I write stuff on the internet for a living, and people are welcome to chime in with their takes, both positive and negative. I’ve been doing this for over half my life, so I’m used to the varying opinions on many topics, and I welcome criticism, especially when it’s constructive.
I’d like to dedicate a post to addressing a subset of OMAAT readers who seemingly always take issue with the way that I travel. I’d label these people as the “holier than thou” travel crowd, who think they are the ones who travel right, and everyone else travels wrong. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that these are also people who generally only leave negative comments and never have anything nice to say, but keep reading. I digress…
In this post:
I totally understand if you don’t like how I travel!
Let me address this in the form of an example. I recently wrote the introduction post to my latest trip report, about a birthday trip to the Golden Triangle. Reader Cletus commented the following:
Siri, plan a trip to Thailand, but isolate me from local people and culture as much as possible.
I responded as follows:
I’m a little confused. So you believe there are no worthwhile experiences to be had in Bangkok, the Golden Triangle, etc.? Yes, I generally stay at major international chain hotels, because reviewing those is part of what I do for a living. But does that mean I can’t have other interesting and meaningful experiences?
Cletus responded with this:
You’ve never provided evidence of having done so. You only ever stay inside your luxury hotel, and have highly-curated experiences there. You’ve never posted about interacting with a local person who wasn’t serving you.
I responded as follows:
Sorry, I’ve never “provided evidence” of having interacted with a local anywhere who wasn’t serving me? That’s just ridiculous hyperbole.
Hey, you’re more than welcome to rib me for perceiving that I only stay in hotels. But just because my blog is primarily about a certain thing doesn’t mean it’s the extent of everything I do.
For example, if I go to Brunei or Qatar and hang out with locals who I know, does that qualify as being isolated from the local people?
And let me go on to ask you something. How do you go about interacting with locals in a way that’s in no way transactional? So for example, if you visit a city for a first time, what’s your approach to sightseeing, when you remove anything where there could be a financial aspect to it?
Cletus didn’t respond to that, but then commented the following:
But how often do you speak to Japanese people who don’t work in your hotel or a service establishment? How many kilometers per day do you walk on your own without the assistance of a handler, or without being carted around in a taxi or Uber? Do you even have a Suica card?
So I responded as follows:
When I travel, assuming it’s not super cold, I average around 20K steps per day. Now could you answer the question I posed to you below, please?
He still hasn’t answered the question…
I think everyone should travel the way they’d like to
Let me share my take on all of this in a little more detail. I completely understand if people think the way that I travel doesn’t sound fun, and think that many aspects of my travel sound isolating. I also understand why many people don’t like the extent to which my hotel reviews have focused more on luxury properties (that’s something I’ve addressed in a separate post). That’s all totally fair. But I also think this misses some really key points.
First of all, covering airlines and hotels is my business. Virtually all of my travel has a “business” angle, in the sense that I write about it, and I consider that to be my niche.
And you know what? People are sometimes right when they say that during parts of my travel, I don’t actually see that much. For example, I often try to review several hotels in a city, and will stay one night at each. As any OMAAT reader can attest to, I write very detailed reviews and take hundreds of pictures on a one-night stay, and that’s a full time job. Yes, in those situations I eat at hotel restaurants, and I explore every hotel amenity. And in those situations, I often don’t see a lot.
For example, during the recent trip in Thailand that’s being criticized above, I made three one-night stays in Bangkok. Yes, during those three nights, I barely left the hotels (we also spent three nights at one hotel, where we did spend a ton of time outside the property).
But what I find so odd is that this is quite literally the definition of a “work” trip. If someone else is sent by their boss on a business trip to XYZ destination, do you criticize them for not experiencing more of the culture? I’m not a backpacker in my early 20s who is exploring the world and is free of all obligations. I’m in my mid-30s, have a family, and need to be efficient with my time.
