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Here’s how I got onto a 3-night press trip to a luxury hotel in London. The final piece: https://matadornetwork.com/read/londo…

The trip: 3 nights in central London, tours (South Bank, Tate Modern, St Paul’s), food at Borough Market, street-art, and even high tea. (01:06–03:36)

On the first evening, the group had a cocktail reception with the hotel’s head of F&B, sampling his favourite gin. (01:48)

The trip was very activity-heavy: almost no downtime, as they were constantly on the move seeing “the shiny, polished” side of London. (04:01–04:53)

(05:33) The key to winning the trip: the opportunity came via Matador’s creators newsletter, which lists “creator opportunities” (press trip calls).

The trip’s terms covered flights (for U.S. creators), accommodation, meals, and activities — but no payment for the article. (06:27–06:46)

(07:04) For the pitch, I introduced myself, shared a strong writing portfolio, and proposed 2–3 article ideas.

Their proposed story titles: e.g., “48 hours on London South Bank”, “Is this the perfect London hotel location?” (10:17)

After being selected, I signed a contract, attended the trip, and after returning filed their story + photos within 14 days. (12:54–13:16)

The final published article was very close to what they submitted, with few edits; they used their own photos, not press agency ones. (13:39)

(14:28) Key lessons they highlight:

Keep your pitch simple,

Emphasize relevant experience,

Show strong story ideas,

Be aware of relevant creator-opportunity newsletters,

Be realistic about compensation (or lack of it) when starting out.