How we review
Our editorial methodology: how we select properties, what we assess, and how we keep our reviews honest and up to date.
Editorial independence
No hotel, car hire company, or travel provider can pay for a review, a recommendation, or a higher ranking on BackpackLondon. This is non-negotiable and applies to every piece of content on the site.
We do not accept complimentary stays, free upgrades, or press trips that come with editorial expectations. When we review a property, we pay the same rate any other guest would. This costs us real money, but it is the only way to give you an honest assessment of the experience.
Editorial decisions about which properties to feature and how to rank them are made against the criteria below. Commercial partnerships and affiliate revenue have no influence on these decisions.
How we select hotels
We aim to review hotels our readers are most likely to consider. For each destination we select properties across a range of price points and categories, from budget-friendly options to luxury stays, focusing on:
- Location quality: Is the hotel in an area that makes sense for the travellers we serve?
- Value proposition: Does the hotel deliver a fair experience relative to its price?
- Reader relevance: Is this a property our audience would genuinely consider booking?
- Diversity of options: We ensure each city guide includes a mix of budgets, styles, and neighbourhoods.
We do not review every hotel in a city. We would rather publish fewer, more thorough reviews than try to cover everything superficially.
Rating criteria
Every hotel we review receives three ratings, each scored from 1 to 5:
Overall experience
A holistic assessment of the stay: room quality, service, cleanliness, design, and atmosphere. This is the headline score.
Location
How well-placed the hotel is for the experiences most visitors want. Proximity to transport, attractions, restaurants, and safety of the area.
Value for money
Whether the hotel delivers a fair experience relative to what you pay. A five-star hotel can score highly here if it justifies its rate.
We also list specific pros, cons, and “best for” tags on every review so you can quickly judge whether a property fits your particular needs.
Affiliate transparency
BackpackLondon earns money through affiliate partnerships. When you click a booking link on our site and complete a reservation, we may receive a commission from the provider. This costs you nothing extra.
We select affiliate partners based on reliability, fair pricing, and cancellation terms: not commission rates. If a provider offers a higher commission but a worse user experience, we will recommend the provider that serves you better.
Every page that contains affiliate links includes a clear disclosure banner. We believe in being upfront about how we make money.
For full details, see our affiliate disclosure page.
Update schedule
Travel content goes stale quickly. Hotels change management, prices shift seasonally, and entire neighbourhoods evolve. We take accuracy seriously:
- Hotel reviews are revisited at least annually. If we become aware of significant changes (renovation, ownership change, service decline), we update or remove the review sooner.
- Car hire guides are updated quarterly to reflect pricing changes, new providers, and policy updates.
- Destination guides are refreshed at least twice a year, with factual details (prices, opening hours, transport information) checked on each pass.
- Every page shows a “last updated” date so you can judge how current the information is.
If you spot something that looks out of date, we genuinely want to know. Accuracy is the foundation of everything we do.