had our own sauna
and our own pool and it looked all over the snow capped peaks of the Dolomites. And it was just
just two floors. It was really one of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in. So I'm gonna have to
(46:09):
make it those two but I feel like it'd be weird. I feel like it'd be bad if I just said Italy. So
Casa Oyo in Mexico is another one that I absolutely love. They want to star actually all
these three hotels like I love them so much. They all they all won stars, these three. So
the Casa Oyo is it's like a Spanish Hacienda courtyard in San Miguel de Allende, which is
(46:31):
really one of my favorite places on earth. And then you have like this Hacienda style and it
mixes really cool kind of a fusion with like exposed concrete and like kind of different
contemporary elements. And so it's a really cool spot. So yeah, those three.
Those sound amazing. I would love to stay in any one of those. Wow. Yeah, I mean, you can't go
(46:54):
wrong with Italy. Italy just wins. Like, if someone doesn't like Italy, like they're the problem.
It is never the problem. You are the problem if you don't like it. 100%. It's the food. Oh my
even the shitty food is good. I would go and get like some random pasta at a random place. And I'm
just like, this is the best thing I've ever eaten. Yeah, my boyfriend and I love Italy. It's really
(47:18):
one we've gone back so many times. We love it so much. I have one question. So that I mean,
those are your all time favorite hotels. But what's your favorite New York hotel? If you're in New
York, obviously, and like you want to just go and chill or you want to staycation? Is there is there
a New York favorite? Yeah, it's a tie between the Greenwich Hotel. And they have this wonderful
(47:38):
restaurant called Laconda Verde, which is so tasty. They have a minus one guest basement,
we call it. Yeah, so they have a basement with like a really cool pool. And there's a beautiful
Japanese inspired spa. The rooms are just fitted in really cool furniture that's like new and
cutting edge. It's feels quite luxe. It's kind of a handsome kind of space, a lot of browns, a lot
(48:04):
of dark blues. So there's that. And then I would say the public hotel in Traeger is a genius. I
mean, he really coined the term boutique hotel and public which really gives a luxury for all
kind of message is one of it is like one of his latest creations. And it's just it's a really
awesome hyper contemporary spot. And they have I think that I heard that they might have just closed
(48:26):
it but they have a phenomenal gift shop. I love a hotel that has like cool things in the gift shop
that are like that town or like from the hotel itself. You know, so there's that. And they also
have like a really great rooftop bar which is really fun and has beautiful views of the city.
So yeah, I'm gonna have to say public because in Traeger and then the Greenwich Hotel because
(48:48):
it's just such a special oasis in the city that's always hustling. So yeah, the I've heard about the
Greenwich I've never been there but I've like always wanted to go this looks like you're not
even in New York. It's a different vibe. They have this courtyard in there that's for guests
only and it's just so beautiful. It's like draped with vines and it just really feels like an oasis.
(49:10):
So yeah, I definitely would recommend going to Phuket to to cool spot, which is a beautiful like
it's a French brand, they have like three or four hotels in in France, but this one is just it's
remarkable. It's it's like pure French chic that feels so bonafide and authentic and like it feels
(49:31):
as if you're in a slice of Paris at a luxe hotel in the middle of Tribeca. So that's amazing. Thank
you so much for taking the time answering our questions, giving us the inside information,
like all this stuff. We really, really appreciate it. We love supporting you and your amazing hotel
above car magazine and business and everything. Yeah. And real quick, tell everybody where to go
(49:53):
to follow you. Yeah, go to w w w dot hotels above par dot com. Follow us on Instagram at hotels above
par. And yeah, we we're always welcoming new boutique hotel lovers and readers. So definitely
I would give shoot us a follow and also sign up for our newsletter. Of course, they have her.
You might get a star if you sign up. I'm kidding.
(50:14):
Thanks for listening to Hotel History. You can follow us on most social media platforms,
Patreon and Substack by searching for Hotel History or Hotel History podcast. If you like
what you hear, please leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts and Spotify so we can reach more
(50:38):
listeners.
Hotel history is created for adult audiences.
(00:03):
Content may not be suitable for all listeners.
Discretion is advised.
You're listening to Hotel History.
We take you with us through the sordid history and scandals
of some of the world's most famous and infamous hotels.
I'm D'Etta.
And I'm Yael.
(00:24):
Let's get started.
Today we are with Brandon Berkson from Hotels Above Par.
Brandon, I'm just going to let you jump in.
Tell us about yourself and how you got started in this crazy hotel industry.
Thank you for having me first off.
And yeah, I'm the CEO of Hotels Above Par.
(00:45):
Hotels Above Par is an expert curated guide to the world's coolest boutique hotels and
travel experiences.
We really harness the definition of anything boutique, whether that's from hotels to
travel.
I actually have always loved boutique hotels.
They've been my greatest passion.
I started my career as a bellboy at the Mystic Hotel, which is now a Pali Society hotel in
(01:05):
San Francisco.
So I was a bellboy there.
And that was, let's see, that was when I was in college.
And then, you know, fast forward all these years now, I then worked in Hotel PR.
And then when I was laid, or excuse me, I was furloughed during the pandemic.
I had always been, I'd worked on social media a lot while working in Hotel PR.
(01:25):
I have always been so fascinated by hotels.
And I think during this time where, you know, hotels during the pandemic needed love most,
they needed support just to be talked about, I kind of came up with this idea of just,
and also was to keep me busy.
I was on furlough to have these beautiful pictures of boutique hotels and then pair
them with articles that fit in their entirety as a caption.
(01:48):
And it was really for like social media, for people who consume their media, their news
on Instagram first.
And I think a lot of people were on Instagram scrolling, like during this time, because
we couldn't travel anywhere.
So it was this kind of this nice dose of wanderlust.
So fast forward, and we ended up like growing exponentially.
(02:09):
And I ended up having journalists on the, we did these like cringe Instagram lives.
And I would have some of my journalist contacts from when I was working PR join me.
