"Special" Just Took on a Whole New Meaning - Rated 
Thanks to Alistair Sawday I have much more room on the bookshelf; the AA, RAC, Michelin and 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 and you'll realise that these are the truest descriptions available. In my opinion there is no excuse for not staying somewhere perfect and I would defy anyone to find a place to stay, listed in 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 is in one of Alistair Sawday's books, it doesn't need them.
If only I had more time and more money .... - Rated
.....and then I could spend every weekend in one of these hotels !
Actually, the next best thing is to curl up on the sofa with this book and plan some trips for next year.
The Sawday books are just so much nicer than your average hotel guide - and I've yet to find a bad recommendation. There are always tempting photos of the hotels/pubs and 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 - and 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 places in here ARE my cup of tea....now I just need a lottery win so I can sample all of them....
You only live once! - Rated
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 and use it wherever I can. I've never been disappointed.
This book is the perfect companion volume. There are times when you want to stay in a hotel rather than a B&B and to be honest, finding a good one is becoming increasingly difficult. I bought this book after a particularly toxic experience in 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 hotels in this book are actually no more expensive than the ghastly chain hotels. Give yourself a treat and buy this book today!
Buy one of these and start planning.......... - Rated
As the days get shorter and you go to work and come home in the dark, I've sometimes thought that in any next life I'd come back as a cat but now I've changed my mind and 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 and wishing there were more weekends in 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 and a bedroom) and the honest, factual and 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 and 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 and see for yourself. You won't regret it and it will help you forget about the winter months ahead..........
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