Next, when I do travel and have time (in other words, I’m staying somewhere for more than one night), I do everything I can to have meaningful experiences, from visiting museums, to going out to nice meals, to walking endlessly (I consistently walk a ton when I travel, as that’s my favorite way to explore).
Maybe I should write more about those things. To be honest, part of the reason I don’t is because it’s really the only time when I travel where I really “unwind.” When I’m at hotels, on planes, or at airports, I’m documenting everything, I’m waiting to basically knock down the door on every restaurant as it opens, so that I can get pictures without anyone in it, etc. I’ve also written about the unglamorous reality of my review trips. 
So when I actually get to go out and do things without meticulously documenting everything, that’s when I truly get to relax.
Let me push back a little against those who consider themselves to be the enlightened class of cultured travelers, and want to go online to tell others how they’re doing things wrong. Let me start by mentioning that most happy people I know are just living their best lives, and not just trolling the internet, telling others how poorly they’re living their lives. 😉
It basically comes down to the crowd of people who think “I’m a traveler, and everyone else is a tourist,” and those people are generally pretty insufferable. It’s fine to think the way that you travel is great, I just don’t understand the desire to judge others. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from travel, it’s to judge others less. I think these people largely just aren’t honest with themselves. If you remove any sort of transactions from visiting destinations, what does that really leave?
From museums, to a local dining experience, to a food tour, everything is on some level transactional, and has a business element to it. Cletus asks “how often do you speak to Japanese people who don’t work in your hotel or a service establishment?” I mean, I suppose it’s a fair point, but if you eliminate any monetary incentives, what does that leave us with? Going up to random people on the street and demanding they speak with me? Also, just factually, most Japanese people who don’t work in hospitality also don’t speak English.
You can have meaningful experiences with locals even when there is a transactional element to it. This dude is asking me to “prove” that I interact with locals. As an example, I have friends in many places I visit, and I’ll often meet up with them. They’ll even show me around, and will generously be my guide for the day. I need to prove that? Should I give their names, dates of birth, provide timestamps of what we did, etc.?
Bottom line
The way I travel shouldn’t be the way you travel. For that matter, the way I travel would definitely be different if I weren’t writing about airlines and hotels for a living. I’m really lucky that I get to do what I love for a living. While it’s not always as glamorous as some people may assume, I really enjoy it.
When people accuse me of sometimes barely leaving a hotel… well, sometimes they’re absolutely right! When you stay at a hotel for one night and want to write a very detailed review, that takes some effort, and compromises need to be made. However, when people accuse me of never leaving hotels or interacting with locals, well, that’s just not accurate.
I collectively spend a few months per year on the road, and it would be irresponsible if I just did that purely in a way that maximized the fun I had, with no business element to it, given that I have a family. I certainly don’t always get the balance right, but I do my best, and I figure it’s worth at least providing some perspective on why…
Hey Ben.
Been following your blog for more than 10 years and really loved it.
Unfortunately those commentators are part of the blog "culture" - maybe that's why they're often referred to as trolls.
I started following you exactly because you also do luxury and first/business class travel. Love your insights and experiences and also based some of my travels on your suggestions and tips. And you're never controversial or look for clicks etc. (ok...
Hey Ben.
Been following your blog for more than 10 years and really loved it.
Unfortunately those commentators are part of the blog "culture" - maybe that's why they're often referred to as trolls.
I started following you exactly because you also do luxury and first/business class travel. Love your insights and experiences and also based some of my travels on your suggestions and tips. And you're never controversial or look for clicks etc. (ok aside from Cairo airport.... )
What is annoying about the so called followers (trolls really) is that they either subscribe or find your blog because they searched for luxury or business travel or pointers to redeem points for luxury travel and stays, and then have issues with that
*roll eyes*
Anyway, as Taylor Swift says the haters are "...gonna hate hate hate..."
Us real followers (and I am surely one of thousands) do like your blog and enjoy following it. Keep up the good work please.
