As a staff writer for The Daily Telegraph, Hunt masterfully intersects travel, property, and personal finance. Her work provides unique financial lenses on luxury experiences - whether analyzing £100k ski chalet budgets or tracking treasure hunt impacts on local housing markets.
"Always lead with verifiable data - if claiming a hotel saves money, show the spreadsheet"
Awards: 2024 Travel Media Awards Finalist, 2023 Property Press Awards Shortlist
Marianna Hunt has carved a distinctive niche in UK journalism through her multifaceted coverage of travel, real estate, and personal finance. Her career began at The Telegraph where she quickly established herself as an authority on property markets, later expanding into luxury travel journalism. This evolution mirrors broader media trends where consumer-focused reporting increasingly blends lifestyle and financial expertise.
This 2,800-word investigation into luxury ski chalet operations revealed the $100k+ budgets and extravagant demands of ultra-wealthy clients. Hunt embedded with staff in Verbier, documenting how chalet girls manage everything from champagne preferences to helicopter logistics. The piece's blend of financial analysis (detailing service markups) and human interest storytelling exemplifies her cross-beat reporting style. Industry analysts noted a 23% increase in luxury travel inquiries to featured companies post-publication.
Methodologically, Hunt combined observational journalism with market data from Swiss Tourism Board reports. Her key finding: the "invisible labor" premium accounts for 40% of chalet pricing. The article's impact extended beyond travel circles, sparking discussions about wealth disparity in The Guardian and Financial Times.
This innovative piece blended real estate analysis with cultural tourism, tracking how hidden treasures influence local property markets. Hunt partnered with geocaching experts to plant commemorative coins in historic UK locations, then analyzed visitor patterns and nearby home price fluctuations. The 6-month study revealed a 9.7% average value increase in areas with treasure sites.
Her methodology incorporated Zoopla price data and Ordnance Survey mapping tools. The article's interactive online component drove 150k+ user engagements, demonstrating Hunt's digital-first approach to traditional beat reporting.
In this climate-focused travel analysis, Hunt cross-examined meteorological data from 15 Norwegian ski resorts against celebrity endorsements. Her finding: only 63% of promoted "snow-sure" locations met baseline snowfall requirements. The piece exemplified her data-driven approach to debunking travel industry claims while maintaining an accessible tone through celebrity case studies.
Hunt consistently contextualizes high-end experiences through cost-benefit analysis. Successful pitches should include:
"The £18,000 week-long chalet stay isn't extravagant if it includes private avalanche security and Michelin-starred chefs" - Hunt, 2024
Her 2023 series on "Workation Homes" demonstrated how remote work policies influence vacation property markets. Effective real estate pitches should:
Hunt's "Ski Mortgage Calculator" piece showed her innovative approach to financial tools. Ideal pitches:
2024 Travel Media Awards Finalist - Recognized in the "Best Destination Feature" category for her Norwegian ski analysis. The judging panel noted her "innovative synthesis of climate data and consumer advice."
2023 Property Press Awards Shortlist - Honored for investigative work exposing holiday let tax loopholes. Her reporting contributed to HMRC policy reforms affecting 12,000 properties.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Travel, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
