Customer Reviews
"Special" Just Took on a Whole New Meaning - By: J Bryer, 16 Nov 2007 
Thanks to Alistair Sawday I have much more room on the bookshelf; the AA, RAC, Michelin & Johansens books won't be needed again so they have all taken a long holiday to the charity bookshop!
Sawday's British Hotels & Inns is much more then a book; it is a guide that will change your attitude towards `going away' forever. In the past trying to find a nice place to stay was always the job of my wife who would spend hours researching places, but now there is a sprint to the bookshelf to find this book whenever we decide to go anywhere.
Once I've found somewhere I like the feel of I don't even bother doing any additional research...what's the point, the guys at Alistair Sawday have done it all for you. When you initially read this book you will probably feel the same as me with regards to the details of the many hotels listed; "surely these places can't be real, the writers must have used a bit of `artistic license'". However, pay a visit to one of these hotels & you'll realise that these are the truest descriptions available. In my opinion there is no excuse for not staying somewhere perfect & I would defy anyone to find a place to stay, listedin this guide, which is not "just right".
Word of warning when you buy this book: be prepared to become addicted to going away - you'll find so many `special' reasons for taking a holiday. And remember: forget how many "Stars" a hotel has...if it isin one of Alistair Sawday's books, it doesn't need them.
If only I had more time and more money .... - By: Deborah Millar, 12 Nov 2007 .....and then I could spend every weekendin one of these hotels !
Actually, the next best thing is to curl up on the sofa with this book & plan some trips for next year.
The Sawday books are just so much nicer than your average hotel guide - & I've yet to find a bad recommendation. There are always tempting photos of the hotels/pubs & they steer well away from the bland corporate chain hotels - basically, it's more like having a really good personal recommendation from a friend.
You get a good idea of the character of each place from the text - & it will be honest too, ie telling you if somewhere is "folksy" or "eccentric" or if the food is "simple but filling." so you should be able to tell whether somewhere is your cup of tea or not...
Sadly most of the placesin here ARE my cup of tea....now I just need a lottery win so I can sample all of them....
You only live once! - By: Robert Ashton, 10 Nov 2007 I'm no snob, but I am very particular about the places I stay. I've long been a fan of Sawday's B&B Guide & use it wherever I can. I've never been disappointed.
This book is the perfect companion volume. There are times when you want to stayin a hotel rather than a B&B & to be honest, finding a good one is becoming increasingly difficult. I bought this book after a particularly toxic experiencein a Holiday Inn, where my complaint about being given a 'smoking room' was handled by giving me a large can of what is euphemistically called air-fresehner.
I can now relax, certain that whatever my need, wherever I travel, there's somewhere to stay that's passed the Sawday test. What's surprising, is that many of the hotelsin this book are actually no more expensive than the ghastly chain hotels. Give yourself a treat & buy this book today!
Buy one of these and start planning.......... - By: hussingtree, 01 Nov 2007 As the days get shorter & you go to work & come homein the dark, I've sometimes thought thatin any next life I'd come back as a cat but now I've changed my mind & I want to come back as a Sawday's Inspector. However, for the moment I will content myself with drooling over the yet to be sampled possibilities, smiling over memories of the ones already visited & wishing there were more weekendsin which to explore these.
Anyway, what is there to say about the guide itself? I'm sure existing Sawday's fans will appreciate the new, clearer layout, but for any new to these guides, it's the excellent photos (usually the place itself & a bedroom) & the honest, factual & often entertaining reviews (and from my experience these are reviews that can really be trusted) that set the Special Places to Stay brand apart from the rest. What is also impressive is the number of pubs (hence Hotels, Inns & Other Places) offering really high quality accommodation rivalling (and perhaps surpassing?) many hotels.
The map guides, the clear summaries all make for ease of use not to mention the quick reference indices so you can see at a glance the wheelchair-accessible or wi-fi enabled places. Look also for the special 'green entries' highlighting the ethos of the Sawday's operation.
Don't just take my word for it, take advantage of the excellent Amazon price & see for yourself. You won't regret it & it will help you forget about the winter months ahead..........