A follower from South Africa
While I enjoy reading your review of hotels I will never stay in, one of my most favorite/memorable pieces of content on this website was Tiffanys trip to Jordan, where she stayed at "normal" hotels and talked about day to day sightseeing.
Keep up the good work, obviously we read your blog to hear about what your stay and flights are like. If I want a travel blog ( on backpacking ) I would look so where else.
As someone who hosts an internet blog I would have thought you knew better than to argue with idiots on the internet.
Keep doing your thing, this is the only travel site I visit with any regularity, because the content you are putting out is actually valuable and you seem like someone I would want to spend time around, unlike many of your posters and other bloggers.
@ Toobis -- Hah, thank you! In fairness, this is feedback I've gotten from a good number of people over the years, which is why I thought it was worth addressing in a post. If every negative comment sent me over the edge, I'd just be writing about that all day, and still wouldn't have enough time. :p
You're right. I was being an ignoramus and offer my sincere apologies.
People just assume the way they do things is the best and only way and that everyone else who isn't doing the same needs to be told about it.
My spouse and I for instance always make a trip to the same town in Europe, and stay in the same hotel there every single year. We have been for over a decade. People can't seem to comprehend it and are always saying "you need to...
People just assume the way they do things is the best and only way and that everyone else who isn't doing the same needs to be told about it.
My spouse and I for instance always make a trip to the same town in Europe, and stay in the same hotel there every single year. We have been for over a decade. People can't seem to comprehend it and are always saying "you need to go somewhere else", "how are you going to know if there are better places if you dont explore more", "I don't understand why you don't use your vacation time better", and so on and so forth.
I don't understand why it is so hard for our friends and family to comprehend we just happen to have found a place that we truly love, with people that we truly love, and that has started to feel almost like a second home. We truly look forward to seeing the people there every year and they look forward to seeing us.
And, what really kills me, we do go other places! A lot of other places!
I just get so sick of people telling us we need to stop going there and do something else. I don't want to!
No, keep doing what you are doing, Ben. You hv no idea how much you hv helped me with my traveling these past few years. My daily scroll on facebook must hv your post for me to get new input and perspective. Thank you. Just ignore the trolls. Not worth the time entertaining them. Save your energy & be selective on which to respond to.
It's the same phenomenon that's been around for 10,000 years: every time someone famous does or says something, everyone needs to express an opinion about it. Now, Ben, it's not as if you're a Kardashian, but you do have a pretty large following, so every time you say something, someone will criticize it. People feel a personal connection to the personalities they follow, whether celebrities or bloggers, so when those personalities say or do something...
It's the same phenomenon that's been around for 10,000 years: every time someone famous does or says something, everyone needs to express an opinion about it. Now, Ben, it's not as if you're a Kardashian, but you do have a pretty large following, so every time you say something, someone will criticize it. People feel a personal connection to the personalities they follow, whether celebrities or bloggers, so when those personalities say or do something they disagree with, it's like they're your mom or your uncle or your spouse at the dinner table: they come right out and criticize.
I think the right approach is to keep in mind that the good parts of living much of your life in public are far more impactful than the bad. For example, you get hundreds of affirming, heartfelt comments whenever you post something touching about your personal life, from births to marriages to deaths. And there are thousands of readers, including me, who really benefit from your reviews (and the vast majority of us are able to simply skip content we don't care about rather than whining about it). The number of critical commenters is much smaller. So ignore the negativity.
It's amazing how (giving the benefit of the doubt here) people can take the things that you publish for your livelihood and assume that's *all* you actually did on your trip. Removing the benefit of the doubt, many people take an irrational pride in trying to travel rougher and having "more authentic" experiences. What those people fail to understand is everybody travels differently, there are pros and cons to every style, and just staying in...
It's amazing how (giving the benefit of the doubt here) people can take the things that you publish for your livelihood and assume that's *all* you actually did on your trip. Removing the benefit of the doubt, many people take an irrational pride in trying to travel rougher and having "more authentic" experiences. What those people fail to understand is everybody travels differently, there are pros and cons to every style, and just staying in a swanky hotel or having one night of fine dining doesn't mean you aren't walking the streets and eating like a local the other 80% of the trip.
