The claims in our guides are built to be checked, and here is how to do it
If you are reading a hotel or destination guide and wondering whether the numbers are real, this page explains how to test ours. Every specific claim we publish is tied to a method and a source, which means you can reproduce it rather than trust it. That is the whole point.
- Claim standard
- Method plus source on every numberApplies to computed callouts in each guide
- Price handling
- Dated range, never a live rateDrawn from search statistics
Why we tie every claim to a method
Most travel writing asks you to trust the writer. We would rather you didn't have to. When our guides state a distance, a transfer time, or a beach gradient, the figure comes from a defined calculation, not a general impression. That matters because impressions drift and calculations don't.
The practical result for you is simple: if a claim can be checked, we tell you how. If it can't be checked, we try not to make it. Silence is better than a number we can't stand behind.
What a computed number looks like on the page
Our most useful figures are the ones we calculate ourselves, and they appear in the callout blocks on each guide. A callout carries four things: the number, its unit, the method used to reach it, and the source of the underlying data. A routed transfer time, for example, is not a guess about traffic. It is a road distance run through a routing engine, which you can repeat with any mapping tool.
Where a figure can change with the seasons or with policy, we date it. That way you know whether you are reading something current or something that needs re-checking before you book.
How to verify a distance or transfer time
Take the two points we name, the airport and the property, and route them yourself in any mapping application. If we say a transfer is a certain number of miles, the road distance should match within the margin any router introduces. Transfer time is the softer figure, because traffic varies, so we describe it as a typical drive rather than a fixed duration.
If our distance and yours diverge sharply, that is worth an email to us. Either the property location we hold is wrong or the coordinates you used are. Both are fixable.
How to check a price range
We never print an exact nightly rate as fact, because the rate you see depends on your dates, your party size, and when you search. What we print is a range drawn from search statistics, always labeled as such and always carrying the date it was gathered. Treat it as a bracket for planning, not a quote.
To check it, run the same search for your own dates on any major booking site. If your result sits inside our range, the bracket is doing its job. If it sits far outside, your dates are probably in a peak or a trough the range wasn't built to cover.
What we deliberately leave out
We do not invent amenities, room counts, or personal anecdotes. If a guide does not mention a kids club, a spa, or a shaded pool, the honest reading is that we could not confirm it, not that we forgot. We also do not attribute quotes to people we did not hear from.
This is the part that looks like a gap and is actually a rule. A guide that stays quiet on a detail is telling you something: we did not have a source we trusted. You can then check that detail directly with the property before you commit.
What to do when the answer is "it depends"
Some questions have no single answer, and we try never to leave "it depends" hanging on its own. When a beach suits a strong swimmer but not a toddler, we say which, and we name the factor that decides it, usually the water entry gradient or the seabed. When a location suits a car renter but not someone relying on transfers, we say that too.
Your job as the reader is to match those conditions to yourself. The data tells you what the place is; only you know which group you are in. Where we can, we name the alternative for the group a place does not suit, so a rejection still points somewhere useful.
What works
- Every computed figure carries its method and source, so you can reproduce it
- Price ranges are labeled as search statistics and dated, not passed off as live rates
- Missing details signal an unconfirmed fact rather than an oversight
- "It depends" is always paired with the factor it depends on
What does not
- Guides stay silent on details we cannot confirm, which can feel incomplete
- Dated figures need re-checking before you book if time has passed
- Transfer times are typical drives, not guaranteed durations
Who should go somewhere else
readers who want a single confident verdict with no caveats — we name conditions and factors rather than issue blanket ratings
Instead: a curated editors' pick list where the judgment is made for you
Questions people actually ask
how do I check a travel guide's transfer time claim
Take the two points named, the airport and the property, and route them in any mapping app. The road distance should match ours within the router's margin. Transfer time is a typical drive rather than a fixed number, because traffic varies, so treat the duration as an estimate and the distance as the firmer figure.
why don't you list an exact hotel price
Because the rate you pay depends on your dates, party size, and search timing. We publish a range from search statistics, labeled as such and dated, so it works for planning without pretending to be a live quote. Run the same search for your own dates to confirm your result sits inside the bracket.
does a missing amenity mean the hotel doesn't have it
Not necessarily. It means we could not confirm it from a source we trusted, so we left it out rather than guess. If a specific amenity matters to your booking, check it directly with the property. A silent guide is signaling an unverified detail, not stating the amenity is absent.
what should I do when a guide says it depends
Read the factor named alongside it. We pair "it depends" with the condition that decides the answer, such as water entry gradient for a beach or car access for a location. Match that condition to your own situation, then act on it. The data describes the place; you decide which group you belong to.