And they, we would just talk about hotels and different subjects and people just were
really into it.
I honestly think it was because like so many people were at home and just didn't have
anything to do.
(02:30):
But, you know, it grew exponentially.
I ended up going back to work in Hotel PR.
And then I was like, you know what?
I want to do this full time, like I feel like I'm in a place where I can do this.
So in April, 2021, I ended up going fully full time with hotels above par.
And, you know, we created a website and a newsletter to make it a full-ledged media
(02:53):
company.
I ended up getting budget to be able to hire a couple of people to do freelance for
articles, help out the website.
And yeah, today we have over 400,000 readers.
We have a print magazine.
We have a network of 40, more than 40 of some of the best travel journalists in the
world, at least I think so.
But, and yeah, we've been featured in Forbes, we've been featured in Travel and Leisure,
(03:17):
CNBC.
So we've gotten some really nice attention from the press.
What's been really nice too, and I think this is one of my favorite parts, is our readership
is these people who love boutique hotels so much.
They like sleep, they eat it, they breathe it.
And it's an interesting place being where we are in the media market, because there
(03:38):
aren't too many other publications that are strictly like boutique hotels and boutique
style travel.
I think it's worth saying also, we do destination guides and restaurant roundups, it just has
to be boutique.
So I think that our, the combined love of, you know, our readers who love boutique hotels
so much, and then just how so many people were looking to travel during the pandemic,
(04:00):
post pandemic really helped contribute to our success.
Yeah, I know I have to say that I remember just sitting in my house in 2020, just planning
elaborate trips for some day, some day when they let us out again.
So I wish that I had found hotels above par way back then.
Instagram is a great place for hotels because it is, it is a great place for hotels.
(04:22):
Because you need to get people's attention through images more than like, if there was
a paragraph describing the hotel, that's great.
I mean, obviously we write about hotels too, but like you want to see it.
So I feel like that's the way to go.
Yeah.
It's like a perfect marriage there.
And I think we recognize that so many people, like at least millennials and Gynx who are
(04:45):
my entire group, like they're consuming their news a lot of the time on Instagram first.
So having that there, and then I know that when I look up something and I'm like, someone
tells me a hotel, I look at the Instagram first before I go on the website.
And I think that's kind of the millennial kind of move.
Also, you know, a lot of these people who are, who read hotels, but part of everything,
(05:07):
it's caters to a group of millennials and Jacks.
We don't really have a huge Gen Z target.
It's mostly like millennial and Gen X, but they don't want to read 2000 word articles
anymore because there's so many distractions, whether it's a boisterous ad or a hyperlink
that takes you to the next page from a 2000 word article.
So all our articles, it's worth mentioning today are between 600 and 800 words that can
(05:30):
be done in two, three minutes and they were able to resonate.
And we did that because we realized that a lot of readers are short on time.
And with all the technological overabundance of content, like we really felt we needed to
keep it at that word count.
Yeah.
I also feel like it's a little unnecessary for 2000 word article.
Like, again, it's a hotel.
(05:52):
The visuals are going to speak louder than anything.
But as you said, the way that websites are set up now, even I'm reading something that
you need all those details.
I'm like, I leave half the time because 40,000 ads have popped up.
How many times are you going to ask me to sign up?
Like I'm in the middle of the article, ask me after or something, or get the ad for
(06:16):
whatever, like laundry detergent out of here.
I always get ones for laundry detergent.
I don't know why.
What are you trying to tell us?
You don't have a laundry in like four months.
Do my clothes smell or something?
I don't know.
So what made you decide boutique hotels?
So boutique hotels have always been my number one passion.
(06:39):
I since I was a kid, it's kind of funny.
Also, like a testament that I didn't have any friends until I was 12 or 13.
I was obsessed with hotels and hospitality.
So I forced my brother to play hotel with me.
And he just wanted to play sports.
So he was like, why is my brother making me do this?
(07:01):
But I would actually, when I was younger, I hated sports.
So they were just like, we're not my thing.
I used to ask my parents when we'd go somewhere.
And we traveled, but we didn't travel as extensively as I do today.
We would go to a hotel and we'd just walk around the grounds and the lobby
and then the restaurant and stuff like that.
(07:21):
And then I would go home and I would draw it.
And I would like, yeah, so it was kind of a fun little thing.
I ended up then, just when I got older in high school, I was like,
okay, this is not cool.
I'm not doing this anymore.
And then I, but I always loved to travel.
And I'd gone to, I went to Spain for a summer and we stayed in a couple
(07:42):
of boutique hotels and that was amazing.
And then I just, I knew that I wanted to do something with hotels.
I didn't know that this is what I wanted to do, like working in media,
but I had always had an adoration for boutique hotels.
I think they're so special, you know, they really connect you to the heart of a destination.
And yeah, it's a lot of the time, I think what's cool about boutique hotels is like
(08:03):
the first, when you come in and that person at check-in like greets you,
like that a lot of the time is like my first memory
of a specific destination that I'm visiting.
And I just think boutique hotels have a way of just being so intimate
and having such a personality.
So then yeah, when I worked as a bellman, I got to learn the ins and outs.
And then through my career, you know, I just really
(08:25):
emphasize and amplified how much I love boutique hotels
and how much I would rather spend.
And like our readers, I would rather spend, leave a little bit more money
if it means that I'm staying at somewhere that's like,
connects you to the heart of the destination or feels boutiquey
as opposed to some corporate.
Nothing wrong with mega resorts, nothing like the really corporate one.
They're just not our jam.
Yeah, that.
(08:46):
Okay.
Wow.
There's so much there.
I also want to like say that I love that story when you were younger.
And I have not the same story.
I have a similar story about my younger self going to hotels
and having like a connection to it and also wanting to play as a kid.
It's funny you call it hospitality.
(09:07):
I didn't realize, but I used to play bartender and librarian and secretary,
which are all like catered to helping people.
And but it wasn't just me.
It was my other siblings.
We liked it.
And I realized those who want to play that when they're younger
actually are very successful.
