How We Recommend Products and Hotels

Product and hotel recommendations from Travel + Leisure are purely editorial and independent.

Our editors occasionally have the opportunity to review a product or a hotel via a media sample or visit, respectively; however, we never agree to positively review something. We want to experience a product or a property the same way that you would so that we can give you our honest, unbiased opinion. We will always tell you what we like and what we don't like so you can trust our recommendations.

If you choose to click through from our product or hotel recommendations to the retailer site or booking platform, respectively, and make a purchase, we may receive an affiliate commission. That said, we are not loyal to any one specific retailer, brand, or booking site, and we only make recommendations our experts, editors, and writers believe are really worth your money.

We are also committed to ensuring that our content reflects the diversity of our audience and are committed to finding diverse sources, contributors, testers, and writers for our roundups. Read more about T+L's diversity pledge.

Read more below to learn more details about the research and first-hand experience behind all our product and and hotel recommendations.

Our Product Recommendations

We diligently research, test and curate our lists of product recommendations. We are constantly scouring the landscape for the latest product releases, from luggage to noise-cancelling headphones and tents. Once we've identified the best products, we'll test them, both in our labs and at home and in the real world, allowing us to give you the unbiased advice you need to decide what to buy.

How We Test Products

All our product recommendations are based on rigorous, hands-on evaluation conducted both in our product testing lab in New York and by editors when they're using products on trips. Our testing teams also collaborate with subject matter experts and other trusted sources to ensure that every product review is complete and unbiased.

When we test, we do the work for you. First, we scour the internet to find the best options available in every product category based on our expertise, customer reviews, and more. We also interview subject matter experts to find out the products they recommend and what consumers should consider when shopping for a particular item. Then, we purchase products to test in our lab or send out for real-world testing by T+L editors.

For each test, we develop a thorough methodology to make sure every product goes through the same test, allowing us to compare them effectively. As we test, we capture photos, videos, and personal insights from our editors and testers to provide our readers with a behind-the-scenes look at our process and provide readers with unbiased, honest feedback about each item.

Only when we decide we really love a product (and that it offers value for your money) do we recommend it to you.

How We Find Deals

Our news and deals team is constantly scouring the internet to stay up to date on the latest product launches, sales, and must have sell-outs. Our writers live and breathe products, working with our product testers and lab team to share why they love a particular product, and then help you find the best deal on it. When it comes to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Prime Day, rest assured our team is working day and night to make sure you know what’s really a bargain buy.

Safety

All products, including those we review and recommend, may from time to time be subject to recalls or revised use recommendations. We, therefore, urge you to monitor any official announcements from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that may be related to products you purchase and it is always best to register your purchases with the manufacturer so you can get alerted if a recall is issued.

Our Hotel Recommendations

Our hotel recommendations follow a similarly rigorous process. We ensure that any property we recommend to you has been thoroughly vetted by our experts, editors, and writers.

All hotel recommendations that we feature on our hotel roundups must align with T+L's Hotel Values. When determining whether a hotel is worth your time and money on a vacation, these are the criteria we use. We consider the quality of the property's rooms and on-site amenities, the level of service and standout experiences available to guests, whether (and how) the property accommodates and welcomes all travelers who may stay there, and more. Find more information here about each of the attributes we prioritize when curating our lists.

We also rely on first-hand experience and knowledge from travelers who have been to these destinations and properties. Our editors and writers are constantly traveling around the world and gaining on-the-ground insights about hotels they stay at along the way; we collect those insights in a robust database to refer back to when making hotel recommendations — if a member of our staff or vast writer network didn't absolutely love a property when they visited, you won't find it on any of our lists.

Our annual hotel awards are another way in which we can gain valuable insight about the best hotels around the world. For our World's Best Awards, readers have the opportunity to vote for their favorite hotels, and those nominations are then vetted by T+L editors (with the help of and external research firm Proof Insights) to curate and finalize the awards that only highlight the best of the best. Our editors also constantly keep track of the best new properties each year. We name the top 100 new and renovated hotels around the world in our It List franchise. Every winner is vetted with an overnight visit by someone on our team, and our hotel recommendation lists site-wide are updated regularly with these additions.

Meet Our Team

Contact Us

If you have questions, comments, or opinions you’d like to share with our team of editors, please feel free to email us at commercefeedback@dotdash.com.

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