About

A HOTEL LIFE is a pioneering, future forward, celebratory travel platform with a refocused attention and renewed energy around what it means to travel in a post pandemic world. AHL offers insight into the world’s most innovative, creative and thought-provoking hotels, unparalleled travel and lifestyle culture, and inspiring industry notables who are leading the way.

AHL champions diverse perspectives and stand in support of equality of gender, race, age and persuasion. AHL is adding editors from around the globe to report on health and wellness, industry news, social and environmental causes, and celebration.

AHL was founded in 2013 by hospitality entrepreneur Ben Pundole, who is most known for his work developing Ian Schrager’s luxury lifestyle brand EDITION in partnership with Marriott International. Most recently, Pundole has been recognized for launching Stay Plastic Free – a campaign aimed at eliminating single-use plastics from the hotel industry.

 

Ben Pundole

Ben Pundole

Founder

With twenty years in the Lifestyle Hotel business, and a focus on events, bars, nightlife, promotions and marketing, Ben, whose true passion is travel and hotels (and food), decided it was time to make good use of his experience, exploit his resources and lure his contacts into creating AHotelLife.com: an editorial site with a focus on hotel reviews and insider scoop. Educated at London's infamous Groucho club, Ben graduated to the Met bar before an eleven year stint with Ian Schrager and Morgans Hotel Group as VP of Entertainment. He opened Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk in 2010 and for eight years held the position of VP Brand Experience with Ian Schrager/Marriott's EDITION hotels.

My Travel Mantra:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these account" - Mark Twain

Trip Wishlist:

The Galapagos, Puglia, and Tanzania

  • Tansy Kaschak

    Tansy Kaschak

    Editor in Chief

    Tansy Kaschak's love for travel, hospitality and beautiful, welcoming spaces began back in the 90’s, when her young parents would tow her in a new adventure every weekend. In then remote South Brazil, the séjour was almost always at family, friends, or friends of friends' homes; and she remembers being touched by how people would always go above and beyond to make their guests feel special. Two decades of life and work in far-flung destinations continued to give her the opportunity to experience the world through the lens of humans being hospitable to other humans. Today, Tansy lives between New York, Brazil, Mexico and Europe. An advocate for social and environmental reform, she uses her skills to promote a happy, healthy life on a fair, healthy planet. She is passionate about regenerative practices and the power of hospitality and spaces to bring us together, at times for the highest causes, and always with a good dose of wit, fun and celebration.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Be grateful, gracious, curious, and humble, spend time on your own, see the sunrise, and always, always carry a refillable water bottle.

    Trip Wishlist:

    New Mexico, The Galapagos, Iceland, Jordan, Alter do Chão

  • Hamzeh Alfarahneh

    Hamzeh Alfarahneh

    Managing Editor

    Hamzeh Alfarahneh is a storyteller and interlocker. An avid consumer of both traditional and social media, he started his media career in his early twenties in print publications, turning later to blogging. A professional hotel dweller, Hamzeh epitomizes A Hotel Life’s spirit. What fuels his passion for travel is his curiosity for exploring and learning about histories and cultures. He splits his time between the Middle East, Europe and South Africa. When he is not on the road, Hamzeh likes to immerse himself in a great novel, an enticing series or podcasts.

    My Travel Mantra:

    “Follow your bliss. If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you.” - Joseph Campbell

    Trip Wishlist:

    Every single island in the Caribbean, Mali, Argentina, Ethiopia, Sweden and Mexico

  • Ernesto Roman

    Ernesto Roman

    East Coast Editor

    A native from Cartagena-Colombia, Ernesto is a photographer and creative director based in the Catskills. With a decade of experience in hospitality, Ernesto has worked with several hospitality brands and luxury PR agencies. His visual focus is to always capture the most honest version of his subjects and enjoys creating content and beautiful narratives for hotel hotels brands across the globe. Some of his work has been featured by DROME, The Impression, Surface, Beaux-Arts, Forbes, Cool Hunting, and Monocle. Ernesto is passionate about travel, culture, design, and bringing people together.