Okay.
I didn't want to be a doctor.
I want us to be a cashier.
(09:27):
All we wanted was the long nails.
And we're like, okay, that's going to be three 75 like and tap on the keyboard.
So I relate to that so hard.
And the fact that you had these positive memories in the hotels,
I think says something because when I was younger as well,
my mom would take us.
I'm from New York and we didn't get to stay at hotels,
(09:50):
like actually, you know, go on vacation, but we would go to Manhattan.
And the first thing we do is go to the Plaza Hotel
because you're allowed to use their bathroom for free.
And they're not weird about it.
Like everyone did this.
So my mom's like bathroom break.
And I was I started to become obsessed with the Plaza with Eloise, all that stuff.
And it's that that childhood memory.
And you're like, this is a safe place.
(10:11):
This place is nice.
They're so there's there's something there.
Like when you said I was like, yes, I get that.
That's awesome.
No, I love that you relate to that.
That's awesome.
Well, I love that you found this niche of boutique hotels
because I think that they have this like energy and vitality that travelers,
(10:32):
millennial travelers are looking for because growing up, like my idea of a hotel
is there's either the Plaza, the major resort or there's Holiday Inn, Best Western, Radisson.
Like there's you don't there.
There's this whole world of in between that I think that interesting,
like a place that really makes you go, oh, I want to go to the
(10:55):
hotel, I want to stay there, and I actually want to spend time in the hotel.
I don't want to just sleep there and go.
So I think that a lot of the places that you're focusing on really have that energy to them,
which is very clear from the photography on your Instagram and the website.
But I also want to say something that it makes sense when you said if you go to a boutique hotel,
(11:19):
it's like the you're getting the heart of the wherever you're going.
You're getting an experience versus a Best Western.
It's like your travel.
Everyone has a different reason for traveling.
And if you're going to go and see a place, you want to stay at a boutique hotel.
But if you're going and you have to go to like a convention or something
and you want just the predictability of like a Best Western, like that's why they're there.
(11:41):
You know, like every place has its purpose.
And too often, I think boutique hotels are overlooked.
But something I noticed is that a big corporations are trying to acquire these boutique hotels
and they they realize the gems that they are.
And sometimes they'll just be like, OK, we're going to fund you,
but you get to keep your personality.
(12:03):
And because they realize people don't just want a cold like box to stay in.
They want that experience, especially if they're traveling for vacation.
No, I think that's a really good point.
You know, we don't just limit ourselves to independent properties.
We also do the boutique brands, for example, like a boutique brand,
such as Design Hotels, which is technically under Marriott or, you know,
(12:26):
a Kimpton, which is technically under IHG.
You know, we never cover an Intercontinental.
We'd never cover, you know, a JW Marriott.
But these boutique brands that feel boutique to their core, we would absolutely cover those.
So I think that that's a really interesting place in the market right now is how all these like
the larger hotel conglomerates are realizing the boutique is kind of the future,
at least the zeitgeist thing that's happening right now when it comes to hospitality.
(12:50):
I also wanted to play off your point about, you know,
about us saying that boutique hotels connect us to the heart of a destination.
I think something worth mentioning too is like with boutique hotels is
there's so many ounces of like a different of a story everywhere,
whether it's the art that was inspired by the destination
or it's like the furniture is from a really cool interior designer
(13:11):
that it's like out of that place or the restaurant is like,
is based on a gold wives tale in this town that you're staying in.
I just think there's so many different elements that are worth mentioning.
When I say like connect to the heart of a destination, that's what I mean.
Yeah, yeah, I totally get that.
And when you walk into a place, you can feel that if they if the person in charge
(13:33):
understands that you can feel that in every room of a boutique hotel.
So what was your vision for where this would go
whenever you made your very first post in 2020?
Did you did you foresee all of this?
Did you have this like laid out in your head or were you just like, this will be fun?
(13:58):
No, I had no idea it was about to come.
I remember I started and I was just I was at home
and I just remember being so like, what's happening in the world?
Am I going to get a job again?
Like, OK, like I'm someone who has to be doing something all the time.
Like, I'm not chill.
And I like I need to be doing something.
(14:20):
So it was really it was like nice to occupy my time with this.
And like, I got really passionate about it.
I know that this is awesome.
But did I think it was going to go where it is today?
Oh, no. I had no idea.
I learned along the way.
It's kind of it's a really unique story.
I think that like kind of when life gave me furlough,
I guess I made lemonade out of it.
And I just I didn't think it would become a full fledged media company
(14:44):
like to what it is today.
I thought I would I I didn't I didn't know how successful it would become.
And I'm so fortunate for that.
So, yeah, I think I just saw it as a fun Instagram page
to highlight hotels and write little articles.
But now it's so much more than that.
And I couldn't be more proud of my team and, you know, what we've created.
And I'm just so fortunate that we've had all these amazing readers
(15:06):
and have really brought us to where we are today. So.
Yeah, well, I think some great things came out of the pandemic.
But when when people who need a project, me included, I relate to you say,
I can't sit still like I need to have something.
And then we're given the time. Magic happens.
(15:27):
Yeah, I was collecting unemployment and then I was like, just doing this.
And the yeah, I think that what really when it really started
to get serious is when we like I left to do full time and we created a website
and that really solidified like, OK, this is here to stay.
(15:49):
You know, when I was able to dedicate all my time to it and, you know,
we just expanded past just an Instagram.
That's when I started to see a little bit more of a vision each and coming day.
And now today, now today, like we are where we are.
So how did you well, you kind of did mention how you grew your brand
from the pandemic to now, which is like the Instagram lives
(16:11):
with your journalist friends.
But is there anything else like you did it because it is a relatively short time
like business wise, when you look in the years, like people are like,
it's been around for 40 years, something like that.
It's been around for 40 years, something.
And that makes sense why it's big.
But I feel like yours is amazing.
And I'm just I rocketed really. I rocketed.
(16:32):
Like, how did you do that?
It's it's it's just really impressive.
