John William Barger: Inside the World's Best Five-Star Hotels

John William Barger, luxury fashion and travel creator and a former NBC daytime television host, joins CREATOR: The Podcast to pull back the curtain on the world's most extraordinary hotels. In this episode, John shares how a canceled TV show during COVID unexpectedly launched his career as a luxury travel content creator and eventually led him to build a full creative agency — complete with videographers, editors, and salespeople. Host Ross Borden dives into John's creative process working with high-end hospitality brands, his philosophy on why the influencer shouldn't be the star of the content, and what truly separates an unforgettable hotel from an expensive one. John offers surprisingly candid takes on why point-redemption culture is quietly destroying legacy luxury brands like Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis, and makes a passionate case for why Raffles and Rosewood stand above every other hotel brand on earth. Whether you're a travel creator looking to break into luxury brand deals or simply someone who wants to know where to stay when only the best will do, this episode is essential listening. Follow John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwbarger/ To learn more about CREATOR: The Podcast, visit https://creatorthepodcast.com/ Subscribe to CREATOR: The Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creator-the-podcast/id1788987273 Subscribe to CREATOR: The Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aHdngxWvkUbpDlmmCq8Z6?si=zQjPxLneRaOUIwP-y5BmyA 00:00 Introduction to John William Barger 01:00 Best hotel brands in the world: Raffles vs. Rosewood 05:02 Why luxury hotels need a sense of place 06:40 Favorite Rosewood properties: Miramar & São Paulo 08:18 The case for independent luxury brands over points programs 10:04 Favorite hotel in Mexico: Las Alamandas 13:19 How John got started: from publishing to NBC to creator 15:30 How COVID transformed the creator industry 18:52 John's creative process and working with brand briefs 22:18 Building a team and scaling a creative agency 27:24 Making the property the star, not the influencer 30:07 How to find and pitch new brand partnerships 33:17 Best outreach strategies for creators 34:49 Three-country passport question: USA, Indonesia & Switzerland 37:21 Favorite hotels in Switzerland 39:05 Favorite destinations and hotels in Indonesia 42:41 Closing thoughts Check out GuideGeek, Your New Personal AI Travel Assistant! http://bit.ly/3LKpHTj More From Matador Network Website: http://matadornetwork.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matadornetwork TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matadornetwork Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matadornetwork Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/matadornetworktravel Join Our Newsletter: https://matadornetwork.com/content/newsletter For Epic Hotels & Airbnbs TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@epic.stays Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicstays_ For Beautiful Travel Content TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@visit About Matador Network Matador is the world’s largest independent travel publisher. Since 2006, we’ve redefined travel media by developing a global network of editors, writers, photographers, and filmmakers who’ve pushed the limits of what’s possible as travel storytellers. At Matador, we envision a world where travel is a transformative experience that enables us to find humanity in each other everywhere.