Brandon Berkson founded Hotels Above Par after he was “furloughed from his dream job in travel PR.” At 25 years old, he knew it was his chance to fulfill his passion of working in the hospitality industry. He knew that he “needed to support hotels at a time when they needed love most.”
So, in the middle of a pandemic, Brandon Berkson created Hotels Above Par. The guide aims to “capture an audience consumed by wanderlust, while stuck under travel restrictions.” As a child, he had explored hotels with his grandparents, which influenced his adulthood as a passionate globe trotters.
Before Hotels Above Par, Brandon Berkson worked “front desk operations” at a hotel in San Francisco. Then, he worked in the travel and hospitality fields with companies in Paris, London and New York City.
Currently, Brandon Berkson runs Hotels Above Par, which is an “expert curated, online guide of under-two-minute articles written for the hip traveler who is short on time with an emphasis on high-end, design-forward boutique & independent hotels.”
At Hotels Above Par, Brandon Berkson hosts content written by travel journalists alongside breathtaking photographs. After launching in April 2020, Hotels Above Par has gained more than 500,000 Instagram followers.
With Hotels Above Par, Brandon Berkson continues to support the hospitality industry, even as it stills suffer from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down many hotels and travel around the world.
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I want Hotels Above Par to be the perfect digestion of travel content. Brandon Berkson, Hotels Above Par
Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Brandon Berkson: Whether it’s me or our network of prolific travel journalists writing articles for us, all Hotels Above Par pieces are around 300 words. This allows for the entirety of every article to be posted on both our Instagram and website.
The goal of these concise-yet-compelling pieces is to capture users’ attention in a world where there is an overabundance of content. With the internet and social media, we are constantly on to the next page or post, just after laying eyes on it for a second. I want Hotels Above Par to be the perfect digestion of travel content.
This lessened word count makes you get creative. It brought me to create our unprecedented “1, 2, 3 Destination Guide” series, which features one place to stay, two places to eat, and three places to visit in a certain locale.
Getting creative with short-form articles spawns from being diagnosed with ADD as a child. Ever since I can remember, it was always hard for me to pay attention and fully stick with something. Hotels Above Par was designed for the distracted. It was created for those who, like me, are always on to the next thing.
Jerome Knyszewski: None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Brandon Berkson: My mom is a professional coach — she’s brilliant. Among many other pieces of useful advice, she has always taught me “not to get stuck in the mud,” to be resourceful and solution-oriented, and that sulking and just talking about your problem isn’t going to do anything about it. So, when I was devastated about being furloughed, my mom’s advice was reinforced full-throttle, daily. I could either watch Netflix and be sad about it, or I could create something that would give me a powerful sense of fulfillment during this time when I was out of work.
For me, creating my own business is beyond exciting.
Jerome Knyszewski: Are you working on any exciting projects now?
Brandon Berkson: For me, creating my own business is beyond exciting. The goal right now is to grow Hotels Above Par and reach further milestones. I have such a deep passion for every part of the guide’s existence. It makes me so excited to be able to talk about travel and hotels every day. When travel comes back, I want Hotels Above Par to be the hip, ultimate, go-to source for trip recommendations.
Jerome Knyszewski: How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Brandon Berkson: I believe I have made a wholesome contribution to the current pandemic-decimated hospitality industry. Hotels Above Par was created to support hotels during a time when they needed love most. Our articles help keep hotels relevant and talked about. We might not be able to fully travel at the moment, but it’s incredibly fulfilling to celebrate hotels and let them know they are on our minds.
Additionally, these pandemic-ridden months have seen us sequester at home. While we’re travel-hungry, we can’t go on vacation. That said, we can scroll on Instagram and surf the internet, more than ever. Hotels Above Par provides that profound travel inspiration that we all need right now. It has been so rewarding to have people comment on our posts or send us DMs, saying how our guide sparks so much joy for them amidst a time when it’s hard to be positive about anything.
When travel comes back, I want Hotels Above Par to be the hip, ultimate, go-to source for trip recommendations. Brandon Berkson
Jerome Knyszewski: What are the main takeaways that you would advise a twenty year old who is looking to found a business?
Brandon Berkson:
- Identify your passion and find an opportunity within it. I guarantee you, what they say is true: “If you love what you do, then you won’t have to ‘work’ a day in your life.”
- Don’t be stubborn, being open to feedback will only make you grow as a person.
- Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Jerome Knyszewski: What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
Brandon Berkson: Hotels Above Par is on Instagram @hotelsabovepar and online at HotelsAbovePar.com.
Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