Thank you for the kind words.
I appreciate that. And I appreciate your support for the publication.
I sold my soul to social media.
I literally sold my soul to Instagram and was like, hey,
I'll see you in like five years.
So we there are a couple of things.
(16:52):
So with the journalists, we would have them share it on LinkedIn
and tag hotels of up par when they'd write a story or was an Instagram live.
They go on their account.
And then in addition to that, giveaways with different hotels.
And we started doing Instagram lives with different hotels, too.
And they put it on their feed, which is really good.
We ran some Instagram ads, which was which was definitely good.
(17:15):
And then giveaways like I said, in sweepstakes.
We also did a lot of collaborating,
like co-collab tools with different brands that were like kind of similar to us.
For example, we did one with Mr.
Hudson Explorers, which is this really cool LGBTQ publication.
And so what's great about those co-collabs, it's like I'm reaching them
and they're reaching me.
(17:36):
And it's just so mutually beneficial.
And I think that when we did these like different partner,
these different co-collabs, whether it's a conjoined article
or it's giveaway or whatever, like you were so special at those.
It's like you're putting yourself on their whole readership,
all their readership's eyeballs and they're the same thing for us.
And so it's just a really good way to maximize reach and exposure.
(17:56):
And then, you know, it's it's really helpful.
And I'm going to go back to this again is like one of the reasons that it
excelled so much is because we have really some of the best travel journalists
and they spread the word and they they were they took a liking
to the concept of this boutique hotel publication.
And, you know, I just think really it they took a liking to it.
(18:17):
And that helps spread, you know, the message out there
that we're this new publication and we're here to stay.
And this is what we cover. So.
So a lot of work goes into it. Oh, my God. Yeah, I know.
You know, we were like, oh, my God, you travel all the time.
That's so fun. And I'm like, yeah, it's fun.
But I'm like also like working 20 fucking hours a day. Yeah.
(18:38):
Yeah, we we understand.
And obviously, we're we're learning all this stuff also.
And that's why even asking these questions and learning from you,
like we're we're taking notes or like, yeah, this is how we should do it.
We definitely had an amazing opportunity this past fall.
(18:58):
We collaborated with a hotel and people were going to release all that stuff soon.
But yeah, when we got there, it was we were only there for like four days.
We worked nonstop.
That wasn't like it was so much fun.
I would do I would work every day like that.
But you wake up as early as you can and you're doing all this stuff
(19:21):
and like you go to bed as late as you can because you're still doing all this stuff.
And it's a lot of fun, but it's the work.
It's not just like, oh, God, we just you travel.
Yeah. Yeah.
Not just by the pool with a cocktail.
It's like we're not.
Yeah. Or like when people compare me to like an influencer, like that,
I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
(19:42):
No, it's it's skilled.
This is like something I would love more businesses and hotels to understand.
Social media, even influencing, like what we're doing
is just a different variation of marketing and advertising. Right.
It's like this is and journalism.
It's not just us with our phones and like whatever.
(20:05):
You got to learn editing.
You have to learn to copywriting.
You have to learn the advertising strategies.
You it is you have to have all these skill sets.
And if you don't, then you're screwed or you got to pick it up really quickly.
But people too often will be like, we're not going to do that.
That's just some social media thing.
And I was just like, no, this is this is hard.
(20:28):
This is like where it's at.
And so many will consume their news on Instagram.
So I think something that we try to do, too, is we we recognize that
like sometimes like influencers have taken the authority
on like in the expertise position.
Yeah. On like a lot of traveling, people trust them for travel.
(20:51):
But we want to keep that trust with the journalists.
So what we've done is we've kind of made this hybrid of like bringing
putting these journalists on pedestals on Instagram
and really valuing their expertise and saying like,
this is where you're going to learn the most from this journalist.
And there's nothing wrong with influencers.
There really is not.
And they work really hard and they're great.
But we really wanted to restore the knowledge and the expertise
(21:14):
and put these journalists on a pedestal during a time where media is kind of
having a dark these dark days with, you know, layoffs and all of that.
So us really championing the journalists is definitely something I found
to be really important in mixing that with social.
Well, I like that because I think journalists or people
who take this job as a journalist view like you.
There is some level of respect and understanding.
(21:39):
I think journalists have versus like the influencer when they go and do business.
And it makes sense that the journalist becomes the influencer
and the influencer becomes the journalist.
I mean, it is such a weird thing.
But the thing about influencers that I think I have a criticism of is that
there's no professionalism and there's a lot of entitlement.
They go and they're just like, you know, there's no understanding of
(22:03):
like there's a person behind, you know, the desk.
There's not everything is going to come to you right away.
And like, it's just so I just like the idea that you're taking your journalists
and you're like, hey, they're the experts.
And this is the avenue that we're going to show everyone.
But don't forget that they know what they're talking about.
(22:24):
Yeah, we definitely try and to emphasize that we don't we don't
we try to stray away from like, you know, the influencer who's
the influencer who takes a picture with like, like, at least like in the gay world.
I mean, my boyfriend and everything, we always laugh at these insta gays
who like literally will just like be in a speedo and be like, oh, my God,
at the best time in Hawaii, like blah, blah, blah, blah.
(22:45):
And we're like, that says nothing about Hawaii.
Like, like this would probably take you to be there and everything.
But that literally didn't tell me anything about the destination,
didn't tell me anything about like the hotel.
And so it's kind of it's just kind of a funny thing.
Well, it's all about me, me, me, me, me. Right. Yeah.
That's something that I
(23:06):
I don't feel comfortable with.
I have to get more comfortable with that because that is the world we live in.
But yeah, as you said, it doesn't say anything about the hotel.
Like I'm I'm taking pictures of like the little chachis in the hotel,
the old telephones, and I'm just like, how cute is this?
This guy is so nice.
The bartender, the whatever.
But for some reason, social media doesn't necessarily love that.
(23:26):
They do love the pictures of like someone half naked by the pool.
And maybe if I had those abs, I would do it.
