Accidental Travel Writer

In the food section, you will find restaurant news and reviews, chef interviews, food and wine pairings, and recipes that are often obtained from the five-star hotels I stay at.

The sports section focuses primarily on professional sports from the perspective of sports fans. For example, there is information on sports bars, fan activities, and travel guides for sports fans. Health and fitness is a secondary focus.

Needless to say, the travel section is all about travel. And that runs the gamut from airlines and airports to hotels, resorts, and spas – as well as sightseeing, holidays, leisure actives, festivals, and special events.
Since I am based in Hong Kong, the focus is on Asia, and my niche is luxury travel.

Published three days a week, it chronicles my personal travel experiences when I am on the road. When I am not traveling, I focus on what’s happening in Hong Kong. In addition to Hong Kong, featured destinations include Bali, Japan, Macau, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States.

The Accidental Travel Writer’s target audience is active travelers who prefer luxury accommodation with fine dining restaurants, swimming pools, fitness centres, and spas. They like hotels and resorts that offer activities such as cooking classes, aerobics classes, cycling, and other activities.

They tend to stay longer than the average traveler, getting off their horse to smell the roses, so to speak. For this reason, serviced apartments or villas with staff often appeal to them. They also like boutique hotels with a unique personality. When they fly, they prefer business class.

While based in Hong Kong, the United States accounts for the lion’s share of the website’s readership. Perhaps this is because of its focus on American sports such as baseball, basketball, football, and ice hockey.
I work closely with the media – both print and digital – as well as hotels and hotel groups, food and beverage outlets, PR agencies, and tourism boards.

References

“Michael Taylor is a hugely experienced journalist and one of Asia’s most influential and respected bloggers. His hospitality and lifestyle blog is an authoritative must-read, with a distinctively well informed, entertaining tone that makes it essential for anyone working in this ever-changing industry.” Daniel Creffield, Editorial Manager, Sands China; Former Editor, Asian Hotels and Catering Times.

“It’s been a sheer delight to work with Michael over the past few years. His diligence and detail oriented, punchy, and unbiased articles never fail to excite us. Reliable, timely, and respectful of the long-forgotten art of facts-checking, Michael is a social media-savvy journalist who excels in to-the-point print contributions and successfully runs his own digital gig at Accidental Travel Writer.com. Jakub Lewandowski, PR Manager, The Mira Hong Kong.

“Michael Taylor as one of Asia’s most respected bloggers, and it is always a pleasure to work with him. He is responsive and professional. Michael is also extremely prompt in responding to requests and always keen to learn more about what’s going on with the travel world. Michael also ensures that there is thought provoking and inspirational content on his blog. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him. He is always very kind and patient with the industry PRs.” Maggie Chooi, Director of Spice Marketing Industry PRs.

I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting and working with Michael Taylor since I joined Preferred Hotels and Resorts four years ago. He is a respected journalist who regularly contributes insightful articles to travel trade and lifestyle publications, both online and in print. His blog “Accidental Travel Writer” is a good resource for the latest travel trends and updates in Asia Pacific and beyond. Michael is a true professional and I look forward to continuing our collaboration.” Arlene Benger-Tan, Senior Manager, Public Relations (Asia Pacific), Preferred Hotels and Resorts.

“LUUUUUVVVVV the Accidental Travel Writer! It made me want desperately to visit Sweden asap. It is informative, entertaining, persuasive, and fun to read! GO, GO , GO MICHAEL T!” Doris Kunkera, Tour Guide, Zagrib, Croatia.

“Michael has always been a pleasure to work with. He delivers quality content in a timely fashion and proactively shares his stories to create the best travel experience for all suppliers.” – Jenny Johnston (formerly An), Director of Marketing Communications at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong; formerly Director of Marketing Communications, The Langham, Hong Kong.

“Michael has been spot on with reviews and always keeps an objective voice. He keeps his posts engaging and authentic along with the right degree of humour to lighten up moments.” – Odette A Huang,General Manager Joy~Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila Managed by Accor, Formerly Corporate Director of Sales and Marketing, The Discovery Leisure Company, Manila, Philippines.

Work With Me

The Accidental Travel Writer provides the perfect backdrop against which to promote your travel related product or service.

Product Reviews

Get in touch if you have a product you would like reviewed. Products should, of course, be travel related – OR of interest to travelers.

They can include (but are not limited to) travel guides, books set in interesting locales, luggage, travel accessories, clothing, cameras, and other types of electronic products that would be useful for travelers. Products cannot be returned.

Service Reviews

Reviews of hotels, restaurants, clubs, spas, and sightseeing attractions are one of the core themes of the Accidental Travel Writer.

Sponsored Posts

I accept sponsored posts as long as they fit my niche. I reserve the right to polish the English.

Advertising and Paid Links

I accept advertising in the header (780 x 90), sidebar (300 x 100, 300 x 250, or 300 x 600), and at the foot of posts (468 x 60). Artwork with html codes must be provided by the client.

I also accept paid links within posts.

Giveaways

I host giveaways or discount coupons for products or services. This is particularly attractive if I am reviewing a product or service.

Bio

Michael Taylor is a seasoned journalist with roughly 30 years’ experience in journalism. He has contributed to the following publications: South China Morning Post, Hongkong Standard, Prestige Hong Kong, Asian Hotels and Catering Times, Tiger Tales, Silkroad, CEI, Mix Meetings, The National, and many others.

He launched the Accidental Travel Writer in 2010 with an eye to sharing his travel experiences with friends and relatives. But it quickly took on a life of its own, and it was soon attracting a strong following.

I have a Master’s Degree in English from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chinese Studies from California State University at Eastbay (formerly Hayward). I taught English as a Second Language for more than 10 years.

English is my native tongue. I also speak Mandarin, read and write Chinese, and am proficient in Portuguese.

I was born in Oakland, California. I have also lived in Honolulu, Taipei, New York City, San Francisco, and Macau. I have spent most of my so-called adult life in Hong Kong.