EXCLUSIVE APPLICATION-BASED
LISTICLE
INVITATION
Title: Europe Beyond the Expected: The Most Remarkable Stays in Benelux
Publishing Partner: Condé Nast Traveler
Digital or Print: Digital (via cntraveler.com)
Application Deadline: March 7th
Publishing Month: April/May 2026
Editorial Listicle Package Includes:
A professionally written feature (100–150 words, adapted to your brand) that doesn’t appear as promo, sponsored, or an article’s URL
One high-resolution image featured alongside your segment
If selected for the final list: an exclusive guaranteed placement in the editorial listicle “Europe Beyond the Expected: The Most Remarkable Stays in Benelux” published in Condé Nast Traveler (digital/online)
Full SEO optimization with a Google-indexed backlink driving traffic directly to your website
AI search and discovery positioning - AI is becoming a primary decision-making tool. When people ask AI for recommendations, it pulls answers from trusted and editorial sources (like Condé Nast Traveler), not ads or self-published content. Being featured in authoritative high domain authority and ranking media outlets places your brand directly inside the source material AI relies on when generating recommendations. If you are present, you are considered. If you are not, you are invisible.
Strong amplification of your reach and target audience exposure through the audiences of other selected participants, who will share the article on their platforms once it goes live
Long-term visibility on Condé Nast Traveler
Opportunity to repurpose your editorial across your own channels (website, newsletters, social media, booking sites, investor decks)
Note: The editorial team may lightly refine the final headline closer to publication date to ensure maximum seasonal relevance and client alignment. The core theme and positioning will remain the same.
What Is This Listicle About?
Europe Beyond the Expected: The Most Remarkable Stays in Benelux is an editorial feature designed to position a small number of hotels as the go-to places to stay for international travelers.
Inclusion places your property in a highly selective Condé Nast Traveler listicle that travelers use to decide where to book, not just what to browse. Rather than grouping similar hotels together, each featured property is given clear editorial space and positioned for what it does best — whether that’s design, location, atmosphere, or sense of place.
Only 10 hotels across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg are included. Selection is intentionally limited to ensure regional exclusivity, no direct competition, and clear differentiation. This allows each hotel to stand on its own, be remembered, and be referenced.
The feature functions as a decision-making guide for international, high-value travelers, particularly U.S. and long-haul audiences who rely on trusted editorial recommendations when choosing where to stay.
Published on Condé Nast Traveler, this listicle delivers:
International visibility with a high-intent audience
Third-party editorial credibility that cannot be replicated through paid media
Long-term brand value you can reuse across PR, marketing, and sales
The outcome is simple: your hotel is not presented as one option among many, but as one of the places travelers are advised to stay when choosing Benelux.
A maximum of 10 spots are available.
Amplification Factor
The amplification factor is the network effect that begins the moment you enter this curated club. Your feature doesn’t stay on the publication alone. It moves through every other selected experience, many of which have large, loyal, and high-spending audiences. When they share the listicle, their followers see you positioned beside experiences they already trust, placing you in the same tier in their minds. Sometimes these are properties you admire or benchmark against, and now you appear alongside them in front of their exact audience. This creates a multilayered value: wider reach, elevated brand perception, and a reputational boost that compounds far beyond the publication.
Trusted by leading luxury hotels, destinations, and global hospitality brands
Who This Feature Is For?
This feature is reserved for a very limited selection of hotels in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, which set the standard for where international travelers choose to stay.
Luxury Hotels & Upper-Premium Resorts
For properties that want to be positioned as essential stays for international travelers, gaining authoritative editorial recognition that elevates perception beyond star ratings, reviews, and booking platforms.