I don't know. Yeah.
Well, so you did.
You started out, you know, writing everything on Instagram.
But now that you do have contributing writers and editors,
(23:50):
how has that shaped Hotels Above Par or how is it,
you know, maybe changing it a little bit or leading it in a in its direction?
Yeah, so I'm really fortunate about the journalists
that I've taken a liking to the concept.
And what's great about them is, you know, they're based all around the world
and they give different perspectives to these different destinations.
(24:10):
And what's really, I think, one of the most beneficial things
is I can't be in Bhutan for like a hotel opening
because that weekend I'm going to like, I don't know, like Paris
for like a hotel convention or whatever.
Like there's always there's so many places around the world
that are opening up as new hotels and a lot of them.
I like I said, I can't go to Bhutan for three days.
(24:31):
So like if we have a journalist who's like based around there, they'll go
and they'll find them out and then they'll do a review and everything.
So it's nice having a whole network and that really enriched
our our assemblage of hotels that we feature and that we've written
hotel reviews on, because without them, we wouldn't have been able
to access these different places.
And when we do a hotel review, the journalist has to have stayed there
(24:51):
and experienced it.
So I would say that.
And then my colleague, Brittany, she's amazing.
She's our associate editor.
She takes on some a lot of like the writing to
and then we have a couple of two other part time people
who help take on the writing as well.
So they're amazing. They're great.
My team's phenomenal.
(25:12):
I'm really so fortunate for them.
But in addition to that, I'm so fortunate for the freelancers
who are really around the globe.
So what elements does a place that you're going to cover,
you know, boutique hotel, you said you also do restaurants as well.
And I noticed some just kind of general like destination articles on the website
to getting a bit bigger from just looking at a hotel.
(25:36):
But what do any of these places need to have?
What makes you want to feature them?
Yeah, I think, you know, we really go for things that are boutiquey.
They feel independent or they are independent.
They feel that they have their own unique vibe to them
and that they're inimitable.
You can't get it anywhere else.
Just these really these things that make it such
(25:58):
and make it feel so individualistic, I would say, is the biggest trait, you know,
and straying away from anything hyper corporate, anything like too commercialized.
And we're very, very like meticulous about that.
So if something's borderline, we'll really have to analyze it
and because we really do want to maintain our editorial integrity.
Yeah. So it just really has to feel individualistic because if it doesn't,
(26:22):
then that really is kind of a disappointment to our readers.
Very boutiquey, boutiquey boutiquey.
Well, OK, I have another like random question about that.
So boutiquey, there's so many when when you do pick a hotel,
let's say you're traveling for whatever reason, maybe not even for work,
but just to stay.
What are the things that like you look for in a hotel?
(26:45):
This, uh, I guess the accommodations are like,
what are they called? It's on the tip of my tongue.
The amenities. The amenities.
Yes, thank you.
Uh, like, what do you what does a hotel need to have?
I am a workaholic, so it needs to have good Wi-Fi no matter what.
And that's a big thing.
(27:06):
I love a hotel with a library.
I'm obsessed with coffee table books.
I was just at this one hotel in Berlin and they had like this awesome library
with all these cool coffee table books.
And I was just like in heaven.
So I mean, not every hotel has to have this,
but I really do when like when there's a really cool library,
because there's always a different assemblage of like books in there.
Um, I would say I also really enjoy having a balcony,
(27:32):
which is nice. I like to go outside and like in the morning start my day.
Yeah, I think those things.
And then, of course, more than anything is the service.
Um, you know, you can have a really beautiful hotel.
That's amazing.
But if the service is off, it ruins your hospitality experience, you know,
and we do work in hospitality.
So we need to emphasize that word.
Um, so yeah, I would say service has to be good.
(27:52):
The Wi-Fi always has to work.
I hate having to like leave the hotel and go to like some place at like a 10 p.m.
Like at some like internet cafe that still exists and be able to do my work.
So yeah, that's it. That's a big thing.
So yeah, Wi-Fi, the library, which is, like I said, so fun and the service.
I feel like those are essential.
(28:13):
Like, yeah, that's like a good list to have.
And my favorite is when they have thematic suites.
So there's like this one hotel in Amsterdam called Pulitzer Amsterdam.
They have a book collector suite and then they have like one that's like based on music.
And then Riggs Washington, D.C. has like the First Lady suite,
which is dedicated for first ladies throughout our history.
And so when there's a theme for a suite, I get so excited to see it
(28:35):
or have to stand it.
Have you ever stayed at the Watergate Hotel?
I haven't.
OK, they have the Richard Nixon suite.
We got to collaborate with a hotel in D.C. and we went to visit a bunch of all these hotels.
Oh, you would love it.
So fun.
Like we didn't stay in the suite, but we spoke to the people about it.
(28:56):
They have like a little museum like it's.
Or in New York, the library hotel where they each floor is a different.
Dewey Decimal System section.
And so all the rooms are then themed around part of whatever is in that Dewey Decimal number.
That yeah, that's so cool.
(29:16):
I love when you're going to a boutique hotel and it has like 12 or 13 rooms
and each room has a different decor like the Chandler Newport.
Each one has like a different personality.
And I think that that's just so cool.
Yeah, it's so fun.
Oh, that makes me think of the Madonna in here.
It's yeah, I know.
I know.
Yeah, it's quirky.
It's cool. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, I don't know why people why hotels don't do that more like they should really
(29:44):
whenever there's a history there or a story, people I think hotels need to lean into it.
Some hotels are stay away.
Like there are some hotels that have famous ghost stories and they'll be like,
we don't want to talk about this.
I'm like, but everyone in here, they came for the ghost story.
(30:04):
They like are spending all their money to stay in the suite that the ghost
haunted or whatever, whatever story.
And they're like, don't mention it.
I'm like, you, you have to mention it's like it's part of your history,
how can you not?
So just like lean into the theme, like the Plaza did with the great Gatsby and Eloise.
And, you know, I just love that.
