Who doesn’t have a travel bug? It’s hard to find anyone out there who doesn’t dream of ocean waves, historic venues, and exotic city life. However, we all know that traveling is really expensive. Fortunately, there are several lucrative ways for travelers to explore the world AND get paid for doing it.
One of the ways you can earn money while traveling is by reviewing hotels. Essentially, as a hotel reviewer your job is to stay at various hotels and write a detailed report of your experience. A hotel reviewer’s employment could be directly through the company and be more of a quality control position. Or, the job could be sharing candid reviews through an online blog as a travel influencer!
The average salary of a hotel reviewer is about $50,000. However, top reviewers have earned closer to $90,000. Plus, if you have a travel blog, there are a lot of other ways your content could be profitable, whether it’s a side hustle or the primary way you earn money.
All in all, hotel reviewing is an exciting career that takes you to far-off places and unique hotel venues. It’s the perfect way to offset travel costs and, instead, make money as you venture around the globe. So, today, we’re sharing how to get started reviewing hotels, and we’re listing other ways you can make money while traveling. Are you ready? Allons-y!
How To Get Paid To Travel and Review Hotels
How Do You Become A Hotel Reviewer?
Develop Your Writing Skills
In order to be hired as a hotel reviewer (or a reviewer of any kind), you need to have stellar writing skills. You need to communicate all the details in a way that’s engaging and informative. It’s not as easy as it looks! Start practicing writing reviews and other material to exercise your literary muscles. Even consider taking a creative writing course.
Establish Your Online Presence
As your writing gets better, establish your online presence. In order to have value for the hotel companies that’ll pay you for your reviews, you must have influence. You can show them your influence through an engaged online following. This audience could be on a social media channel like Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest. Or, you could start your own blog. Even better, you could do both!
Consider an Entry-Level Position
Another great way to get into the travel scene is to find a job in the industry! Start in an entry-level position and work your way up until you have enough leverage to get into hotel reviewing. Experience with traveling around the world and staying in lots of luxurious hotels will make you a great fit for most hotel reviewer positions.
There is lots of work in the travel industry. Flight attendants, tour guides, cruise ship team members, travel agents, vacation planners, and quality inspectors are all great entry-level jobs you can get in the travel industry right now.
Review for Free
To show hotels your value, start writing reviews right now. Sure, you’re not going to get paid for them, but they’ll pay off in the future when you can use them in your portfolio. Additionally, if hotels can see that your audience is engaged with these reviews, your influence will be even more valuable to them!
Freelance Review
Next, explore freelance reviewing opportunities. Those free reviews you did will look great on an online profile. Then, you can start pitching for hotel review gigs on sites like Upwork and Fiverr, where companies look for skilled writers like you to review their hotels. Finally, you’ll be getting paid to write!
Reach Out for Sponsorship
By this point, you’ll have a good portfolio of work and a large following. That’s enough to get a sponsored post! Reach out to the hotels directly and offer your services. However, before you do this, make sure you already have uploaded reviews for that hotel chain and you consistently engage with their posts on social media. When you finally contact them, have your brand kit, pricing, and offers clear and ready! You can read more about brand collaborations and sponsorships HERE.
Establish Long-Term Relationships with Hotels Directly
If the hotels you’re collaborating with respond well to your reviews, maintain those relationships. Acknowledge their generosity, continue to engage with their social media posts, and request more review opportunities. At this point, they may even offer you larger contracts or full-time employment.
Pursue Full-Time Employment
Though you can freelance hotel reviews for as long as you like, there are actual hotel reviewer travel jobs out there. If you like the security of a more traditional job, but you want to travel, an official hotel reviewer position with a hotel chain is a great option. It’s worth looking into if your hotel reviewing game is strong!
Grow Your Brand
If you’re running a successful blog, think bigger than just hotel reviews! You need to diversify your traffic sources by optimizing your blog for search engines and establishing a strong social media presence. Plus, consider making your blog more engaging by expanding your travel content, adding downloadable material, and even selling photography. There are so many ways to build your brand, you’ve just got to dream it!
