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Hi, it’s Brandon, your pal in jet-setting without regret. Have you ever wondered what goes into making a destination guide? Here’s how Bloomberg does it best [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey friends, it’s [Brandon Presser](, Bloomberg Pursuits’ boots on the ground, [sending dispatches back to HQ]( on the latest and greatest from all over the planet. I’ve just wrapped the most recent installment of our city guide series, [Two-Night Minimum: Denver](, and thought it an opportune time to offer a little behind-the-scenes look at how these destination features come together. We introduced Two-Night Minimum in the fall of 2023 after nine months of brainstorming how to best serve the needs of our gadabout readers. The answer turned out to be quite obvious: to provide you with information you can truly trust. Taking a yoga class at Red Rocks Amphitheatre is worth squeezing into any Denver trip. Source: Visit Denver Simple enough, right? In the never-ending spin cycle of sponsored content, [influencer endorsements]( and [deepfakes](, it’s become practically impossible to [believe anything]( we read online. Most destination content is a by-product of hosted media junkets or journalists parachuting in and demanding a panoply of freebies—all of which merely feeds the hype monster by rehashing the obvious and never piercing the touristic veneer. Outlets can also hire a local writer, but without an outside perspective you risk getting into the weeds instead. We’ve deliberately done neither. Instead we’re leveraging time and money—the two scarcest resources in media (and in life!)—to deliver obsessively vetted materials that you can actually use when planning your next trip. This idea may not be revolutionary, but with the [ongoing media massacre](, it’s increasingly rare. We’ve added extra cash to our research coffers (Bloomberg always pays) and carved out weeks instead of days to really get to the heart of a destination and understand what makes it tick. Lots of list-making and research (maybe too much research) happens before I depart for my next destination, but the most important part of the pre-arrival planning is adding to my Rolodex of local contacts. I’ve put in my 10,000 Gladwellian hours at least four times over to become an expert at finding the local experts—our secret sauce for Two-Night Minimum and, in my opinion, the best travel features period. Serial killer or obsessive travel writer? Photographer: Brandon Presser Traveling “by the person” and not “by the place” is the key to unlocking the destination once I’m on the ground. I strike up conversations with everyone—lifelong residents and transplants—for insight into their hometown. Thinking back to [Singapore](, I talked to authors, social club founders, Michelin-starred chefs, shop owners, waiters, Uber drivers, DJs, run club members, architects, politicians, fashion designers, dear friends, friends-of-friends and even strangers sitting next to me at the bar. (Pro tip: Always sit at the bar.) Sometimes they even want to show me around. And then I personally vet their insights and their hundreds of recommendations against the propensities of our readers’ tastes. That’s the cardinal rule: I need to personally give everything a whirl and trust my instincts before it can go into the guide. If you ever thought travel writing was like being on vacation, try going to 107 places in eight days. Three weeks in Singapore was much less frantic. Source: Brandon Presser The other essential rule is to leave room for serendipity. Sure, some in-demand restaurants and hotels need to be booked in advance, so I usually follow a 60-40 rule, planning the front half of my trip with high-priority items and leaving plenty of unstructured time on the back end, which quickly fills up as I put my ear to the ground.  Afterward, the writing begins, but first I take a beat and let my memory act as a sieve, naturally retaining the things worth covering—the things you’re excited to tell your friends about after you’ve returned home. [That piece of cheesecake in Madrid?]( Yes, please. [That durian ice cream in Singapore?]( For sure. [The pastel de rata in Denver?]