How we decide what goes on CityWise — and what never will.
Every restaurant, hotel, attraction, and platform listed on CityWise is there because our research determined it was genuinely worth a traveler's time and money — not because anyone paid us. No place has ever paid to appear on CityWise, and no place ever will. This is a promise, not a guideline.
When we research a city, we look for places that consistently deliver real value to real travelers. We look at independent reviews across multiple platforms over multiple years. We prioritize places with a strong local reputation, not just tourist-facing appeal. We favor places where locals actually go — or where the quality is so undeniably high that even locals agree it deserves a tourist's attention. A place's price point, whether it's famous or under-the-radar, whether it's fancy or casual — none of these factors bias our selection. The only question we ask is: would a smart, independent traveler genuinely benefit from going here?
Any form of payment, sponsorship, affiliate agreement, referral fee, partnership discount, or "collab" offer from a place automatically disqualifies it from appearing on CityWise — permanently. We don't accept free stays, free meals, or complimentary experiences in exchange for coverage. We don't run sponsored content. We don't have a "featured" tier. If a business reaches out to ask about placement, our answer is always no. We also remove places that we become aware have declined significantly since their original inclusion, that have closed, or that have been flagged multiple times by our community for misleading practices.
Hotels listed on CityWise are selected based on consistent quality, fair pricing for what you get, and genuine value for travelers. We list options across budget, mid-range, luxury, and hidden gem categories. Inclusion in any category does not mean endorsement of every aspect of the property — it means we believe it offers good value at its price point. We do not earn referral commissions from booking platforms or hotels. We do not link to booking engines as affiliates. Where we include links, they go to the hotel's direct website or a general search — never through a tracked referral link.
Restaurant recommendations are based on the quality and consistency of the food, the authenticity of the experience, and the value offered to a traveler unfamiliar with the city. We do not accept complimentary meals. We do not list restaurants that have been closed to the public for private events at the time of our research without noting this. We remove restaurants that close, significantly change ownership or quality, or are repeatedly flagged by our community. Our goal is simple: if you walk in based on our recommendation and walk out disappointed, that's a failure on our part — and we want to know about it.
Attractions — museums, parks, tours, experiences — are listed because they are genuinely worth a traveler's time. We note entry costs honestly, including any booking fees, tourist taxes, or hidden costs we are aware of. We don't accept advertising from tourism boards or attractions. Where an attraction has both a tourist version and a more authentic local version, we try to make that distinction clear. Where an attraction has been built specifically to extract money from tourists without delivering meaningful value, we say so.
Where we reference external platforms — booking tools, transport apps, SIM card providers, visa services — we do so because we believe they are the most useful option for that specific situation. We are not affiliated with any external platform and earn no fees from recommending them. If a better tool exists for a given purpose, we will switch our recommendation. We have no long-term commercial relationships with any platform referenced on CityWise.
CityWise includes tips submitted by real travelers from around the world. These tips reflect individual experiences and are not vetted for commercial intent the same way our curated content is. If you notice a community tip that appears to be commercially motivated — for example, unusually promotional language about a specific business — please flag it using the report function or email us directly. We review flagged tips and remove any that appear to be planted by businesses or their representatives.
CityWise is maintained by a single developer with limited time and resources. We do our best to keep information accurate, but mistakes happen and conditions change. If you believe a listing is outdated, incorrect, or should not appear on CityWise under the terms of this policy, please email us with as much detail as possible. We take every report seriously and will investigate and respond. Our goal is to fix problems quickly — not to protect placements that no longer deserve to be here.
If you believe something on CityWise violates this policy, or if you have questions about how a specific place was selected, email us at hello@mint-bot.com. We read every message and respond to every legitimate inquiry. We are a small operation — please give us a few days to reply.
Last updated: May 2026. This policy applies to all content on citywise-io.pages.dev and any future CityWise domains.