Since you’re a member of Andrew Harper, I suspect you’ve already noticed that in other travel publications, you’ll rarely read a criticism of a hotel or restaurant. That’s because the PR firms of hospitality companies invite travel writers to stay and/or eat for free, and the writers are all but required to recommend the experience, regardless of its reality.

Instagram and TikTok influencers have only exacerbated the problem, presenting their (free) accommodations in the most glamorous light possible. It makes both them and the host company look good, so everybody wins — except for real guests. And now, who knows what developments artificial intelligence will bring? Already, AI-generated reviews can be difficult to distinguish as such.

At Andrew Harper, we’re proud to still write the truth. In order to do so, we have a ridiculously huge travel budget. (Hopefully our accountant isn’t reading this.) As we have since 1979, we book ourselves into hotels and restaurants as Harper members, not as Harper editors, and we don’t request discounts. By exploring the world incognito, we have the freedom to tell it like it is. Unlike most travel writers and influencers, who have a duty to the companies that host them, we Andrew Harper editors have a duty only to you, our members.