>While this app obviously has a few incredibly useful-looking features, am I the only one who feels travel is best done talking with locals? Asking your hotel manager for recommendations - THAT'S how to travel well

That's kind of a pretentious statement to make.

If one extreme is arriving in a city without plans, and the other extreme is meticulously planning every detail out. Then the way most people travel lies somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.

As long you enjoy your trip, then you have found the right way to travel for you personally.