Entry number 50, Mme Warlop, was particularly memorable for a lovely meal with her in her "dazzling house" in the Somme area and for relaxed conversation with her over dinner. We have never been disappointed and often have had memorable stays.

So it was with a real sense of anticipation that I opened French Hotels, Chateaux and Other Places on receiving it as a Christmas present. We have enjoyed reading many of the entries and are planning a number of visits to France this year around a number of the entries in the book.

It was gratifying to find a few entries which we already knew. Notably, map 1 entry 2, the Auberge d'Inxent in the valley of the river Course in Northern France, is a delightful inn which we have known over many years. The story in the Alastair Sawday entry of how the current owner acquired the auberge with the winnings from a lottery is an extra piece of intriguing information typical of the entries. Equally intriguing is that the Auberge d'Inxent was written about over 45 years ago by Elizabeth David in French Provincial Cooking! So Sawday is continuing a long tradition of British interest in visiting interesting hotels and inns in France. In fact rereading about the Auberge d'Inxent in the book has prompted us to arrange a visit to Inxent for a special family occasion in the Spring.

However, perhaps of greater importance to us is that this book is also introducing us to new hotels and inns across France, which we will have fun exploring in our travels in France later in the year. We have already booked a number of overnight stays in the champagne area and in Alsace using the book.

I can highly recommend Special Places to Stay, French Hotels, Chateaux and Other Places to anyone who has a love of France, French food and, equally importantly, likes to meet and talk to interesting French people.

I am now waiting in eager anticipation for the imminent publication of the next title in the series, Special Places to Stay, Greece, which we will use to explore the mainland of Greece, using bed and breakfasts and small inns. This will give us the opportunity to experience the famous Greek hospitality, neatly summed up in the Greek use of the same word to mean stranger and guest, namely "xenos".


Recommendations as from a trusted friend   December 24, 2005
 21 out of 21 found this review helpful

The recommendations in the Special Places To Stay series never fail to hit the mark. The places listed aren't selected according to rosettes or stars or anything other than whether the publisher's reviewer actually liked the place. The chatty descriptions give a really good sense of what each place is actually like, why the reviewer liked it, and in what way the place is 'special' - could be because of local food, pretty gardens, characterful rooms, charming hosts, the ducks on the pond, architecture, whatever. I've come to trust the recommendations in this series as advice from a friend who knows the kinds of places I like to go, and I haven't been disappointed yet. My totally predictable method of booking breaks long and short is now to browse through Special Places To Stay and then get clicking on the bargain airline sites as castle or dovecote, country retreat or art hotel catches my eye. This particular book in the series will take you to an incredible range of hotels, all of them a treat in one way or another, some in central cities but many well off the beaten track (so be aware you may get more out of this book if you're intending to drive). Because the definition of 'special' may be modest charm as easily as chateau luxury, the places listed are not necessarily expensive, either.


A wonderfull & very usefull guide   December 22, 2005
 14 out of 14 found this review helpful

This guide gives a wonderfull impression of the type of stay you are looking for ; romantic, adventure... Marvellous pictures, perfect descriptions ! When you arrive at the hotel, it looks exactly like the pictures in the guide. No bad experience at all for us : we tried many places for our holidays. We warmly recommand to take it with you wherever you destination is in France.