Public trust resource
Professional Standards
PressStays.com connects hotels with journalists and influencers. These public principles make the expectations on both sides clear before anyone requests, accepts or undertakes a hosted stay.
How good hosted stays work.
01
PressStays.com is not a free-hotel club
Hosted hospitality is a meaningful commitment from a hotel. Every stay arranged here should have a genuine professional purpose on both sides.
02
Editorial members request stays they genuinely care about
Journalists and editorial storytellers should only request an Editorial Press Stay where they have real editorial interest in the property or experience, and intend to consider appropriate coverage wherever reasonably possible.
03
Editorial independence is respected
Publication can never be guaranteed. Whether a story runs, where it appears and what it says remains entirely with the journalist and their publication.
04
Creators provide the content they agree, and it genuinely features the host
A Hosted Creator Collaboration is a hospitality-based collaboration: the complimentary hospitality is the value exchange for the content agreed with the hotel. Creators are expected to deliver it, to talk to the hotel early if plans change, and to make sure that content genuinely and appropriately features the hosting property or experience rather than primarily promoting an unrelated brand or using the hotel simply as a backdrop for another campaign.
05
No additional creator fee
Storytellers must not request or charge an additional participation, appearance or content-creation fee in connection with a stay arranged through PressStays.com, whether through the platform or directly with the hotel. PressStays.com is free for Storytellers; hotels pay for access to the platform and community.
06
Hotels deliver what they described
The hospitality and experience provided should match the opportunity as it was published, including the inclusions and anything agreed in conversation.
07
Both parties communicate professionally and promptly
Reply to messages, confirm arrangements, and let the other side know as soon as anything changes.
08
Commercial relationships and incentives are disclosed
Where content is agreed in return for hospitality, it should be clearly disclosed to audiences in line with the advertising rules that apply.
09
Members meet their own obligations
Members remain responsible for complying with applicable legal, advertising, tax and professional requirements. PressStays.com provides platform guidance, not legal, tax or professional advice.
How this works in practice.
- Agreed content and usage rights
- On a Hosted Creator Collaboration the hotel sets out the content agreed and how it may be reused, and that wording is carried through to the confirmed stay so both sides have the same record. Anything beyond it is a separate conversation.
- Travel and expenses
- Each opportunity states what is and is not covered. Unless the hotel says otherwise, travel to and from the property and personal spending are the member's own cost.
- Other commercial work
- Storytellers remain completely free to undertake paid commercial partnerships with hotels or other brands outside PressStays.com, including other work during the same trip, provided it does not materially reduce, overshadow or replace the content agreed with the PressStays.com host. Appropriate advertising and commercial disclosures remain the Storyteller's responsibility.
- Invitations are personal, never bulk marketing
- Hotels may invite Storytellers one at a time, to a specific live opportunity, within a monthly allowance per property. Storytellers can say “not for me” at any time, and choose how often they hear about new opportunities.
- Private contact details stay private
- Email addresses, phone numbers and account details are never shown to the other side. Everything is arranged through PressStays.com messaging.
- If something goes wrong
- Members can report an issue from their account and PressStays.com will review it. We record what happened and act where a standard has clearly been ignored.
Two kinds of hosted stay.
- Editorial Press Stay
- Hosted hospitality for journalists researching potential editorial coverage. Coverage is not guaranteed and editorial independence remains with the journalist or publication.
- Hosted Creator Collaboration
- Hosted hospitality for creators in return for agreed content — a hospitality-based collaboration. No additional participation, appearance or content-creation fee may be requested or charged in connection with the stay.
Complimentary stays, gifts or other benefits received through professional or commercial activity may have tax implications depending on your circumstances and jurisdiction. PressStays.com does not provide tax advice. Members are responsible for keeping appropriate records and meeting any applicable tax obligations.
These Professional Standards form part of the Storyteller Terms and the Platform Terms. Current version 1.1, effective 2026-09-18.