Mike T. -- Oyster Reporter

Before joining Oyster, Mike was a financial services reporter for TheStreet.com. He has also worked as a bartender at Meconi's Tacoma Pub and Eatery in Tacoma, Wash., managing editor of three quarterly journals at Heldref Publications, and an intern at National Public Radio. He graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in French and English.

• Hotels Reviewed: 41
• Destination Expert for: New York, Miami, Las Vegas
• Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis.
• Places Lived: Cincinnati; Hanover, N.H.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Washington, D.C.; Dakar, Senegal; Paris; Bethany Beach, Del.; Tacoma, Wash.; Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Education: : B.A. in English and B.A. in French, Georgetown University
• Prior Experience: TheStreet.com, Meconi's Tacoma Pub and Eatery, Heldref Publications, National Public Radio
• My Favorite Hotel: The Lucerne, New York. The Lucerne's neoclassical décor suits my traditionalist taste, and the staff was both helpful and unpretentious. Add that the Upper West Side is an underrated neighborhood for travelers, and you've got a great New York boutique that stands out, especially against competitors that rely too heavily on goofy modernism.