When I first started reading nearly eighteen years ago, there was like a week or two at the very beginning where I was like: "Wait, does he really not do anything in the places he travels? He gets on a plane, goes from the airport to the hotel, and back again? That can't actually be what's happening here, can it?" And then in a random post you made some passing remark about something you did...
When I first started reading nearly eighteen years ago, there was like a week or two at the very beginning where I was like: "Wait, does he really not do anything in the places he travels? He gets on a plane, goes from the airport to the hotel, and back again? That can't actually be what's happening here, can it?" And then in a random post you made some passing remark about something you did in that city (as more of a side note than anything else) and it was in that moment that I realized: "He does do stuff, he just doesn't write about it, since that's not the point of the blog." And then I never gave it another thought until this post eighteen years later.
"I do everything I can to have meaningful experiences, from visiting museums, to going out to nice meals, to walking endlessly (I consistently walk a ton when I travel, as that’s my favorite way to explore). Maybe I should write more about those things." Bingo!!!! You should definitely write more about those things.
It is your blog and your work is to review airlines and hotels BUT I do think you miss an opportunity...
"I do everything I can to have meaningful experiences, from visiting museums, to going out to nice meals, to walking endlessly (I consistently walk a ton when I travel, as that’s my favorite way to explore). Maybe I should write more about those things." Bingo!!!! You should definitely write more about those things.
It is your blog and your work is to review airlines and hotels BUT I do think you miss an opportunity to make your blog a bit more "friendly" to normal people that travel. "Normal" people do not spend the entire time inside luxury hotels. You see hotels as "destinations" while most people see hotels as a place to sleep, take a shower and rest while they enjoy the place they are visiting which is the "destination".
You mentioned you do have "meaningful experiences" when visiting a city. I really do not recall reading about those. Restaurants? You review expensive hotel restaurants that usually normal people don't care because they want to experience local restaurants where local people eat. I do not remember last time I had lunch or dinner at a hotel. Have you ever tried a real French patisserie for breakfast while in Paris instead of the breakfast at the Park Hyatt? You are in the most amazing city in the world for croissants, baguettes, pastries so I would love to hear about places you found during your trip. You go to Italy and have a capuccino at the hotel. Have you ever tried some of the amazing restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan?
Don't take this as a criticism but more as something to think about as you have readers that would enjoy finding about great local experiences you had and since we trust your judgement we would want to try once we visit those places.
There are blogs about real French patisseries in Paris. Ben's is not one of them. It is a blog that tell you how to get to Paris on miles in a genuine, honest, and non-hyped up way, and about luxury hotels in Paris. I don't know why you'd expect the latter kind of blog to tell you anything about the topic of the former. Might as well ask Ben to cover 15th century lute restoration, too.
Bit surprised that this surprises you. You're largely in the attention business (and you've shared before that getting attention has gotten harder in the age of AI). Lot's of people out there without your points savviness (and without the wealth that you created from this - you've come a far way from getting free dinners in a Hyatt club lounge) trying to promote their blog talking about how-I-couchsurfed-my-way-through-Indonesia-without-paying-a-rupiah. Any attention you get is something they...
Bit surprised that this surprises you. You're largely in the attention business (and you've shared before that getting attention has gotten harder in the age of AI). Lot's of people out there without your points savviness (and without the wealth that you created from this - you've come a far way from getting free dinners in a Hyatt club lounge) trying to promote their blog talking about how-I-couchsurfed-my-way-through-Indonesia-without-paying-a-rupiah. Any attention you get is something they want. If Kirby can trash talk Isom then why wouldn't Cletus trash talk you?
Love your work, Ben. You are not a vlogger, nor you should aim to be one. You are trusted and incredible for both pictures, width of hotel + airline reviews at the higher price, without being typically reviewer gushing over everything. You are doing great. Can't please everyone, so don't even try.
