Looking for honest critique
 

Is it ok to post a blog link here with the purpose of getting constructive criticism from FT readers? Is this the forum for that? Don't want to run afoul of any rules...

FWIW, I don't have affiliate links, and I have maybe 1 ad.

Miles and points isn't my bread and butter. It'll be a solid aspect of my site, but it's not (Strictly speaking) a "miles and points blog"

Thanks

Yes, that's fine.* Several others have done so previously.


*I'm not a moderator but am basing the answer on much prior activity on the forums.

Thanks.

Well, here goes nothing: www.isserbtravels.com

I have two main substantive elements to my blog:

1) Virtuoso hotel reviews.

Reason:

Too many people - in my opinion - write hotel reviews from the angle of status recognition, points/miles redemptions, business/road warrior perspective, etc. There isn't a single person out there - to my mind - that is reviewing properties in the V network because they're in the V network. I'm also considering juxtaposing the same hotel benefits by booking under Virtuoso vs booking under FHR or simple status bookings, etc.

I'm starting slow, but it's my goal to review every hotel in the V network [insert laugh here]. That, in itself, should be a spectacle.

2) My 5+1 series

Reason: Too many people - in my opinion - write a hotel review with nothing about the surrounding area. I'm trying to throw out a handful (+1) of ideas - boutiques, restaurants, dessert, whatever - that are in walking distance of the hotel I'm reviewing.

[FWIW: when I say 'too many people' - that is not meant to be derogatory - I mean...I'm trying to separate myself from the pack]

The rest of my blog will be articles, i.e.: new hotel openings and how they relate to Virtuoso, hotels I think should become a part of the network, whether I think the amenities are good/bad/worse than clients deserve, etc.

So, I guess in genre speak, a "luxury hotel blog" meets [extremely short] destination advice.

When dishing constructive criticism, please know, this site is in EXTREME beta mode...like, I only have 3-4 reviews up and two 5+1's. Spending a lot of time on formatting, uploading weekly deals, etc.

Thanks!

"5+1 series" - great, combination is definitely less common

there are other virtuoso agent bloggers, including on FT

I understand that.

That said, the ones I've found (DavidO, for instance) - the things I'm focusing on are almost a footnote to the main goal of their blog.

Is anyone attempting to visit every hotel in the network, stay there, and write about it? What about juxtaposing those benefits with FHR, and/or talking about benefit stacking?[Haven't gotten there yet, but plan on it]

I also believe, in the land of travel blogs, its getting harder and harder to be unique.

TO really get rolling with this "attempt" at reviewing every property in our network, critiquing them, etc...i'm going to need a lot more content than I'm at right now.

It also means I may ruffle some feathers with some very close allies. (Example: gave the RC Amelia a pretty bad review, in my opinion...how would my contact there feel about that? I'm sure it helps I continue to send business that way, but still....)

Any advice on how to make the blog more unique, I'm all ears.

I gotta add: miles/points are a footnote to my overall goal: luxury hotels & Virtuoso benefits.

I will discuss them only when warranted.

I think you're off to a great start.

Your photos are well done, it looks like some thought was put into their setup. I like to see a lot of pics and the reviews so far seem to have about the right amount for me, showing enough variety without being overwhelming.

You explain your preferences and perspectives within the reviews which is nice, and you've described positives and negatives about the property. Generally seem like fairly balanced write-ups.

I like "5+1" series concept, I think you can do a lot with it, and it's a catchy and consistent way to capture those parts of the trip. Having some context to the hotel stay is something I like to see, personally.

Look forward to seeing more.

Thanks a lot 84fiero! [& Kagehitokiri]

I'm impressed. It looks very high end (like a good restaurant or law firm's webpage). It's easy to navigate and I like your home page. I want to see more trip reports but I know you just started.

Thanks, again, for the positive feedback.


Yes, I'm very short on content right now. It's not even that I don't have things to write about...I have three hotel reviews I just started & a lot of upcoming travels. Frankly, I never expected it would be this hard (and this time consuming) to write about hotels. Even my 5+1 articles may take 4 hours a piece.

Probably 4 years of Poli Sci papers + 3 years of law school briefs zapped my brain when it comes to writing anything even slightly creative.

Agree!

Cheers.

Most people underestimate the amount of time it takes to produce content.

And producing good content takes even longer. ;)

Gotcha. So, it's somewhat normal to have a single review take 3-5 days.... :)

and youre trying, because you care

dont underestimate lack of caring / expediency by many others :D

Presentation is good, nice work. Only thing that stood out as a bit unusual was the mailing list directing to Virtuoso rather than yourself, that sounds like a weird set up.

I could have my own mailing list, but I figured most people would want Virtuoso 'deals' - considering I don't have the clout (like an Andrew Harper, for instance) to be able to negotiate my own deals.

I also want to get a lot more substance on my site, and get into the industry a bit more, before I start sending emails with my own content. (At this point, I'm still doing predominantly legal work, so at the end of the day, I"m more worried about getting a hotel review done verses getting the latest newsletter out)

Most people I talk to (in the non-FT) world don't get Virtuoso mail and are wondering how they can get it.

That said, you're right in that my 'disclaimer' is a little odd. Maybe I'll take that wording out.

EDIT: thank you all for the help. I genuinely appreciate it.