    My Travel Mantra:

    I just don’t know how to stay put. I only know that one must always wander!

    Trip Wishlist:

    San Blas Islands, Buenos Aires, Japan, São Paulo, Morocco, Israel and a road trip through the entire Mediterranean coastline.

  • Polina Sova

    Polina Sova

    Special Projects

    Polina Sova is a model, photographer, pro traveller and self professed hustler. Careers of modelling and traveller started when she made the move from her native Norway to New York City at age 17. Since then she has worked for brands like Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy and Helmut Lang, appearing in magazines like Numero, Elle, V, Vogue travelling to 45 countries whilst managing to live in 11 of them. With a travel portfolio as such, she developed a fine nose for design, high hospitality standard, a keen fanaticism for good food, great restaurants and a weakness for adventure. From jungle hill tribes in Vietnam to the powder soft sands of Seychelles, from riding snow mobiles on Icelandic glaciers to a visit in a cool eatery in Melbourne, Polina lives for it all and is not afraid to tell it.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Travel mantra: O sweet Jesus, there’s no turning back, there is always one more town a little further down the track. - Nick Cave

    Trip Wishlist:

    Japan, India, Raja Ampat, Sahara Desert, Mexico City, Moscow, Chefchaouen.

  • Caroline Lever

    Caroline Lever

    Culture Editor

    Caroline Lever began her career at fashion and culture magazines, Dazed & Confused and AnOther Magazine where she spent the best part of a decade. Caroline would also produce parties, talks, exhibitions, performances and even cultural festivals as a natural extension of the editorial output. Following this, she spent a couple of years consulting before landing the role of Director of Culture and Entertainment at The London EDITION marrying her two loves: travel and culture.

    My Travel Mantra:

    To travel is to live

    Trip Wishlist:

    Borneo, Madagascar, Costa Rica, Japan, The Scottish Highlands and Copenhagen

  • Yasha Wallin

    Yasha Wallin

    Europe Editor

    Yasha Wallin’s career began in the art world, running galleries and prominent artists’ studios in Chelsea for nearly a decade. Simultaneously, Yasha nurtured her other passion for publishing, writing for art magazines and creating her own DIY publications. An editorial position at the satirical magazine Heeb allowed her the opportunity to go full time into publishing and editing. It was there that a love for the collaborative process of creating content was born. Yasha has since gone on to write about art, sustainability, travel and culture for Art in America, Interview, Guardian UK, Ahotellife.com, Style.com, Paper Magazine, and more. Most recently she was GOOD Magazine’s creativity curator.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Just do it

    Trip Wishlist:

    Georgia (the country), Cape Town, Macedonia, Moscow, Iran, Beirut

  • Janet Mercel

    Janet Mercel

    West Coast Editor

    Janet Mercel has spent the last decade looking for beauty everywhere she goes, making a career as a writer and editor that does not miss a thing when it comes to art, fashion, travel, hospitality and dining - fine and otherwise. Her work with design firms, textile houses, art publishing and event production have further sharpened her understanding of all elements of creative inspiration. Originally from New York’s picturesque Hudson Valley and NYC, Janet is currently exploring her intense curiosity for culture in Los Angeles. She is a regular contributor to design publications like Architectural Digest, and her work can be seen in Here Magazine, Upstate Woman, DVEIGHT, The Drive and The Regular, among others.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Sure, I’ll go.

    Trip Wishlist:

    Como, Reykjavík, Seattle, Tokyo

  • Chris Connors

    Chris Connors

    Wellness Editor

    Chris journeyed out into the world in the early 90s, leaving behind the conflicts of Belfast, his native city. A true Gemini, his combined work as a creative director and meditation teacher took him across time and space to diverse worlds ranging from Japanese temple retreats to the beating heart of Milan’s design scene. Chris is fascinated and continually inspired by the human story and what ultimately makes us connect, create and thrive. He advocates for ‘conscious innovation’ in sustainability and personal wellness, innovations that envision a better quality of life for us all. Chris has been living in Ibiza for ten years.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Be still, see clear, go create.

