Why trust us?
Our goal: To be the world’s most trusted boutique travel recommendation service.
Real-World Testing
We experience hotels exactly as regular guests do—think Michelin restaurant reviewers: undercover, anonymous, and receiving no special treatment. Every hotel stay is paid from our own pockets. We turn down countless partnership opportunities that would compromise our standards.
Our promise: We only recommend places we’d book for our own families and pickiest friends.
Authentic Videos
After way too many “but the website looks so different” check-ins, we asked: why isn’t anyone showing what these places are really like—on video? Our solution: grab cameras and document the truth, one perfectly (or imperfectly) designed hotel room at a time.
Brutal Honesty
We're unapologetically truthful—even our favorite hotels have quirks, and we'll let you know about those too. No glossing over the flaws that might ruin your precious vacation time.
Editorial Independence
Our recommendations come solely from our testing process, not commercial relationships. We're here to cut through the internet quagmire—saving you time, eliminating stress, and ensuring you never waste precious vacation days on disappointment.
Our Business Model
We partner with Fora Travel who handles the hotel relationships while we focus solely on curation. This separation is intentional - we’re travel curators and critics, not hotel salespeople. We handle the booking through Fora’s platform, which gets you exclusive perks without compromising our independence.
Supporting Honest Travel Journalism
Curating and testing hotels the way we do is expensive and time-consuming. By booking through us, you support this rigorous process that benefits everyone who uses our guides—it’s the most transparent way we know to serve you honestly while keeping the lights on.