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The HAP Masthead

The people with the passports, opinions, and very good hotel notes.

Hotels Above Par is shaped by contributors who care about design, place, service, culture, and the strange little details that make travel worth talking about.

Meet the writers, editors, and travel obsessives behind our hotel reviews, city guides, restaurant roundups, and destination edits. Browse below to follow their work, discover their latest stories, and find the voices whose travel taste feels closest to yours.

Meet the Contributors Below ↓
Explore Their Latest Stories ↓

Meet the curators

The travelers behind the taste.

Meet the writers and editors behind Hotels Above Par. Open a profile for their bio and latest stories, browse every credited hotel review below, or explore their Boutique Books.

Brandon Berkson

Founder

Brandon Berkson

Editor-in-Chief & Founder

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42 hotel reviews

Editors, writers, and contributors

Britney Eschelman

Britney Eschelman

Senior Editor & Creative Content Strategist

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28 hotel reviews
Cristina Alonso

Cristina Alonso

Mexico City Native and Boots-on-the-Ground Editor and Curator at HAP’s Sister Publication, Mexzine

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Lauren Harano

Lauren Harano

Contributing Writer

Lauren Harano is a freelance travel journalist and Hotels Above Par contributing writer. Her work spans print and digital publications and guidebooks, with a focus on destinations and memorable places to stay.

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40 hotel reviews
Lindsay Cohn

Lindsay Cohn

Contributing Writer

Lindsay Cohn is a writer, editor, and Hotels Above Par contributing writer covering travel, design, wellness, and beauty. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Brides, and ELLE Decor.

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28 hotel reviews
Luke Abrahams

Luke Abrahams

‘Happening’ Newsletter Editor & Contributing Editor

Luke Abrahams is a writer, editor, and consultant whose work spans luxury travel, lifestyle, food, and culture. A Hotels Above Par contributor, he is also the author of The Luxury Travel Book: Extraordinary Experiences Money Can’t Buy.

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26 hotel reviews
Lulu Chang

Lulu Chang

Contributing Writer

Lulu Chang is a food and travel writer and Hotels Above Par contributor. Her reporting explores restaurants, hotels, and the people behind them.

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29 hotel reviews
Megan Shelton

Megan Shelton

Contributing Editor & NYC Know-It-All Columnist

Megan Shelton is Hotels Above Par's Contributing Editor and NYC Know-It-All columnist. Raised in Westchester County and now a New Yorker, she brings a local's curiosity to the city's hotels, restaurants, shops, and neighborhoods. She is the author of The New York City Boutique Book.

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Boutique Books

23 hotel reviews

Instagram

Noah Cortez

Noah Cortez

Social Media Editor

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23 hotel reviews
Stacey Leasca

Stacey Leasca

Contributing Writer

Stacey Leasca is a Hotels Above Par contributing writer and the author of The Lisbon Boutique Book. After moving from Venice, California, to Lisbon to pursue a PhD, she made the Portuguese capital her home. Her guide shares favorite local stays, restaurants, cafés, and places to explore.

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Boutique Books

Boutique Book authors

Local knowledge, memorable stays, and places worth knowing.

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Matt Ortile

Matt Ortile is a writer, editor, and creative writing instructor based in Paris. A Hotels Above Par contributor and author of The Paris Boutique Book, he draws on years of covering France and repeated visits to the city to share his favorite stays, restaurants, bars, and vintage finds.

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Boutique Books

More voices from the archive

Explore the contributors behind our hotel reviews.

Adam Ashdown

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25 hotel reviews

Allie Lebos

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16 hotel reviews

Brandon Scott Roye

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7 hotel reviews

Kelli Acciardo

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6 hotel reviews
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