To that end, my least favorite thing, my biggest pet peeve
(30:28):
is when places try to be another place.
So if you're like in like New York and you're going to like the my,
this is a made up hotel, but I just can't think of anything on the top of my head right now.
But like you're in New York and you're going to like the Tahiti Inn and it's like,
I'm like, no, like make it cool.
But it's New York.
This isn't Tahiti.
Like Tahitian hotels should belong in Tahiti.
(30:49):
Like let's come up with something else that connects to the heart of the destination
because like Tahiti is not it.
Yeah, I agree with that.
Yeah, absolutely.
It's stick to the essence of the location.
Unless you're Vegas.
Unless you're in Vegas, Vegas gets a pass, like maybe like Atlantic City, too.
Yeah, you get passes for sure.
And they can be gaudy.
Anywhere the mafia ran at some point, we're going to give them a pass.
(31:13):
But Vegas, the whole existence is that they created this kind of like paradise in the desert,
which was a blank slate.
Like there was no theme, really.
Even the desert there is not like, desert wasn't a good enough thing.
No, it's because it's like you have to like go.
I lived in Vegas for a little bit and I worked on the strip in the hotels a lot.
(31:34):
So it's like the desert that you think is nice is a little bit farther out and where Vegas is,
is really just like dead.
Like it's just land, beige land, in my opinion.
I don't know someone else has a different opinion, but so I feel like they went and they're like,
OK, let's make anything happen.
And the bigger the better.
(31:54):
Is there, do you have a favorite hotel?
Hotel in Vegas.
Have you been, you know, I haven't been to Vegas in like, let's see, like 10 years.
I wouldn't know.
Let's see.
I went when I turned 21, so it was eight years ago.
And I like didn't.
I think we stayed at Planet Hollywood, which was definitely not a favorite hotel.
(32:19):
But I'd have to go back.
I'm dying to say the Delano.
They keep things really boutique and they just opened up their or not just what they had.
The Cosmopolitan is supposed to be really cool, but I can't tell you a first person
because I haven't been there in so long.
But I like the branding of the Cosmopolitan.
Yeah, yeah, I haven't necessarily stayed in a lot of the hotels, but I've been in a lot of the hotels.
(32:41):
And yeah, the Cosmopolitan is interesting.
It's fun.
Something that's really sad is these like historic boutique hotels are closing in a lot of places,
like the Tropicana, I think, closed recently and like makes me sad.
But go before they close everything.
That's where they close.
(33:02):
So you were mentioning that one of the things you have to have is great service and a hotel.
So what, in your opinion, is great service?
What makes a hotel have great hospitality?
So there's a couple of things, but I think the main paramount thing is personalization.
It goes a really long way from a handwritten note that says welcome, like thank you so much for staying with us.
(33:24):
If you need anything like my name is Jim, I'm the manager, that kind of thing.
If it's someone's birthday, the staff doing little things like putting balloons outside their door when they wake up or giving them a complimentary dessert.
That's his happy birthday.
Just like those kind of things really, really propel a hospitality experience.
And that was definitely something I learned while working as a bellman is because I also would do the front desk sometimes and I would do breakfast.
(33:50):
It was a small hotel, so it's kind of like a jack of all trades there.
Everyone had a hands-on experience.
So I would say that that's definitely something.
It's just being able to say to your guest, oh, hey, like I know it's your birthday tomorrow.
So like we wanted to like arrange this for you.
Did you want us to make a birthday party for you?
Like we wanted to arrange this for you, did you want us to make a reservation somewhere?
(34:11):
Or is it like when you get back, let's say it's your honeymoon and you need the hotel to do something romantic and they set up rose petals and put you and your partner's name on the bed like in like, I don't know, chocolate.
Those kind of things go a long way.
And I can tell you that some of my most memorable experiences have been through that.
(34:34):
I know there was a recent one which was at the Leela Uttapur in India.
Like honestly, if Indian hospitality is phenomenal, I think it's really some of the best in the world.
We had like a private butler and we would just like talk to him via WhatsApp.
We'll be like, hey, like, how's it going, Rishabh?
Could you please, you know, send over like a chicken tikka masala?
(34:55):
We're kind of hungry.
And then it would be there in like 10 minutes.
There's also service like this is not as much personalization, but just like being so hands on.
Casa Angelina, which is really one of my favorite hotels in the world.
Like you sneeze and they're like, here's a tissue.
Like in a second, like just from personalization to just being so hospitable and accommodating.
I think that those two are kind of a fusion that create the perfect recipe for a great hotel experience.
(35:21):
Yeah, almost like the staff, this maybe is a tall order to ask, but like to treat the guests as if
they were coming to your house.
You know, if your guests sneeze, you'd be like, here's a tissue or if you're, you know,
uh, we agree and you know, not everyone, the higher end, the hotel, you, you assume it'd be better
(35:44):
hospitality, but I believe that you can have good hospitality anywhere just with like the right
attitude, you know, um, obviously if there's some guests that are incredibly rude, maybe you don't
have to go like over the top.
I understand it's stressful cause I also have worked in a hotel, but for the most part, I think
there is just like, if you can do the bare minimum, it should be like, good, you know, say their name,
(36:08):
like good morning, Mr. Whatever.
And so there is this like attitude that should be there in a place that it really makes the whole
vibe change and the experience better.
Totally.
I mean, from your experience really starts from the second that you check in and that's your first
impression.
So yeah, it's the same being hospitable all around and being gracious.
(36:31):
So I think everything that we've just been talking about probably leads into our next question,
which is, uh, on your website, we noticed something called the star awards.
So, uh, what is that?
So yes, so the star words, um, we awarded hotels are being exceedingly boutique.
So whether there was a, if there's a story behind them, cause most boutique hotels have a story
(36:53):
behind them, if there's an above par element that, you know, basically separates it from other
public, uh, from other hotels, something that's inimitable, something that's different, like a
vine draped courtyard or, uh, a really cool cinema, it's that kind of thing.
