Customer Reviews:
 French Hotels and Chateaux April 9, 2008
Great book, beautiful pictures. The descriptions give you a real feel for the places and make you want to visit them all!
French Hotels & Chateaux April 3, 2008
Yet again Monsieur Sawday and his colleagues have surpassed themselves with this latest edition of 'French Hotels & Chateaux'. Having read just a few pages I was ready to pack my suitcase and head towards the Pyrenees (I live in Spain). The entries are superbly described, each one having its own page, the symbols are clear and the whole book is a real delight.
If you fancy a break in France that is 'special' and at a price you can afford, you must be able to find the perfect place to spend either the night or the week in this book. It's an absolute must if you are travelling anywhere in France.
claw foot baths and pepperpot turrets March 26, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
We used to drive through France, gazing at all those palatial Chateaux, elegant Maisons, lush Domaines, Grande Hotels and intimate little Relais and Auberges, and wonder how on earth you got to know about them. Holiday companies never have such gems on their books and none of the guides seem to go for places of character or charm. You might be guaranteed a trouser press or a kettle to make instant coffee in your room but is that what you want when visiting France on holiday? Me, I want canopied beds or a vaulted dining room or a view over a millpond, complete with fish and herons. Then a few years ago, we discovered Alastair Sawday. French Bed and Breakfast in one hand, French Holiday Homes in another we've addressed the delightful task of planning that year's holiday many a time. But still it nagged - B&B is wonderful, self catering is grand, but how do you find a hotel that comes up to the Sawday exacting standard? And then - zut alors! He and his team did it again. French Hotels and Chateaux precisely plugs the gap. Want to stay in a 16th century manor house with deer and coypu in the grounds, sleep in a wrought iron bed and bathe in an old-fashioned claw foot bath? Or a 10th century pepperpot turret, with a canopied bed? Or off a cobbled street in old Rouen, with a view of Gothic marvels? Here are luxurious and decidedly pricy palaces side by side with small, reasonably priced inns, city haunts and rural retreats. All share one thing - they are anything but banal. They have beauty, buzz, elegance and that little bit of French je ne sais quoi. Owners pay to be in a Sawday guide but they can't buy their way in. All are checked by the editors. We've been using the guides for years and never been disappointed. This updated guide to French Hotels and Chateaux is the business. It's jam-packed with luscious treats - I can't wait for our summer holidays!
The only problem you might have is deciding whether to first choose your area - Picardy, Poitou-Charentes, midi-Pyrenees or even department - Tarn-et-Garonne, Var, Creuse - and see what is available there. There will be something, never fear. Or leaf through and pick on particular place and find the area you will be visiting that way. We've done both with Sawday and always bit the jackpot. You may find yourself burning the midnight oil or hitting the coffee. And speaking of which, do join Sawday aficionados in looking out for the joke entry; every guide has one. As for me - we've already booked 3 places for a fortnight's tour in September. So tough, if one of them was your choice!
French Secrets March 24, 2008
So you fancy going to France and you want to be looked after? Can't decide whether to go for the rural idyll, the small and friendly hotel or more gracious living? Need somewhere family-friendly? Must have a pool? Addicted to beautiful bathrooms? Looking for a special gastronomic experience? Here's the guide which will leave you spoilt for choice! No fewer than 383 entries make their appearance in this 5th edition of the Francophile holiday maker's indispensable reading.
Existing Sawday fans like me will not be disappointed! The usual colourful, honest, conversational style of each entry is here full of the quirky detail which is the cachet of Special Places to Stay. And, yes, there's the spoof entry - find it for yourselves!
The book is a joy to browse through and so very well organised for maximum information before making contact for availability: Arranged by region, one entry per page, delicious photographs capture ambiance and you can refer to the relevant map at the beginning of the book. Quick reference indexes at the end give further refinement to decision-making for those on a budget or needing wheelchair access for example.
Can't wait to go up that `spiral staircase lined with tapestries' for breakfast in the sunny courtyard......!
Alastair Sawdays French Hotels and Chateaux March 23, 2008
Alastair Sawdays series "Special Places to Stay" should be synonymous with "travel", in the same way that Dr. Baedekers guides are now simply known as "Baedeker" guides. "don't forget the "Sawday" should be a prerequisite for anyone planning a trip.
The new edition of "Special Places to Stay French Hotels and Chateaux" has just been published. An idiosyncratic recommendation of hotels and chateaux in France. It is an attractive book packed full of interesting and different accommodation to suit all pockets and tastes. Each place is thoroughly researched and inspected, and has to meet the high standards required by the inspectors. I would not be without my collection of "Sawdays", they have always been invaluable, and I have never been disappointed in any of my choices of somewhere to stay in France, etc.
Very comprehensive, and well set out with maps and directions, and of course honest descriptions of each venue. Don't forget to read "Who we are at the front of the book. "French Hotels and Chateaux" also makes good casual reading at any time. travel your way through France from the comfort of your bed or easy chair, planning your next trip.
TES Bates 23.03.08.
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