Hospitality Writers
120 writers who cover hotels, restaurants, resorts and the businesses that run them. Every one is named, with a profile you can read first.
Photo: unfushan / Pexels
Why most hospitality writer lists are useless
Search for a hospitality writer and you will mostly find content agencies. They tell you how many writers they have — one of the biggest says it has 171 with hospitality experience — and then they name none of them. You cannot read their work, see who they are, or judge whether they know a limited-service property from a full-service one. You fill in a brief and hope.
This page is the opposite arrangement. Everyone below is named. Their profile lists what they cover and links to where they publish, so you can read a few pieces and decide before you make contact. If they are not right for the brief, you have lost five minutes rather than a procurement cycle.
What hospitality writing actually covers
Hospitality is broader than hotel reviews. The writers here cover property openings and refurbishments, restaurant and bar programmes, resort and spa operations, food and beverage trends, guest experience and service design, and the trade side — occupancy, brand standards, franchising and management contracts.
The useful split is between consumer and trade. Consumer hospitality writing persuades a traveller to book, and lives in magazines, newspapers and destination sites. Trade hospitality writing explains a business decision to an operator, and lives in industry press and B2B content. Some writers do both well; most have a clear centre of gravity. Their profiles say which.
How to brief one well
Be specific about the property type and the reader. "Write about our hotel" produces generic copy. "800 words for a first-time business traveller on why our airport property beats the city-centre option on total travel time" produces something usable. Say whether the writer needs to visit, who arranges it, and whether the piece carries a byline.
Say what you will not accept, too. If you need first-hand experience rather than desk research, say so — it changes who should take the brief and what it costs.
The 120 writers, by name
Every writer below is a real, named person with a profile you can read, and 99 of them have a photo. Nobody is hidden behind a contact form.
Athena Lucero
Creators Syndicate Travel & Adventure, Contributing Writer; TraveLife magazine (Canada), Contributing Writer
Betsi Hill
Author & Travel Journalist | Florida, Food, Wine, Luxury & Cultural Travel
DeLand, USA
Brigitte Hasbron
Luxury travel and culinary arts writer, Le Cordon Bleu Institute graduate.
Cherith Fluker
Author, travel and lifestyle writer, and founder of an award-winning blog.
United States
Chris Christensen
Creator of the award-winning Amateur Traveler podcast and Hotel Scoop publisher
Craig Stoltz
Freelance journalist, food, wine & travel. Sr. editor, Food, Wine & Travel mag
United States
Dale Sanders
Photo Text Ltd, as Freelance Photojournalist, Travel Writer, Travel Photographer
Dannelle Gay
TV Host, Podcaster, Author, Syndicated, Freelancer, & Group Tour Leader from WI
Darla Hoffmann
Travel Journalist, Certified Sommelier and Owner of About Wine & Travel
David Greenberg
Travel writer on all topics, specializing in luxury travel, food and beverages.
David Nershi
Publisher of Vino-Sphere. Wine, travel, and food writer based in No. Carolina.
United States
Dawn Damico
Editor and storyteller inspiring meaningful, mindful, and flavorful travel.
Debbra Dunning Brouillette
Freelance Writer/Photographer Tropical Travel, U.S. and Intl. travel, Food/Wine
Donna Adinolfi
Travel, spa, wellness, road trip writer & photographer.
United States
Edward Quan
Editor, luxury fashion and travel writer and a global cruise lecturer.
Canada
Eileen Cotter Wright
Freelancer Travel Writer, Founder PureWander.com, Creator
United States
Fiona Harper
Travel & Cruise writer with 20-plus years experience
Brisbane, Australia
Inga Aksamit
INGA AKSAMIT is an award-winning author and globe-trotting adventurer.
James Merriman
Award-winning British & Irish Travel Writer and Photographer
United Kingdom
Jeanne Neylon Decker
Independent travel journalist and founder/chief content creator traveltawk.com.