To add, surely I can't be the only one - most of my travel searches about specific airline + airplane type or specific hotel that you likely stayed at, start with your site. You are doing fantastic work and your pictures are amazing. Very much appreciate the empty lounges, planes, hotels. I can't even imagine what it all means, from time needed to get the right empty shots.
Why don’t you ban bigots and racists? You DO seem to have the will to ban people when it suits you yet you never even answer the disgusting , filthy bigots in your midst. I assume you know who I’m referring to, Ben.
I suppose a click is a click and you’re very white and obliviously privileged but it would be nice to see SOME damn morality from you.
@ Oriflamme -- So none of the people who have left comments critical of my travel have been banned from commenting. Quite to the contrary, I encourage them to answer the questions I've asked.
Regarding banning bigots and racists, I try my best to do that. You should see how long my list of banned users is, with the primary reason being exactly what you say. Often people will then come back with a different...
@ Oriflamme -- So none of the people who have left comments critical of my travel have been banned from commenting. Quite to the contrary, I encourage them to answer the questions I've asked.
Regarding banning bigots and racists, I try my best to do that. You should see how long my list of banned users is, with the primary reason being exactly what you say. Often people will then come back with a different username and email, but I still do my best to address that.
If you see posts that you think are bigoted or racist, please report them (using the "report" button), and I'll take a look.
It's a little odd to call me "very white," but to each their own, I suppose. I'm also in a group that's frequently discriminated against, and it seems a little one-sided to overlook that.
Very long time reader here, and I agree with others who have commented that you don't owe someone who self-identifies as "Cletus" any effort to explain yourself or how you travel.
I continue to be impressed by your commitment to this site, and how you provide very informative and often enjoyable content. I also appreciate your sharing who you are and aspects of your family and personal life.
My guess is that the critics who...
Very long time reader here, and I agree with others who have commented that you don't owe someone who self-identifies as "Cletus" any effort to explain yourself or how you travel.
I continue to be impressed by your commitment to this site, and how you provide very informative and often enjoyable content. I also appreciate your sharing who you are and aspects of your family and personal life.
My guess is that the critics who show up in the comments would not have the courage to tell you to your face some of the things they so easily write from the comfort and protection of their (anonymous) screens.
So, in a nutshell... carry on!
Very long time reader here, and I agree with others who have commented that you don't owe someone who self-identifies as "Cletus" any effort to explain yourself or how you travel.
I continue to be impressed by your commitment to this site, and how you provide very informative and often enjoyable content. I also appreciate your sharing who you are and aspects of your family and personal life.
My guess is that the critics who...
Very long time reader here, and I agree with others who have commented that you don't owe someone who self-identifies as "Cletus" any effort to explain yourself or how you travel.
I continue to be impressed by your commitment to this site, and how you provide very informative and often enjoyable content. I also appreciate your sharing who you are and aspects of your family and personal life.
My guess is that the critics who show up in the comments would not have the courage to tell you to your face some of the things they so easily write from the comfort and protection of their (anonymous) screens.
So, in a nutshell... carry on!
If it makes you feel any better, I have been lectured that by choosing to live and work in African cities, I somehow don't have as much of a "true" African experience as someone who does an annual safari in different countries.
You've been doing this long enough to know that if people are grumbling about you, that means they read what you're saying. Take the win.
There is a nicer way for Cletus to say what they're saying and you touched on it: hearing more about the destination vs the flight and hotel. But this is clearly a points and miles blog, so I don't get the outrage around you omitting reviews on museums, restaurants, churches etc. It's asking too much, and there are other sites for that.
I would personally love to hear more from you on your views/recommendations on...
There is a nicer way for Cletus to say what they're saying and you touched on it: hearing more about the destination vs the flight and hotel. But this is clearly a points and miles blog, so I don't get the outrage around you omitting reviews on museums, restaurants, churches etc. It's asking too much, and there are other sites for that.
