Hi (HAP)pers,
Big news—I launched Mexzine: a twice-weekly newsletter on independent, design-led travel in Mexico, written for English-speaking readers who want the real version.
Here’s why it exists. ⬇️
Search “Mexico travel” and you land at the Cancún cruise port—Señor Frog’s, the Hard Rock Cafe, the all-inclusive mega-resort machine. Nothing wrong with franchise-on-franchise travel. It’s just not my vibe, and it’s nothing like the Mexico I fell for.
I wanted recommendations that weren’t commercialized or hyper-corporate. The independent, design-driven stays. The restaurants worth crossing the city for. The shops, the studios, the small places that make this country so quietly enchanting. For a taste of what’s coming, our first guide to Cabo is live here.
Mexzine is edited by Cristina Alonso, a Mexico City–based journalist who has spent her career covering this country from the inside. She’s the reason it reads like it’s written by someone who actually lives here—because it is. Mexico is my favorite country in the world, and I've been thousands of times (my hometown of San Diego is a 20-min drive to the crossing). I had a weekly Spanish-language travel segment on Tijuana and Ensenada's Radio Fórmula back in 2020—and some of you might remember the story I wrote about sneaking across the border at 17 to go clubbing. So yes, I'll still write about my own time down here. But the edit belongs to Cristina, whom I've named Managing Editor.
All of our content is FREE for the first month. But before the paywall goes up, you can lock in the founding rate—$6/month for the rest of the year. Right now, a paid subscription keeps a real journalist on the ground (no AI here), lets you ask our editors Mexico travel questions, and comes with Select Tier Status on Safara—5x points on every hotel you book—plus a monthly, editor-curated deal sheet of Mexico’s best boutique stays.
The rate rises 7/24, so if you’ve read this far, this is the moment.
Questions, or a story to pitch? Email Cristina@Mexzine.com or Brandon@Mexzine.com.
- Hotels Above Par & Mexzine Founder, Brandon Berkson <3
For the comments—we want your suggestions! 💬
For Mexzine, which cities, hotels, or spots in Mexico do you want to see us write about?
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.