13 Jobs That Pay You To Travel And Review Hotels
Affiliate Marketer
Getting into affiliate marketing is a huge monetization opportunity! Affiliate marketing is when you share content about a specific product or service and make money off of the sales generated by that post. You earn cash using a special link that tracks sales and gives you a cut of the profits. There are a ton of travel affiliate programs that fit any blog! You can check them out HERE.
Brand Ambassador
First, you need to get some of those brand collaborations we talked about earlier. You get these through being a great customer and content creator before the relationship begins! Once you do a few successful collaborations with the brand, consider negotiating terms to become a brand ambassador.
This role would have you as a consistent representative and marketer for the chosen brand. It’s a great way to make money if you have products and services you are passionate about.
Social Media Influencer
There are so many social media users who’d love to see you traveling the world. Once your influence is large enough, you can monetize your following by affiliate marketing and doing brand collaborations. If you’re looking to grow your following to this level, check out this post, which has tons of podcast resources to build your brand!
Public Speaking
Do you have expertise in another area? Or, do you have a personal story that others would find motivational? You could pursue a career in public speaking! When you’re invited all over the globe to speak, guess what? The event managers cover your travel expenses and pay you for your time. It’s a great way to make money traveling!
ESL Teacher
English is taught all over the globe. You can make money (anywhere from $600 – $4,000 a month) teaching English as a second language in many countries. Not only will you be visiting these countries as a tourist, but you’ll likely be living there for more extended periods of time—and getting paid to do it, of course. This is an amazing opportunity because when you stay somewhere for a while, you get a true cultural experience.
Cruise Ship Team Member
Cruise ships offer a ton of jobs that allow you to ride along on every maritime adventure! Ships look for medical staff, managers, entertainers, cooks, housekeepers, and more. You get a dreamy cruise life that’s all paid for by the operator! The average wage for a cruise ship worker is about $50,000 a year. If you love the ocean, this could be the perfect job for you.
Flight Attendant
Flight attendants are always in demand. Depending on the position you choose, you could travel domestically or internationally to see new sites and meet new people. It’s a great gig! Flight attendant salaries vary a lot by airline and by your experience, so you could make anywhere between $24,000 – $140,000 throughout your career. Plus, you get to go wherever the plane takes you, which is to some cool places.
Tour Guide
If you know an area well, becoming a tour guide may be a good way to make money living abroad or in a new domestic location. You could give tourists a look at the city you love so much, and their payment for your services could keep you living and thriving in your new home. This can give you a lot of freedom and flexibility. However, tour guides only usually make about $32,000 a year.
Reviewer
Of course, this post is all about getting paid to write hotel reviews. However, you don’t have to just be a hotel reviewer. You could write reviews for cruise ships, excursions, beaches, restaurants, mystery shopping, and so much more. Anything you encounter while traveling, you can review for cash!
Photographer
Photography can be a good source of income for a travel influencer. Lots of online stock imagery companies love quality photos of popular destinations. If you get good at it and develop a decent following, you could even sell your photos to bigger publications and sell prints on your website!
Podcast Host
Podcasting is another way to develop a following and monetize your brand. A travel podcast could discuss trip ideas, travel mishaps, and travel hacks! With a good audience, you could eventually get brand sponsorships and ad revenue. You can read more about starting a podcast HERE.
Travel Writer
Travel writing comes in a few forms, but the main way people love to consume travel content is through blogs! A travel blog can take every reader on an adventure and inspire them to go on their own journeys. A well-engaged audience will be easy to monetize through resources, consults, brand sponsorships, affiliate marketing, merch, ad space, and more!
To start your travel blog, you just need to establish your niche, develop your voice, and start pumping out high-quality, search-engine-optimized content that’ll speak to your followers. With some hard work and dedication, you’ll find your following and your blog will blossom!
Vlogger
Vlogging is similar to blogging, but instead of writing, it’s video content uploaded to TikTok, YouTube, or another video platform. If you prefer video editing and filming to writing, this might be a great way to make money off your travels. Like blogging, you can earn money through brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, selling products, and leveraging ad space.
How To Rate A Hotel
Readers depend on you for clarity. This is why a structured hotel review system ensures your opinions are fair and comparable from stay to stay. Here’s a few categories for you to review when you’re rating a hotel:
Location
Explain how close the hotel is to major attractions, restaurants, and transportation options. You can also mention whether the neighborhood feels safe and convenient at different times of day. Context like this helps travelers make informed decisions based on their trip goals.