I would personally love to hear more from you on your views/recommendations on the places you travel to, as I enjoy reading your stuff and resonate with how you look at life. Plus 10+ years of reading different points and miles blogs, I get the gist of it. But I recognize you are not a concierge and the job you have given yourself is to report on miles and points, with a side of whatever else you feel like talking about.
At the end of the day if you have an issue with his travels ignore the posts. It is not that this guy was handcuffed to the phone and HAD to read it. A lot of things that I don’t like to read, and I just stopped reading them. I don’t know the big deal about somebody’s personal opinion about hotels and travel per se.
Ben, you owe no one an apology for how you prefer to travel or the choices you make when you do. Sometimes I do think it'd be beneficial for more potentially negative aspects of flights and properties brought to the forefront. But your content is informative and helpful.
As a concrete example, I used your very detailed descriptions of the Etihad F and J lounges at AUH on my flights last year as my...
Ben, you owe no one an apology for how you prefer to travel or the choices you make when you do. Sometimes I do think it'd be beneficial for more potentially negative aspects of flights and properties brought to the forefront. But your content is informative and helpful.
As a concrete example, I used your very detailed descriptions of the Etihad F and J lounges at AUH on my flights last year as my guide - everything was exactly as you described, and the information was invaluable to me. I would have missed much on a very long layover, without your review.
If you're gonna start paying attention to everything your commenters say it's not going to end well for your mentality. Take it from someone who was under s constant antisemitic attack on this site.
@ Aaron -- So I'd like to look into this, but the username and email you're using has never posted on this blog before? I'd like to investigate, but it's hard to do when you're not sharing any details.
There's no need to justify your actions and/or way of travel. If they don't like it they have the option not to read it and go somewhere else. Just keep your good work, many of us appreciate it.
Because your blog is about movement - not travel - and readers need to understand that.
My main comment overall - but it's your blog, so do what you want - has consistently been that your published activity doesn't match your personal branding. And you're selling yourself short. You've written at great length about how you're a world traveler at heart, a lover of cultures and experiences and this vibrant world around us. It's a...
Because your blog is about movement - not travel - and readers need to understand that.
My main comment overall - but it's your blog, so do what you want - has consistently been that your published activity doesn't match your personal branding. And you're selling yourself short. You've written at great length about how you're a world traveler at heart, a lover of cultures and experiences and this vibrant world around us. It's a lovely way to live, and you clearly enjoy being who you are.
...but you only ever write about business/first travel, luxury hotels, and credit card points promotions. You never write about the PLACES you visit. You never write about culture or experiences. You never write about everyday experiences - a road trip in the rains of Wales, a hot dog from a roadside truck in Monterey, walking barefoot on the cliffs of Malta. Those things can be memories, and they make a life worth living. You never write about the world you touch BETWEEN airplane seats and hotel rooms. You're in these countries for seemingly a day or two. Why is that? Why go all the way to Thailand or Jordan or Portugal, just to see the inside of some chain hotel and then get back on an airplane? Do you ever go out and take a tour of the city, or try local food, or interact with people who live there? How is that world travel? That's movement, not travel.
And I prod you because I know you do indeed love those human experiences outside the hotel room. You just never write about them - and you should.
You could spend every day of the year in airport hotels, for all the business it is of theirs.
I have experienced a version of this, which is that I love spending a huge amount of time in Disney hotels and resorts around the world (probably about 100 nights a year). But I quite often get comments that are pretty judgmental about this - even though it's not like I'd be spending 100 nights doing...
You could spend every day of the year in airport hotels, for all the business it is of theirs.
I have experienced a version of this, which is that I love spending a huge amount of time in Disney hotels and resorts around the world (probably about 100 nights a year). But I quite often get comments that are pretty judgmental about this - even though it's not like I'd be spending 100 nights doing culturally enriching travel, if for some reason I didn't do that I'd be spending the time at home instead. (And weirdly, nobody would criticise that!).
