About Pharos
The Pharos of Alexandria was the great lighthouse built in the 3rd century BC on the island of Pharos, off the coast of Egypt, and it was counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its name became the word for “lighthouse” in several languages: faro in Spanish and Italian, phare in French. A lighthouse shows travelers the way, and that is what this journal tries to be for hotels: a steady light on places worth crossing a border for, so you can get to know a place before you arrive.
Who we are
Pharos Hotel Journal is written and edited by a small team we simply call the Pharos editors. We don't publish under individual bylines; the journal speaks as one. The site is published by Torstein Rafgård, Frøyas gate 15, Postboks 1165 Sentrum, 0107 Oslo, Norway. The legal details are on our legal notice, and the quickest way to reach us is [email protected] or the contact page.
We are independent. No hotel group, tourism board or travel company owns a share of Pharos or tells us what to write.
How we make money, and how we don't
- Reading the journal and using our planning tools is free.
- We take no bookings and no payments for rooms, and we are nobody's sales agent.
- We earn no commission when you book a hotel we write about.
- There is no paid inclusion. A hotel cannot buy its way onto a list, a map or a ranking here, and it cannot buy a better write-up.
- We may carry advertising (see below). That is the only way the site may earn money.
Editorial policy
What gets in
We look for hotels with a real sense of place: buildings that belong to their landscape or their street, kitchens that cook the local food well, and staff who make you feel like a guest rather than a booking reference. We also want range, from a parador inside the Alhambra to a lodge in the Australian desert. When we mention an outside ranking or award, we name who gave it and when. The full process is set out in how we choose.
Who decides
The editors decide, and only the editors. Hotels never see or approve a page before it goes live, and we don't accept payment, free stays or gifts in exchange for coverage.
Facts that move
Room counts, journey times, seasons, typical prices and entry rules change all the time. We give them as approximate figures, review each dossier at least once a year and show the month of the last review on the page. Always confirm the details that matter to you with the hotel or an official source.
Casino resorts
A few hotels on our Top 5 page contain casinos. We describe those floors factually, with the age limits and responsible-gambling help, because travelers ask about them. We don't offer, promote or link to gambling services.
About our illustrations
Every image on Pharos is an original artwork made for the journal. They are interpretations of a hotel's setting and mood, not photographs. They don't show real rooms, views or facilities, so please don't treat them as a preview of what you will get.
Advertising
We may show advertising, including ads served by Google, and we may advertise the journal itself on Google. Advertisers have no say over which hotels we cover or what we write about them, and we keep ads visually separate from editorial content. Advertising and measurement cookies are used only if you agree to them; our cookie policy and privacy policy explain the details, and you can change your choice at any time under "Cookie settings" in the footer.
Corrections
We get things wrong sometimes. If you see an error, write to [email protected] with the page and, if you can, a source. We check every report and correct mistakes promptly, without fuss.