Hotels Above Par

Hotels Above Par Digital & print magazine featuring above-par boutique hotels. Vetted by editors from NYT, Vogue & more. Founded by Brandon Berkson with 450K+ insiders.

Conceptualized by boutique hotel pundit and enthusiast, Brandon Berkson, Hotels Above Par is an expert-curated guide with under-two-minute articles designed for the hip traveler who is short on time. The guide has garnered a strong community of hotel and travel lovers, who use it for a variety of reasons, including as a source of inspiration for future trips, as well as a place to celebrate and su

pport hotels. Since its inception in April 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Berkson has significantly grown the guide’s following. Its success has seen content expand past hotels to restaurants, destinations, and other travel-related topics. Every story encompasses Berkson’s vision: A look into the coolest, unique, trendy, and boutique-oriented hotels and experiences across the world, which can be read in less time than it takes to brush your teeth. With Hotels Above Par’s rapid growth, Berkson has selected top-line, travel-expert journalists to write articles, each one bringing a new perspective and form of punditry to the guide. When asked about what’s to come, Berkson will tell you, “this is just the beginning.”

So, with that, we invite you to come explore the world’s hottest and unique hotels, destinations, restaurants, and travel experiences with us.

 welcomes a new rhythm on the Costa del Sol — mid-century architecture reimagined through softened, revitalized interior...
05/29/2026

welcomes a new rhythm on the Costa del Sol — mid-century architecture reimagined through softened, revitalized interiors, where mornings begin with breakfast overlooking lush gardens and days drift between long pool afternoons and evenings filled with music and fresh seafood. 🌺

From the clay courts of the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center to slow wellness rituals and relaxed Mediterranean dining, every moment moves at its own effortless pace.

Comment “Marbella” to read the full review written by HAP Editorial Assistant .

05/29/2026

Every summer, vendors return to the Sicilian shoreline the same way they always have—moving along the water’s edge with improbable towers of inflatable rings, lilos, and fluorescent floats balanced overhead, calling out to no one and everyone at once. Hit them with your best negotiation in broken Italian and a handshake, and you’ll be set with a gonfiabili (inflatable) that may or may not survive the afternoon.

It’s loud, chaotic, and completely unrepeatable anywhere else. Which is to say—it’s Sicilian beach culture in its purest form. The vendors have been doing this for generations, and the beaches have had loyal visitors for even longer.

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A decade in New York sharpens taste fast.In this new Hotels Above Par guide,  maps the most beautiful restaurants in New...
05/28/2026

A decade in New York sharpens taste fast.

In this new Hotels Above Par guide, maps the most beautiful restaurants in New York City—places where design, energy, and food converge at the same table. From velvet-lined supper clubs and landmark brasseries to sky-high dining rooms and design-forward newcomers, these are the city’s most visually compelling destinations.

Comment “MAP” for the full guide in our newsletter.

To all the architecture lovers out there, drop your favorite Brutalist building in the comments. To note, it can be outs...
05/26/2026

To all the architecture lovers out there, drop your favorite Brutalist building in the comments. To note, it can be outside of California. 🧱

Forget the classic palm trees and pastel boardwalks. California’s stark, mid-century architectural legacy hits different...
05/26/2026

Forget the classic palm trees and pastel boardwalks. California’s stark, mid-century architectural legacy hits differently when framed by raw concrete and monumental geometry.

We have mapped the ultimate California road trip for the design-obsessed. Traveling from the Bay down to La Jolla, this route hits San Francisco’s Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, UC Berkeley’s Wurster Hall, and the Oakland Museum of California. Heading south, it weaves through Kresge College in Santa Cruz and St. Basil Catholic Church in Los Angeles, before culminating at San Diego’s Geisel Library and Louis Kahn’s masterpiece, the Salk Institute.

Find more design-minded travel guides by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. 🗞️

Chances are, La Casa del Mundo has already found its way onto your TikTok or Reels feed. And if it has, you can’t blame ...
05/25/2026

Chances are, La Casa del Mundo has already found its way onto your TikTok or Reels feed. And if it has, you can’t blame us for visiting this dreamy hotel ourselves.

Perched on a cliffside above Lake Atitlán in the tiny Guatemalan village of Jaibalito, is only reachable by lancha (the local water taxi) across one of the most stunning lakes in the world. Once you pull up to the property, you’re greeted by nineteen locally-decorated rooms backdropped by volcanoes, handwoven Guatemalan textiles, terraces jutting over the water, and hammocks tucked into cliffside nooks that make it easy to do a whole lot of nothing.

They call it Guatemala’s most magical hotel. Having stayed there, HAP’s social editor isn’t here to argue. Swipe through to see why— and comment “GUATEMALA” for the full review. 🌋

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Be honest: Canada isn’t your first thought for a long weekend. Maybe it’s the Hamptons. Or Ojai. Or even a rotating cast...
05/23/2026

Be honest: Canada isn’t your first thought for a long weekend. Maybe it’s the Hamptons. Or Ojai. Or even a rotating cast of European cities that’s trending on TikTok.

Hear us out, though. The parts of Canada that exist outside Toronto and Vancouver are doing something special in the boutique hotel space right now, and it’s a shame they don’t get the same airtime. We’re talking a Norwegian-named inn inside a St. John’s Victorian mansion. A wine country motel that ended up on Netflix. An architectural marvel perched on the edge of the North Atlantic that might be the most jaw-dropping hotel on the continent, if not the world.

Your long weekend plans just changed. Swipe to allow us to present our case for a Canadian long weekend and show you the properties we have our eye on—and comment “CANADA” for the full roundup, written by HAP’s social editor .

05/23/2026

Come check out our HAP newsstand pop-up at Palihouse West Hollywood. 🗞️

Fouquets is heading to Mykonos, Vietnam’s first eco-wellness lodge will open later this year beside the world’s largest ...
05/22/2026

Fouquets is heading to Mykonos, Vietnam’s first eco-wellness lodge will open later this year beside the world’s largest cave system, and Baz Luhrmann’s Celia carriage brings a cinematic flourish to the British Pullman—plus more standout openings and experiences on the horizon.

I’m Ruby, HAP’s News Editor, and each week I spotlight the travel, hotel, and lifestyle stories that made it onto our Editor-in-Chief Brandon Berkson’s radar—and should be on yours.

Comment “NYC” to get this week’s HAP Weekly newsletter, featuring our latest What I Pitched, ’s pick of the best New York wedding-night hotels, and a look into Crete’s most anticipated new hideaway . 

Have an above-par piece of news? Pitch me at
[email protected]

Houston Heights has a new design-led stay worth talking about.  brings a quietly modern exterior into a maximalist inter...
05/21/2026

Houston Heights has a new design-led stay worth talking about. brings a quietly modern exterior into a maximalist interior world of ’70s-inspired color, sculptural detail, and over 160 works from the Ackerley Family Collection. 

The library steals the scene with art books, game tables, and Mahjong programming with Hypsi catering, while a tightly curated shop and Bunkhouse x World of Hyatt perks seal the deal. Pet-friendly, personality-packed, and anything but p
redictable.

Comment “Daphne” for the full review.

05/21/2026

Mood for summer 2026 💛

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Santa Barbara, CA
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