It was fun to read this conversation between you and Cletus, thinking whether that guy believes that in between the reviews, you don’t actually do anything at all. Lol.
Years ago, a Finnish travel blogger wrote a post called “Travelling the wrong way” which I liked quite a lot because my travels also raise criticism among my friends. She was spot on: no matter where you go, how long you spend and what you...
It was fun to read this conversation between you and Cletus, thinking whether that guy believes that in between the reviews, you don’t actually do anything at all. Lol.
Years ago, a Finnish travel blogger wrote a post called “Travelling the wrong way” which I liked quite a lot because my travels also raise criticism among my friends. She was spot on: no matter where you go, how long you spend and what you do, there will always be this someone who’s telling you how wrong you do it…
It’s your money and your time. Just do whatever pleases you! And no, you are not obliged to report every minute here…
Ben
I have been reading your blog since you started it. And I have been on most hotel and airline loyalty programs since the Mid 80's (circa more or less at the beginning of this concept!)
I love the way you have matured and find the comments and information provided to be ON POINT and VERY USEFUL.
We are now in our early 70's and CONTINUE to read your blog - DAILY...
Ben
I have been reading your blog since you started it. And I have been on most hotel and airline loyalty programs since the Mid 80's (circa more or less at the beginning of this concept!)
I love the way you have matured and find the comments and information provided to be ON POINT and VERY USEFUL.
We are now in our early 70's and CONTINUE to read your blog - DAILY - with great curiosity and enthusiasm. Keep up the good work.
The comments you quoted belong to a back packing type of tourist who wishes to mingle with locals. More power to them. It is totally valid and fulfilling to some.
But does not give anyone a broad brush to paint all travel experiences with that subjective point of view.
Cheers
You do you, Lucky. Ignore the Internet trolls.
From your site's landing page:
"The Latest Airline News and Travel Offers
One Mile at a Time brings you breaking travel news, reviews and strategies to maximize elite travel status.
"Earn more miles, points and rewards with today’s top credit card offers."
You deliver what you promise in spades.
Don't take the bait from trolls.
Love your work Ben. Dont feed the ignorant. I know there is a lot of lifestyle travel videos out there, and your style of travel maybe confusing to them as they probably dont understand your job. Most of your content is looked at those gram/tiktok/tube influencers.
This is a blog focusing on luxury travel.
If adventure travel is more your thing, there are tons of blogs and vlogs full of people trying to see how long they can last on 10 bucks in Kinshasha or Quetta or wherever.
I personally like to mix things up, and you can find blogs and vlogs for that as well.
I don't expect Ben to produce a travelogue for every trip that he undertakes, be it domestically, of abroad. It would be rather exhausting for everybody involved. As people have become very opinionated, there would be always a good chunk of his audience ready to complain that he's ovesharing by reporting on every minutiae of his daily whereabouts.
We all know what to expect. It's a free entertainment, and Ben doesn't own us anything, so to speak...
1) You don't owe anyone anything. You are making the world a better place just being you.
2) Don't wrestle with pigs. They like it and you both get dirty.
3) Keep fighting the good fight
OMG I blew a gasket reading this! You know why people give you grief? Because they're jealous, that's why! You're traveling the world, living your best life, and they're sitting behind a desk at their boring job wishing they could do 1/10 of what you get to do.
I've been following you for years, and your tips and stories are unbelievably helpful and have helped me travel better myself.
Don't listen to the haters, and yes, you do you!
They don't call him Lucky for nothing. ;)
The premise that you are arguing against here is just so absurd that there’s no reason to bother writing all this. It’s literally your job!
dont feed the trolls. Why anyone would care so much about what you do on a trip is beyond me.
Hey Ben!
So this is not a criticism and in fact as someone basically your age I am doing the same thing so it is more an observation. Your hotel stays used to be much more points related. So many of your stays over the last few years are just properties most will never be able to stay at. Most people have never heard of the Aman, Cappella, etc let alone will ever stay at...