Um, and I, the biggest thing about it was it feeling individualistic and we wanted to,
(37:15):
I'm not going to say any names, but I think we all know that there are some publications and like,
it's just working in the industry and that's how we know where a lot of the awards that are won
are allocated and given to the big advertisers and they seem a bit not genuine.
Um, and they seem like it's kind of breaking editorial integrity.
(37:40):
And I think we really wanted to give hotels awards for being boutiquey and cool hotels, not just
because they advertise with us and we don't, and we're kind of set up for that not to ever happen
because you know, boutique hotels, a lot of the time they don't have the money behind them to do
big advertising campaigns, like a lot of these big brands.
With that in mind, we wanted to make sure that like these hotels were not just, you know,
(38:04):
these hotels were being awarded for fair game and they weren't really backed up by an advertising
budget. And I think that it really resonated as really authentic and yeah, really just,
they, they competed for being the most boutiquey that they could be.
So where do you see everything going next? What's, what's next on your plate for hotels above park?
(38:30):
So a couple things, you know, we just had a really busy year. We launched, um, our print magazine.
So, and that got a lot of, you know, nice recognition. So next year we're going to do
it again as an annual thing. Let me tell you, I don't know if you've ever done a print magazine,
but like putting it together and like all the back and forth, it is a pain in the ass.
Like I like have garnered so many more gray hairs in the last seven months than I ever have in my
(38:55):
life. Like it's so funny. Like I'll, I'll like, I'll look at myself in the mirror and I'm like,
oh my God, like this print magazine has aged me. Um, and so, but it's done now. And you know,
I'm like for how much at work it was, like, I'm so proud of how it came out and our team did such an
amazing job in helping conjure the vision. Um, and so that was a big thing. And if you know,
(39:16):
people really value print, there's a resurgence in print going on right now. People love it.
Really? Yeah. Just the cover that you can see on the website is gorgeous. So I cannot wait.
Well, it's an annual thing. It's just one magazine a year. Yep. One a year. Yes. This
was our first one. We'll do it again next year. And all this, what's nice is all the stars got
a page in there. Um, the ones that won awards. And then in addition to that, we had a couple
(39:38):
destination guides and it's really a magazine for people who love, love, love boutique hotels.
Cause then at the end there's like eight essays from eight of big, really great freelance
journalists about different things in hotels. Like what's it like to go to hotel school?
What's it like to, um, these are the hotels that are like, uh, are groundbreaking with the
retail concepts. Like, and so it's really, if you love hotels, then you're, I feel like you'll love
(39:59):
that magazine. At least I hope we, um, kind of quietly just launched a booking engine. Um,
and that's going to be a big focus for next year. And with the booking engine, it, we're doing it
in partner with this, uh, travel agency called essentialist. So it's really cool is if you book
a hotel with us, like 40% of them, you'll get like VIP perks. So whether that's early late check-in
(40:24):
or like daily breakfast or a $50 spa credit, like all those kinds of things, because essentialist
has relationships with a lot of these hotels. Um, and if they don't we, but they're still on
the booking platform, which is like Sabre, we, there aren't VIP perks attached, but what we're
trying to do is next year is come up with a comprehensive program where there's VIP perks.
(40:44):
They're just really perks for all of the hotels. Um, and so just really going to build on that.
And I think the important thing here is to maintain our editorial integrity and not be too salesy,
not be like, Oh, by this, by this book, this book of it, you know what I mean? Like that I think
would ruin like the integrity that we have with our readers and our brands. So, um, I, it's going
to be a real, it's, it'll be really interesting to see how we, how this like really like plays out,
(41:08):
but yeah, we're going to, we want to be also like a booking engine for people who love boutique
hotels and want fun, cool VIP perks or just really advantageous, like kind of elements when they do
stay there. So that's a big focus for next year for sure. Yeah. Another print issue and then just
growing our readership, you know, we're at around 400,000 monthly readers now, and I'm so excited
about that. Let's get to 700,000 next year. So yeah, yeah. Well, we're definitely going to,
(41:33):
uh, talk about you on our newsletter and I will put you guys in our newsletter too. Yeah.
And people can sign up for the newsletter on the website so they can just do everything right there.
Right. Yep. Exactly. Yeah. Very excited for you and this whole thing. Like this is amazing. Like
it's just, it's fun to see and it's a, you know, fun to support something that is so genuine. And
(41:57):
like, yeah, I feel like it has all the right ingredients. I so appreciate all the support.
It's like, you can tell it's high end and quality, but it doesn't feel too elitist.
Obviously this is quality and I, you know, either is a target of people who can travel and have
like disposable income, but I don't feel like it's, um, I feel like you're talking to everyone.
(42:21):
Yeah. I, I try to, you know, have that message go out. That's fair. When we actually have,
you know, while we feature like really lux boutique hotels, we also have a series called
affordable and adorable. And that's where we highlight boutique hotels in a certain locale
that have starting nightly rates under 250. So we try to, you know, just the big, like you said,
this niche and like, um, having a wide audience and appealing to everyone while still seeming
(42:43):
refined. Like that's the goal that we really tried to put forth. So I'm happy that that
resonated. Yeah. I think you're also giving a good name to boutique hotels in the sense that, uh,
too often shitty hotels will consider themselves boutique and they'll be like, we're boutique.
You should still have some level of cleaning standards. Yeah. Like, yeah, I got, I got a pitch,
(43:06):
I got a pitch from a very corporate hotel. Um, and it was like the antithesis of like corporate,
it, it was the excuse me, it was the antithesis of boutique. And it was just like,
I was like, what, like, did you, like, why'd you think I would cover this? Like,
I do not read our content. Probably not. They probably like just read as everyone.