Boutique & Design-Led Hotels
Ideal for hotels with a strong architectural or conceptual identity, where editorial storytelling highlights atmosphere, design, and intention — not just rooms and amenities.Independent Hotels & Owner-Operated Properties
Especially valuable for properties that compete on individuality and experience, offering high-level exposure.Heritage Properties, Canal Houses & Historic Buildings
Suited for accommodations rooted in history or cultural context, positioned as immersive ways to experience the country through place, narrative, and authenticity.Newly Opened, Renovated, or Repositioned Hotels
A strategic way to establish early credibility, anchoring a launch or rebrand within a trusted editorial framework that signals quality and relevance from the outset.Countryside, Coastal & Nature-Focused Retreats
Designed for properties outside major cities that want to attract travelers planning trips around calm, landscape, and slower travel, with editorial framing that makes location a strength, not a limitation.High-End Apartment Hotels & Serviced Residences
Ideal for refined short-stay or long-stay concepts seeking to be presented as design-driven alternatives to traditional hotels, appealing to longer-stay, experience-oriented travelers.Properties That Value Regional Exclusivity
Created for hotels that want clear, non-competitive positioning, with strict limits per city or region to ensure each feature stands on its own and remains memorable.Hotels Focused on Long-Term Brand Equity
Best suited for properties that see editorial inclusion as a lasting asset — generating credibility, recognition, and reuse value well beyond the publication date.
LISTICLE ENTRY
Our listicle entry isn’t open to everyone. Our invitations are hand-picked, reserved only for pre-selected candidates whose brands match the prestige of the outlet. That’s how we keep the standard high — and the listicle itself powerful.
ABOUT
A Global Standard in Travel Media
Condé Nast Traveler is one of the world’s most trusted and influential travel publications, setting the benchmark for aspirational yet credible travel storytelling. Since 1987, it has earned authority through its “Truth in Travel” commitment and today stands as the go-to source for discerning travelers planning their next trip.
Digital Powerhouse
16M+ monthly unique visitors across cntraveler.com
22M+ monthly video views and 16M+ social followers
68% U.S. readership with strong U.K., Canadian, and Australian presence
Audience skews 58% female, ages 25–54, with high household income and premium travel spend
Average U.S. audience purchasing power: $500B+ combined
Why It Matters To You
A Condé Nast Traveler feature places your name in front of affluent, high-intent travelers actively researching where to go, where to stay, and what to book this season. With a digital domain authority of 89+, every placement delivers not just prestige, but lasting SEO equity — your brand gains a powerful backlink and a feature that continues driving traffic long after publication.
Impact
More than just visibility, Condé Nast Traveler is a credibility badge. Being featured here signals to readers, partners, and competitors alike that your brand belongs among the most trusted names in global travel. It’s an evergreen stamp of authority that elevates reputation, supports PR campaigns, and boosts conversions across all your channels.
Understanding the Difference: Condé Nast Traveler (US) vs. Condé Nast Traveller (UK)
It is also worth clarifying a distinction that is often misunderstood.
Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com) refers to the U.S. flagship edition, which reaches over 16 million monthly unique readers and serves a predominantly U.S. and global audience. This differs from Condé Nast Traveller (cntraveller.com) with two Ls, the U.K. edition, whose readership is approx 1.7 million monthly unique readers, more U.K. and Europe-focused. While both operate under the Condé Nast umbrella and share editorial standards, the audience composition, scale, and international amplification of the U.S. edition are much stronger and materially broader.
Condé Nast publishes additional regional editions globally, each serving its own local market. However, the U.S. and U.K. editions are most frequently confused due to their similar naming and .com domains, differentiated only by spelling. As a result, coverage in the U.K. edition is often mistakenly assumed to carry the same reach as the U.S. flagship, which is not the case. The editorial opportunities referenced here are specifically within the U.S. Condé Nast Traveler environment.
THE POWER OF
LISTICLES
Listicles offer an elegant, accessible way to get your business in front of Editorial. Listicles offer a powerful, story-driven way to position your brand in front of millions of aligned, high-intent readers — all while becoming part of a curated narrative that enhances your credibility and exposure.
They are cost-effective, SEO-optimized, and highly shareable, making them one of the smartest media investments for emerging or independent brands looking to break into premium digital PR.
While a standalone branded feature in a top-tier outlet like Condé Nast Traveler can range from $8,000 to $20,000, inclusion in a thoughtfully produced listicle delivers 80–90% of the same value — at a fraction of the cost — without sacrificing professionalism, storytelling quality, or search visibility.
Being featured alongside other respected names adds instant social proof, increases your perceived brand value, and places you within a trusted editorial environment that resonates with readers.
For many businesses, a listicle feature is the ideal gateway into global digital PR, offering brand recognition, SEO equity, and evergreen discoverability in one beautiful editorial package.
SEE HOW OUR EDITORIAL FEATURES COME TO LIFE
Explore our previously published listicles — a showcase of storytelling, design, and editorial quality that defines every campaign we produce.