( Yum. (OK, I’m seeing now that I have a serious sweets problem). Cocktails at Salmon Guru in Madrid definitely made the cut. Source: Salmon Guru Ultimately, I believe in the power of a concise, curated recommendation instead of, say, a best list that runs 40 restaurants deep or that top 10 clickbait about the world’s most insane infinity pools—especially when “No. 5 will shock you!” Practical endorsements are paramount, too. Do you need me to tell you about [Noma](? Probably not. And we mustn’t forget that not every room is created equal, even at the best hotels. I want to do better than just directing you to the top property in town; I want to make sure you’ve also got the best view. One way I take notes while running around is to screenshot my location and quickly annotate over it. Source: Brandon Presser So where am I heading next? Instead of New York or London—cities well served by a glut of guides—I’m eyeing cities that are increasingly on the business traveler’s radar; emerging destinations where our work here could be far more useful. I’d love to hear from you, too. Where do you think I should go, and once I get there, what should I see and do? Promise I’ll save [your recommendations](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=For Brandon) and check them out when I get there. Connect with Brandon on [Instagram]( Add these to the top of your travel to-do list I logged 186 hotel nights in 2023—not my most travel-heavy year if I’m honest, but there was certainly [enough packing]( and [repacking]( to make my head spin. The theme of the last 12 months was visiting places I had been before, but going deeper—taking destinations that felt like acquaintances (Singapore, Madrid) and turning them into dear friends (Tokyo). I also spent a lot of my time trying to solve certain travel problems. Take, for example, the great re-racking of hotel rates across the globe that has made [dropping $1,000 a night the new normal](. Keeping in mind that rates have been going up and, frankly, the caliber of service has been going down, I toured hundreds of hotels around the world—50 in Tokyo alone—in search of truly worthy properties. Results forthcoming! The view from my room at the Hotel Toranomon Hills, which opened in December, two days before I checked in. Photographer: Brandon Presser But in the meantime, here are a couple of standouts: I thought [Byaku Narai](, in a traditional post town in the Japanese Alps, was a really special find, and the signature villas at [Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort in Cabo San Lucas](, were some of the most stunning oceanfront accommodations I’ve ever seen. From greasy spoons to haute eats, the culinary side of traveling didn’t disappoint. I’m still dreaming about the extra-crispy hash browns for brunch at the [Kneadery]( in Sun Valley, Idaho; in Toronto, [Taverne Bernhardt’s]( is an epic tribute to Quebecoise rotisserie. My latest Singaporean hawker stall obsession is [Da Dong Prawn Noodles](, where wonderkind chef Kevin Wong took me on his downtime when he wasn’t helming [Seroja](, also worthy of incredible praise. Noisette in Denver offers the best baguette this side of the Seine. Photographer: Brandon Presser My favorite celebratory splurge remains [Est](, at the Four Seasons Otemachi in Tokyo. I will picket at the Michelin headquarters until chef Guillaume Bracaval earns his second star. The ultimate bite of the year was, instead, a sip: a glass of Absurd, the wine that put [Realm Cellars]( on the map in 2012. And it was—true to its name—so absurdly good I almost cried. No joke. What’s on tap for 2024? Besides the new installments of [Two-Night Minimum](, which will take me to five continents, I’m looking forward to dipping back into my favorite part of the industry: emerging destinations and the intersection of luxury and adventure travel. Like Guatemala! We called it early, and it’s still very much heating up. Photographer: Lucy Brown/Alamy And like every good traveler stricken with an acute case of wanderlust, I always make a little list in January of the places I’d love to visit and activities I’d like to do before the next year rolls around. Here’s where I’m at: British Columbia There are parts of my Canadian homeland I’ve yet to explore including coastal British Columbia. [Vancouver Island]( will be my first stop to do some [legendary stormwatching at the Wick Inn]( in Tofino, followed by a few days in buzzy [Ucluelet]( and, if I have time, a sailing trip up to the hallowed islands of Haida Gwaii. West Africa After an incredible trip to Dakar in 2019, I want to return to West Africa and continue exploring the region’s vibrant, relevant cities including [Abidjan,]( [Cote d’Ivoire]( and [Accra, Ghana](. Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra. Photographer: Jacek_Sopotnicki/iStockphoto Scandinavia As my quest to be a human dictionary of the world’s best hotels continues, I’m hoping to hit a few much-talked-about properties in Scandinavia including [Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge]( near Alta, Norway; [Ett Hem]( in Stockholm; and the brand-new [Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll]( in rural Iceland, created by the same folks who made the [Retreat at Blue Lagoon](. Reef Diving It’s been five years since I hung up my pro scuba diving fins. I’m ready to put them back on and check out two of the world’s most coveted reef systems—[Palau]( and [Roatan, Honduras](—both of which have gotten a recent infrastructure boost. You can also snorkel with almost 2 million nonstinging jellyfish in Palau. Photographer: Ullstein Bild/Ullstein Bild At your service I wear another hat at Bloomberg Pursuits, writing a series that began long before [Mike White’s trademark holiday malaise]( was a glint in his mischievous eye. Every few months I take on a job in high-end service—whether [personal shopper](, [ski instructor](, [private jet attendant]( or [celebrity maitre d’](—to report from the inside on the closed-door realm of luxury hospitality. As you can imagine, I’m a big White Lotus fan, particularly the first season, which captured [a very specific flavor of vacationing ennui]( that I so often observe when I’m working undercover. Recent rumors that filming for its third season was underway had the entire Pursuits team up in the middle of the night on the phone with our Asian operatives [to get the scoop](. Book now to beat the crowds at these Thailand hotels, where HBO is filming The White Lotus Season 3. Photographer: Fabio Lovino/HBO While we wait for the next season to premiere (in 2025, ugh!), I’ve pulled together a little reading list of rich people behaving badly to tide us over. [Mustique, Where Beach Parties Are a Bloodsport]( As new money competes with old in this Carib-Eden, picnics are the new social battlefield. [The Haves and Have-Yachts]( Luxury ships attract outrage and political scrutiny. The ultrarich are buying them in record numbers. [Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal and a Swan Song for an Era]( New York’s swans were also snakes. [Hotel Babylon]( A quasi-anonymous look inside a rowdy boutique hotel. [What’s It Like Working at the Real White Lotus]( From influencers flipping golf carts for content to guests demanding refunds over rain, at Turtle Bay Hawaii, not every visitor to paradise is an angel. Ryan Murphy has made that Capote book into a new series, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans. Click for a review. Source: FX You had questions … … and I have answers! Keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits InstagramÂ](and [e-mail](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=I%20have%20a%20question). What are some hidden gems in the UK? —@courtneymayburnett I cannot recommend [Wales]( enough to every type of traveler for its Scandi sensibilities—the food, the decor, the views—swirled into its British Isles hospitality. There’s been a huge resurgence in Welsh pride, not to mention the Welsh language, and it’s only a stone’s throw from Manchester, England, whose airport is brimming with direct international connections. These are the best places to visit on a Wales road trip. Illustration: 731  Suggest a budget-friendly and memorable place for a honeymoon. —@rajnakhuva There’s an alternative universe of underdog destinations that haven’t ridden the wave of social media buzz like their mainstream counterparts, which makes them primed for good-value vacationing. Take, for example, [Newfoundland, Canada](, which has world-class restaurants, charming fjord-side villages and plenty of whale- and iceberg-spotting—the perfect alternative to the Nordic countries and far cheaper. How romantic is this view from the dining room of Fogo Island Inn? Photographer: Richard Barnes Even French Polynesia gets [passed over for Hawaii](, but it’s only a mere two hours farther by plane, and a villa rental on Moorea with [Tahiti Homes]( can save hundreds of euros. Fun fact: More tourists visit Hawaii in 10 days than visit French Polynesia in a year. No wonder [overtourism is a real issue](. The village of Teahupo’o, Tahiti, is host to the surfing competitions for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Photographer: Merten Snijders/The Image Bank RF Brandon, where is your favorite yakitori spot in Japan that you mentioned on All the Hacks? —@rosengartenj Ah! The backstory: Last year I swung by Chris Hutchins’ [All the Hacks podcast]( to dish on all the ways to plan the perfect trip to Japan. I thought it would be fun to hold back one piece of intel, my favorite restaurant in Tokyo, and told listeners they had to DM me on Instagram for the answer. But, in hindsight, after answering a dizzying 10,000 DMs—no joke—it was a huge mistake. I’ve gotta stick to my guns though: Message [@brandpress]( for the answer, and give me a follow while you’re at it. This freelancer’s gotta eat! ;) New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the “Gift this article” button on stories. (Not a subscriber? Unlock limited access and [sign up here](.) Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Pursuits newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. 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