United States
Joelle Machia
Travel writer, podcaster, photographer, and co-owner of Wanderers Compass.
Jonathan Sacks
Food, drinks, history, and culture writer at Everybody Hates A Tourist & more
Judi Cohen
Freelance Cruise, Travel and Food Writer with international bylines.
Karen LeBlanc
Karen LeBlanc, Host of LA64, a Louisiana travel show on PBS & The Design Tourist
Kathryn Anderson
Author, travel journalist, and speaker with bylines in publications worldwide.
Kristine Carber-White
Kris is a longtime travel and food writer whose quest is a good story
Latoya Austin
Latoya is a London based freelance travel writer and wine tourism communicator.
United Kingdom
Liz Barrett
Certified Specialist of Wine Wine and Travel Writer and Wine Educator
Luis Reyes-Umana
Mexico, Latin America & Alaska Travel Writer
Mexico City, Mexico
Marjorie Hope Rothstein
Luxe wellness travel and destination spa trends expert
West Hollywood, United States
Merle Rosenstein
Travel, Food and Wine Writer at Travel Dine Wine, with WSET Level 2 Diploma.
Nitisha Shankar
Travel & adventure writer exploring Asia through food, culture, people, and unforgettable moments.
Delhi, India
Penny Sadler
I'm a freelance writer and digital creator based in Dallas.
United States
Phylicia Stitzel
Family travel & wine writer helping parents explore the world—kids in tow
Rachel Belkin
Editor-in-Chief/ Writer at Probe the Globe, Freelance Writer, Marketing Director
Ryan Slough
Travel writer, and podcaster, sharing real, experience-driven stories.
sanjukta goswami
Travel Writer | Cultural Travel, Heritage & Destination Storytelling in Asia
kolkata, India
Shannon DalPozzal
TravelingMamas.com | ShannonDalPozzal.com | ShannonTravels.Substack.com
Sharon Kurtz
Sharon Kurtz—travel writer, photographer and podcaster exploring global stories
United States
Stacey Wittig
Curious travel writer and blogger whose bylines and adventures span the globe
United States
Susan Greenberg
Susan writes on all topics from star gazing to sushi bars.
United States
Susan Lanier-Graham
Publisher of Wander With Wonder | Helping Writers Build Travel Careers
Tamara MC
Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year (2025) in 90+ outlets, including NYT
Tonya Hennessey
Travel and Food writer and photographer. Producer, Create24 video variety show.
United States
Vivian Vassos
When in Rome! Cheers to Apero hour and covering the world of culinary travel.
Common questions
- What is a hospitality writer?
- A hospitality writer covers hotels, restaurants, resorts, bars and the businesses behind them. That splits into consumer work aimed at travellers deciding where to book, and trade work aimed at operators and investors. The two need different writers, and asking which kind someone does is the fastest way to shortlist.
- How do I find the best hospitality writers?
- Read their published work before you contact them, rather than relying on a headcount or a badge. Every writer on this page is named and links to where they publish, so you can judge the writing itself. Look for someone who has covered your property type and your reader, not just the word "hospitality" in a bio.
- Do I hire a hospitality writer directly or through an agency?
- Directly, if you know what you want written. An agency adds a project manager and a margin, which is worth paying when you are commissioning a lot of pieces or need someone else to run the process. For a handful of commissions, contacting the writer yourself is cheaper and you get the person whose work you actually read. This directory takes no commission either way.
- What does a hospitality writer charge?
- Rates vary far too much by market, format and whether a site visit is involved for a single number to be honest, and the writers in this directory have not published their rates here, so we are not going to invent a range for them. Ask two or three directly. Our guide to travel writing rates covers what shapes the number.
- Can a hospitality writer visit my property?
- Many will, and first-hand experience usually shows in the finished piece. Agree in advance who pays for the visit and whether it obliges the writer to publish anything — reputable writers will not guarantee coverage in exchange for a stay, and you should be wary of any who do.