Cleanliness
Look beyond the obvious to give your readers the whole picture. Note the condition of linens, bathrooms, carpets, and shared spaces, and whether anything appears worn or neglected. Small details can strongly influence a guest’s confidence in the property.
Service
Consider every interaction from check-in to check-out. Were staff welcoming, proactive, and quick to solve problems? Exceptional service can always elevate an average stay, while poor service can ruin a luxury one.
Comfort
Evaluate bed quality, pillow options, room temperature control, and overall noise levels. Travelers want to know if they’ll actually sleep well. You should also mention the layout and privacy if it affects relaxation.
Amenities
List what’s available, but also whether those features deliver on expectations. Is the Wi-Fi fast enough for working? Is breakfast fresh and well stocked? Honest insight makes your review far more useful than a boring brochure description.
Value for Money
Help readers weigh the experience against the price they’ll pay. Would you book it again at the same rate? This perspective is often the deciding factor when travelers compare options.
How To Become A Travel Blogger
Did you know that many hotel reviewers begin as bloggers? To put it simply, your platform becomes the asset that earns invitations, partnerships, and income over time.
Choose a Niche
First of all, you want to decide who you want to serve and what kind of travel you want to be known for. Luxury escapes, budget adventures, family travel, or digital nomad life will attract VERY different audiences. A clear niche helps brands immediately understand why you’re valuable.
Create a Professional Website
Social media is important, but your website is your home base. It’s where readers, hotels, and PR teams can explore your work, learn about your services, and contact you. A polished site builds trust from the first click. Don’t forget, we can help you build a GREAT website!
Post Consistently
Consistency shows off your commitment and reliability. Readers will tend to return more often, and brands feel confident investing in creators who produce regularly. Even one strong post per week can build serious momentum.
Network
Relationships open doors faster than cold pitches ever will. Connect with tourism boards, hotel marketing teams, and other creators online and at events. Familiar names are more likely to receive collaboration opportunities and even free stays!
How To Write A Travel Blog
Writing a travel blog is about SO much more than documenting where you went and what you did. In fact, the best posts help readers imagine themselves there and give them the confidence to plan their own trip. Start off with these essentials:
Tell a Story
Invite readers into the experience from the very first paragraph. Describe what you saw, heard, or felt when you arrived so they can emotionally connect with the destination. Story-driven writing keeps people on the page longer and builds loyalty.
Be Useful
Inspiration is AWESOME, but practicality converts readers into followers. Answer real traveler questions about timing, reservations, transportation, or what you would do differently next time. Helpful bloggers become trusted resources.
Include the Specifics
General statements don’t help people plan at all… You’ll want to share prices, distances, room types, seasonal considerations, and booking strategies so your audience can make informed decisions. The more concrete you are, the more authority you build.
Use High-Quality Visuals
Clear, well-lit photos and engaging video footage dramatically increase trust between you and your readers. Visuals will also help hotels and tourism partners imagine working with you. Think of every image as part of your professional portfolio.
Add Clear Takeaways
End your posts by summarizing who the trip or hotel is best for. Would you return? Who might love it most? Guidance like this helps readers move from dreaming to booking.
There are plenty of opportunities to get paid for traveling!
Getting paid to travel is not only possible, but you can do it yourself! If you decide to monetize your travels by opening a blog, definitely check out our Influencer SEO blog that’s FULL of great content on how to scale your brand and influence.
With a monetized blog, you can have the freedom to explore without the constraints of a traditional job. Plus, the possibilities for growth are endless. Not only can you get your travel expenses covered with a blog, but you can make a real living traveling the world! See the world and build your brand with us at Influencer SEO!
Jordan Becerra, founder and Lead SEO Strategist at InfluencerSEO, has spent almost 15 years in the creator internet space, the last nine building InfluencerSEO into the go-to SEO partner for content creators, with 500+ creators served from pre-launch to massive publication. She learned creator monetization and community building strategy from the inside working for Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential prior to founding InfluencerSEO, so she understands both halves of the game: how search actually works AND how creators actually build a strong community online and make money. Her job now is to stay ahead of where search engine optimization is going, especially as AI rewrites the rules, and to make sure the creators she works with get there first.
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