(43:28):
Yeah, it was, yeah, it was, it was really funny. I was like, God, I really hope the message is
getting across that we feature boutique hotels. It definitely is. Yeah. Okay. So where are you
traveling next? Good question. So we're doing a big partnership with Tampa. So I'm going to Tampa
next week, AKA the Paris of Florida. I'm excited. I actually, I really do like Tampa and I'm excited
(43:55):
to go because there's, there's a really cool neighborhood there called Ybor City. And it's,
I love a area where there's like cool indie boutiques. Like we've been starting to do the,
we opened up an online shop and it's just like cool boutique indie brands that relate back to
travel. And we do a thing where it's like the coolest boutiques to shop at, indie boutiques or
to shop out in different cities. And so we're going to do one for Tampa and then we have some,
(44:18):
we're doing a destination guide and then some other things. But after that, I'm going to Sri
Lanka, which will be cool. And then I'm going to India with my boyfriend. Yeah. Some, some fun
trips in the next three, four weeks. That's so exciting. And I think we just have one last
question for you, which is what is your favorite hotel? Ooh, that's a hard one. But if I were to
(44:41):
but if I were to narrow it down to two, I would say Casa Angelina on the Amalfi coast, this
beautiful hotel, it's really my happy place. And it overlooks the sea, it's whitewashed and
contemporary, which is kind of a different decor than a lot of the other hotels in the area,
which take on more of like a traditional kind of look. The service is impeccable. Like, like I said,
(45:04):
SMEs and someone's like here from the team, like the breakfast is phenomenal. And the food for
lunch and dinner is amazing. They've got a really beautiful beach at the bottom called Lagavitella
beach or one fire beach. And it's one of the only places in the area that you can swim because it's
a lot of the Amalfi coast is quite rocky. So this is like one of the accessible places. In addition
(45:27):
to that, they have this they have all this amazing art that's like Murano glass and really cool
inventive pieces throughout the place. And like I said, it's like a big whitewashed color palette.
So it feels quite contemporary. And I'm very much into that contemporary decor. There's that and then
the other one I have to say is for us this which is up in the Dolomites. This is truly one of those
(45:49):
remarkable hotels I've ever stayed at. You've probably seen it because viral via different
videos all the time. But they had this one presidential suite where we had our own sauna
and our own pool and it looked all over the snow capped peaks of the Dolomites. And it was just
just two floors. It was really one of the nicest rooms I've ever stayed in. So I'm gonna have to
(46:09):
make it those two but I feel like it'd be weird. I feel like it'd be bad if I just said Italy. So
Casa Oyo in Mexico is another one that I absolutely love. They want to star actually all
these three hotels like I love them so much. They all they all won stars, these three. So
the Casa Oyo is it's like a Spanish Hacienda courtyard in San Miguel de Allende, which is
(46:31):
really one of my favorite places on earth. And then you have like this Hacienda style and it
mixes really cool kind of a fusion with like exposed concrete and like kind of different
contemporary elements. And so it's a really cool spot. So yeah, those three.
Those sound amazing. I would love to stay in any one of those. Wow. Yeah, I mean, you can't go
(46:54):
wrong with Italy. Italy just wins. Like, if someone doesn't like Italy, like they're the problem.
It is never the problem. You are the problem if you don't like it. 100%. It's the food. Oh my
even the shitty food is good. I would go and get like some random pasta at a random place. And I'm
just like, this is the best thing I've ever eaten. Yeah, my boyfriend and I love Italy. It's really
(47:18):
one we've gone back so many times. We love it so much. I have one question. So that I mean,
those are your all time favorite hotels. But what's your favorite New York hotel? If you're in New
York, obviously, and like you want to just go and chill or you want to staycation? Is there is there
a New York favorite? Yeah, it's a tie between the Greenwich Hotel. And they have this wonderful
(47:38):
restaurant called Laconda Verde, which is so tasty. They have a minus one guest basement,
we call it. Yeah, so they have a basement with like a really cool pool. And there's a beautiful
Japanese inspired spa. The rooms are just fitted in really cool furniture that's like new and
cutting edge. It's feels quite luxe. It's kind of a handsome kind of space, a lot of browns, a lot
(48:04):
of dark blues. So there's that. And then I would say the public hotel in Traeger is a genius. I
mean, he really coined the term boutique hotel and public which really gives a luxury for all
kind of message is one of it is like one of his latest creations. And it's just it's a really
awesome hyper contemporary spot. And they have I think that I heard that they might have just closed
(48:26):
it but they have a phenomenal gift shop. I love a hotel that has like cool things in the gift shop
that are like that town or like from the hotel itself. You know, so there's that. And they also
have like a really great rooftop bar which is really fun and has beautiful views of the city.
So yeah, I'm gonna have to say public because in Traeger and then the Greenwich Hotel because
(48:48):
it's just such a special oasis in the city that's always hustling. So yeah, the I've heard about the
Greenwich I've never been there but I've like always wanted to go this looks like you're not
even in New York. It's a different vibe. They have this courtyard in there that's for guests
only and it's just so beautiful. It's like draped with vines and it just really feels like an oasis.
(49:10):
So yeah, I definitely would recommend going to Phuket to to cool spot, which is a beautiful like
it's a French brand, they have like three or four hotels in in France, but this one is just it's
remarkable. It's it's like pure French chic that feels so bonafide and authentic and like it feels
(49:31):
as if you're in a slice of Paris at a luxe hotel in the middle of Tribeca. So that's amazing. Thank
you so much for taking the time answering our questions, giving us the inside information,
like all this stuff. We really, really appreciate it. We love supporting you and your amazing hotel
above car magazine and business and everything. Yeah. And real quick, tell everybody where to go
(49:53):
to follow you. Yeah, go to w w w dot hotels above par dot com. Follow us on Instagram at hotels above
par. And yeah, we we're always welcoming new boutique hotel lovers and readers. So definitely
I would give shoot us a follow and also sign up for our newsletter. Of course, they have her.
You might get a star if you sign up. I'm kidding.
(50:14):
Thanks for listening to Hotel History. You can follow us on most social media platforms,
Patreon and Substack by searching for Hotel History or Hotel History podcast. If you like
what you hear, please leave us a five star review on Apple podcasts and Spotify so we can reach more
(50:38):
listeners.
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