THE PROCESS
Apply via our application form below
Our editorial team reviews all submissions for fit and alignment.
Please apply only if you’re ready to confirm participation upon selection.
If selected
You’ll receive an official confirmation email with the next steps.
Within 24 hours, confirm your preferred payment method — secure payment link or bank transfer.
Once confirmed, you’ll receive full participation details and an invoice for EUR 2,400.Payment & Editorial Phase
Payment is due within 7 days of confirmation.
After payment, our editors craft your 100–150-word editorial feature based on submitted assets (quote, bio, photos, link).
You’ll have the opportunity to review and approve your segment before publication.Publishing & Deliverables
Your article is published on cntraveler.com with an indexed backlink to your website.
You’ll also receive a press-ready link and optional promotional assets for your own channels.
Trusted by leading luxury hotels, destinations, and global hospitality brands
APPLICATION
Apply now to be considered for Condé Nast Traveler’s Edition: Europe Beyond the Expected: The Most Remarkable Stays in Benelux — A feature that defines the most desirable hotels in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, positioning them as the definitive places to stay for international travelers and shaping where bookings, attention, and prestige concentrate.
Editorial Note
Access to this page is by private invitation only. If you’ve been directed here, your brand has already been identified as a strong potential fit for this upcoming feature.
Due to exceptionally high demand and a highly selective editorial review process, placements are approved on a rolling basis — and in some cases, select candidates may be invited to confirm their placement earlier to secure their inclusion ahead of the deadline.
Because categories and regional allocations are limited, some may close well before the official application date. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible for the best opportunity to be reviewed and considered for inclusion in this limited-edition feature.
APPLICATION FORM
Editorial Quality Assurance
This feature is produced as contributor content — an established format used for high-value features across the publication. It carries a regular small byline noting that Condé Nast Traveler’s editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content, maintaining transparency while preserving full editorial integrity. Unlike promotional or affiliate pieces, it appears without any “sponsored” or “advertisement” labeling on the article URL— ensuring your inclusion stands within Condé Nast Traveler’s premium storytelling framework, consistent with the publication’s tone, quality, and global authority. Final content may be subject to minor editorial adjustments to align with the publication’s tone and formatting. All key features and approved positioning are preserved.
Confidentiality Notice
We respect your privacy. All application details, personal information, and submission materials will be kept strictly confidential and will not be shared with third parties. The process is fully discrete and by invitation only, ensuring that only a handful of exceptional candidates are selected.
Publication Assurance
Once an application is approved and the placement fee is confirmed, inclusion in the article is 100% guaranteed. Listicles are published as cohesive editorial features that include multiple selected participants and are almost always published within the initially indicated timeframe. In rare and exceptional circumstances, minor scheduling adjustments may occur due to publisher timelines or unforeseen delays in the collection of materials. In such cases, we reserve the right to extend the publication timeline by a maximum of 30 calendar days. If publication does not occur within this maximum extension, the applicant is eligible for a full 100% refund, no questions asked.
WHAT HAPPENS IF
YOU’RE SELECTED?
If you’re selected, you’ll receive a private email invitation welcoming you into the feature and outlining the next steps in detail. This email will ask you to confirm your preferred payment method — either via secure payment link or bank transfer — within 24 hours of receiving it. Once confirmed, you will receive your invoice and participation details.
Please note that selection is highly limited and confirms your editorial placement. We kindly ask that only applicants who are fully prepared to proceed with payment upon selection apply, as each confirmed spot represents a reserved editorial space within the Condé Nast Traveler feature.
Investment (Only Upon Selection)
You will be invited to confirm your placement with a one-time editorial contribution of EUR 2,400, which includes:
Professionally written feature in Condé Nast Traveler’s editorial tone
Guaranteed inclusion in the Condé Nast Traveler feature that sets the tone for global travel in 2026
Exclusive placement within the article (up to max 10 spots available)
Full SEO integration and Google-indexed backlink
Long-term visibility on cntraveler.com (DA 89 / DR 88)
Opportunity to repurpose your published article across your own marketing channels (website, social media, newsletters, investor decks, etc.)
One high-resolution image (landscape orientation, minimum 2000px wide) to accompany your feature
Please note: participation is by invitation only and reserved for applicants ready to confirm their placement upon selection.