Hey Ben!
So this is not a criticism and in fact as someone basically your age I am doing the same thing so it is more an observation. Your hotel stays used to be much more points related. So many of your stays over the last few years are just properties most will never be able to stay at. Most people have never heard of the Aman, Cappella, etc let alone will ever stay at one. Your reviews of all of them are basically perfect and it is noticeable you are tougher on the points redemption properties (even the nice ones) when you do stay at them because (and you are not wrong), points properties are just not as good as a rosewood lol. But i do understand why people my feel a little off put.
We also know Ford gets good rates at a lot of these hotels none of us will ever see. Again that isn't a problem but I can see why folks get a little resentful especially when you give glowing reviews.
Anyway maybe just be more upfront? You are not in your 20s anymore, we have bad backs lol, incomes are more stable, you want nice things and there is nothing wrong with it!
@ Andrew -- That's all fair and constructive feedback, and I hear you, and it's something I wrote more about recently:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/hotel-industry-evolved-preferences/
When it comes to the topic of this post, though, this is the same criticism I've been receiving for many years, regardless of whether all the hotels I stay at are part of points programs or not. :-)
I noticed this, too. Those luxury hotel reviews started to feel like a way of supporting Ford’s business. If there is such a thing, I wish Ben would be more forthcoming and disclose the conflicts of interest.
+1 on this. Sure there are some gems but specifically Cappella and shady Aman are places I don't hold to same high value as Lucky. Then again, to take Bangkok, I understand not wanting to stay at MO or FS for the fourth time, especially since its only one-two nights.
Everyone is an "expert" when it comes to travel and everyone has done it better than you did. This is a huge part of why I avoid social media across the board. People always have opinions, but for some reason travel brings it out even more. I'm in a few travel WhatsApp groups and the opinions that come out, including from VERY well traveled people can often be comical. Just ignore it and keep doing...
Everyone is an "expert" when it comes to travel and everyone has done it better than you did. This is a huge part of why I avoid social media across the board. People always have opinions, but for some reason travel brings it out even more. I'm in a few travel WhatsApp groups and the opinions that come out, including from VERY well traveled people can often be comical. Just ignore it and keep doing whatever makes you happy. People also need to realize your blog is likely a very narrow representation of your actual travel. You're not blogging about the activities, walks, and daily experiences.
Ben, I understand why you wrote this post but don’t spend so much energy on this! The vast majority of us love what you write.
On a somewhat related topic, do you ever go on major trips where you completely don’t write about it? Would that count as your PTO or do you just write every chance you can get? :)
@ JD -- Thanks for the kind words! That's a great question. It's incredibly rare that I take a trip without writing about it. To be honest, I'm not someone who likes relaxing, and I enjoy the process of reviewing airlines, hotels, etc., and it's something I'm passionate about.
I do sometimes just not review long haul flights, if it's a product I recently reviewed. It feels like such a weird experience when I board...
@ JD -- Thanks for the kind words! That's a great question. It's incredibly rare that I take a trip without writing about it. To be honest, I'm not someone who likes relaxing, and I enjoy the process of reviewing airlines, hotels, etc., and it's something I'm passionate about.
I do sometimes just not review long haul flights, if it's a product I recently reviewed. It feels like such a weird experience when I board a flight without reviewing it, since I'm used to always lining up early to board, and being busy for most of the flight documenting just about everything.
The time I actually do relax the most is when I'm just at home, and have an hour or two at night to unwind.
very much appreciate everything you do and ignore the haters. EXCEPT...
please can we talk about presenting numerical data in tabular form???
ily otherwise
@ Dim Tunn -- Thanks! :-) Regarding tabular form for numerical data, let me look into that once again. To be honest, in the past I've had a hard time finding the right balance for that between desktop and mobile, and found it caused confusion more often than not, which is why I dropped it. But yeah, it should be revisited.
happy to work thru the HTML with you if you want...