    Trip Wishlist:

    Patagonia, Colombia, Alexandria, Rwanda, Tbilisi, Bhutan

  • Ruby Kean

    Ruby Kean

    Design Editor

    Ruby Kean is a New York based artist and Interior Designer from London. Her seven year career in hotel design has informed a style which encompasses colour and texture. She has spent the last 4 years as Head of Design New York at Firmdale Hotels for world renowned hotelier and leading British Interior designer Kit Kemp. With such a powerful mentor, Ruby has honed an understanding of hotel design centered around intrigue, charm and story telling. Ruby’s love for travel and strong sense of style traverses into her art work in both ceramic and bold, textural collages. Her collage work combines a vast array of elements and materials with a strong sense of design. Much like a living space her collages combine thoughtful combinations that show intention and meaning. Often references of her travels are found in her work, from treasures hoarded from a summer vacation or vignettes created from places she has visited.

    My Travel Mantra:

    “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

    Trip Wishlist:

    Réunion, Namibia, Finland, Norway.

  • Jude Vargas

    Jude Vargas

    Sustainable Luxury Editor

    Living between Ibiza and Mexico City, Jude gets her fix for food, music, art, design, culture and community. Her passion for being a traveler began young, when she took her first solo trip to Europe at the age of 17. She has always been the go-to person for friends and family for 'in the know' tips and where to stay, eventually launching her own luxury travel agency, Art of Voyage.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Go with the flow while traveling, it's when the magic happens!

    Trip Wishlist:

    Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and multi-day safari with Singita properties

  • Solynka Dumas

    Solynka Dumas

    Food & Drinks Editor

    Solynka Dumas is a French-Swiss journalist with 8 years of experience at the intersection between hospitality and journalism. Driven by a passion for food, wine, and sustainability, she takes pride in connecting people around a dining table. After moving from New York to back to Europe six years ago, she resumed her career as a food writer in Berlin. After several years spent alongside farmers, winemakers and restaurateurs, her next step is to play a more hands-on role in gastronomy while maintaining a foot in writing.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Open mind, open heart, open belly

    Trip Wishlist:

    Columbia, Sao Tomé, Petra and St Petersburg

  • Caroline Clements

    Caroline Clements

    Australia Editor

    Caroline Clements is a digital publications editor from Australia with expertise in content curation and production, brand publishing, sponsored content and project management. She currently lives in Melbourne and works as the Publications Director at Australian digital publication Broadsheet, where she gets to eat and travel regularly working on projects like cookbooks and pop up restaurants.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Travel often, even if it’s just for the weekend – changing your environment will keep you refreshed. Always have a trip planned on the horizon. Pack light so you can move efficiently through cities or over roughed terrain. Always travel with something warm, a hat, suncream, swimwear, some good shoes and a something to read. Buy a simcard in a new country, you’ll never regret using maps in to get around a foreign city. Do some research before you travel, make plans but be ready to change them if other things come up. Talk to the people who live in the place you’re visiting, local knowledge is the most valuable. The more you travel, the better you get at it.

    Trip Wishlist:

    Hawaii, Africa, The Middle East, the Caribbean, Greece

  • Amulya Hiremath

    Amulya Hiremath

    Writer & Editorial Assistant

    Amulya Hiremath is a writer and editor based in Mysuru, India. Both a book worm and avid traveler, she can be often found wandering — metaphorically and literally. She is fascinated by the way cities and places impact narratives and uses travel storytelling to explore the cultural and literary heritage of the places she visits. A graduate of English and Journalism, Amulya seeks to translate literature into approachable and exciting content.

    My Travel Mantra:

    Life in 3 acts — hearing stories, living stories, telling stories

    Trip Wishlist:

    Meghalaya, Italy, Greece, the UK, and Kenya