How we
research
Transparency about our process is as important as the recommendations themselves.
Research-driven recommendations
Discover Luxury is an editorially independent hotel guide. Every property in our collection is selected through structured research, not personal relationships, advertising agreements, or pay-to-play arrangements. This page explains exactly how that process works.
Our research process
Identification
We monitor industry awards (Condé Nast Traveller, Gourmet Traveller, HM Awards), tourism board programs, guest review platforms, and hospitality press to identify properties that warrant closer examination. We do not accept submissions for inclusion.
Deep research
Each candidate property undergoes detailed analysis: room configurations, dining programs, wellness offerings, management history, renovation timelines, and guest sentiment across multiple review platforms. We cross-reference claims against verifiable sources.
Criteria assessment
Properties are evaluated against our six editorial criteria: architecture and design, service, dining, rooms, wellness, and sense of place. No single criterion is enough on its own. A property must demonstrate strength across the full picture.
Editorial review
Content is written with the same care as the research. Every hotel page includes specific, verifiable details like room counts, restaurant names, spa treatments, and policy information so readers can confirm our claims independently.
Ongoing monitoring
Luxury is not static. We track ownership changes, renovations, management shifts, and evolving guest sentiment. Properties that decline in quality are updated or removed. A recommendation today must be re-earned tomorrow.
What we rely on
Official property information
Hotel websites, press kits, and direct communications for factual details like room specifications, dining menus, and facility descriptions.
Guest review platforms
Aggregated sentiment from Google, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com to understand patterns in guest experience beyond any single review.
Industry recognition
Awards and ratings from established hospitality bodies provide independent validation of quality claims.
Tourism and regulatory data
State tourism boards, AAA star ratings, and heritage registers for factual verification of classifications and credentials.
What we promise
- We will never claim to have personally visited a property unless we have.
- We will always disclose affiliate relationships clearly.
- We will remove or update any recommendation where quality has verifiably declined.
- We will correct factual errors promptly when identified.
- Hotels cannot purchase inclusion, influence rankings, or preview content before publication.
Questions about our editorial process? We're transparent by design. If something in our coverage doesn't add up, we want to know.