Sawday’s Gift Cards Launched

By popular demand, Sawday’s have launched their own Gift Cards (just in time for all those Christmas present round-ups). Lucky recipients can choose a break away at over 70 of our Special Places. Will they lift the latch at an impossibly pretty, wisteria-wrapped Cotswold cottage? Or will they choose to sweep up the drive of a grand manor and be treated to four-postered luxury? Whatever their bent, they can be sure their choice will have been inspected by Sawday’s and found to be rather special.

• A great gift for a significant other as, odds on, they’ll take you with them…

• Sawday’s Gift Cards come in four denominations - £25, £50, £75 and £100

• They can be redeemed at 77 participating British hotels and B&Bs

• Attractively packaged with a colour brochure detailing the places and the T&Cs

• Available to buy from November 30 here

* See the list of places here

• Not just for Christmas - weddings, birthdays, incentives, anniversaries - any excuse really

Created: Monday, November 30th, 2009

Sawday First-ever Reader Awards - Winners (and Runners-up!)

Sawday’s are delighted to announce the winners in their first ever Reader Awards. The categories were Best Breakfast, Finest Garden, Friendliest B&B, Greenest B&B, Favourite B&B and Favourite Hotel or Inn.
The winners were given their awards at a gathering of 150 hoteliers and B&B and holiday home owners which was held in Bristol.
In a refreshingly unconventional ceremony, the sustainable and hand-crafted awards were handed out by Alastair and announced in anarchic style by Dizraeli, winner of the 2007 Radio 4 slam poetry prize. See some photos of the event.

How the winners were chosen
The categories for the Awards were sent out via the Sawday monthly newsletter. The readers were invited to send in their favourites in a completely random fashion from which a shortlist was drawn up and winners selected.

The Winners

Best Breakfast – Ivydene House, Gloucestershire
Finest Garden – Horsleygate Hall, Derbyshire
Friendliest B&B or Hotel – Crown House, Yorkshire
Greenest B&B kindly sponsored by Triodos Bank Trericket Mill, Powys
Favourite B&B kindly sponsored by Kohler Mira Showers Middle Cottage, Middlesex
Favourite Hotel or Inn kindly sponsored by EaudeVie Feversham Arms & Verbena Spa, Yorkshire

And not forgetting the Runners-up! A fine achievement as our readers had around 1,000 places to choose from:

Best Breakfast
The Old Butcher’s Shop, Suffolk
Yew Tree House, Hampshire

Finest Garden
Millgate House, Yorkshire
Luggers Hall, Worcestershire

Friendliest B&B or Hotel
Thistleyhaugh, Northumberland
Luggers Hall, Worcestershire

Greenest B&B
Gotten Manor, Isle of Wight
Wemyss House, Ross-shire, Scotland
Walford Court, Shropshire

Favourite B&B
Crown House, Scarborough,Yorkshire
Nonsuch House, Dartmouth, Devon

Favourite Hotel or Inn
Cley Windmill, Norfolk
The Troubadour, London

Created: Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

French Vineyards, New Title

French Vineyards (edition 1)

  • Publication date: 21 September 2009
  • £19.99

At last! Sawday’s releases un guide nouveau for the autumn and it’s sure to be a corker – Special Places to Stay: French Vineyards. This guide will prove irresistible to wine-loving Francophiles and anyone else who fancies lazy days sauntering around La Belle France, quaffing, learning, meeting interesting owners with tales to tell, eating fine food in convivial company and then staying over. There are gîtes, châteaux and B&Bs on wine producing estates throughout the country and all have been inspected and found to be just right. So rev up the old deux chevaux (making sure there’s room for a few crates), don your best, battered, straw hat and prepare to meander.

A stunning collection of some 70 places to stay across France.
Learn about the history of the place and discover ideas for forays beyond the vineyard too.
Each place has a two page spread with colour photography throughout in this coffee-table guide.
There are tasting notes included with wine and food matching ideas.
The perfect gift for wine lovers, Francophiles and bon viveurs everywhere.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (480KB download)

Created: Monday, September 21st, 2009

British Hotels & Inns

British Hotels & Inns (edition 11)

  • Publication date: 21 September 2009
  • £14.99

What’s your idea of the perfect British escape? Perhaps a deep country-bound inn with a cluster of locals hugging the bar and a creaky four-poster to clamber onto, or a slick country house hotel with just the right amount of off-beat charm and exceptional service. Or maybe a seaside restaurant with rooms that serves the most delectable fish is more appealing. You’ll find them all in the latest edition of Sawday’s British Hotels & Inns.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (220KB download)

Created: Monday, September 21st, 2009

British Bed & Breakfast and a mini guide to Paris

British Bed & Breakfast (edition 14)

  • Publication date: August 2009
  • £14.99

A glittering collection of B&Bs including boutique beauties, quaint cottages, city spots, tucked-away farmhouses, follies, creaky castles and old rectories galore. You won’t find a turgid description of the tea and coffee making facilities or the parking
arrangements – instead you’ll get the feel of the place - and the hosts too, an important consideration when you’re staying in their home…

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (333KB download)

Paris (edition 1)

  • Publication date: September 2009
  • £9.99

Ce n’est pas vrai! Our latest guide to Paris has shrunk! But small is beautiful and it’s now the third in our hugely popular series of mini guides - a jewel box of a book. Peek inside and discover not just hotels as in previous editions but apartments,
townhouses, B&Bs and even restored farmhouses on the edge of the city. Allez!

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (322KB download)

Created: Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Green Europe

Green Europe (edition 1)

  • Publication date: 7 May 2009
  • £11.99

Over 170 authentic and memorable places to stay across Europe that champion organic food, use eco-friendly technologies, contribute to conservation, and provide genuine benefits to local communities.
So prepare to snuggle down in a turf-roofed cabin and listen to the howls of the huskies at a Norwegian lodge – take them out sledding across the frozen tundra under the Northern Lights. Or, climb up to your very own hemp insulated, two-storey tree house with nesting birds for neighbours and glittering night skies to lull you to sleep. It’s not all shacks, treehouses and yurts – there are smart city hotels, ancient châteaux and hip hideaways all doing their bit - beautifully.
Find special green places to stay in Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (100KB download)

Created: Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Fancy a Pint?

Pubs & Inns of England & Wales (edition 6)

  • Publication date: 7 May 2009
  • £11.99

880 of your finest pubs, inns, taverns and hostelries many dishing up award winning food, some with swanky rooms for a post-sup stagger-up, and lots and lots with flags, fires and fine ale. Discover this year’s 12 deserving winners in our very own Sawday Awards: Community Pub, Pub with Rooms, Authentic Pub and Best Local, Season & Organic Produce. This book is a MUST for any self-respecting glove-box (or cycle pannier).

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (100KB download)

Created: Monday, May 4th, 2009

April 2009 Titles - Go Slow Italy and Special Places to Stay Spain

Go Slow Italy (edition 1)

  • Publication date: 2 April 2009
  • £19.99

Italy, the birthplace of the Slow movement and the home of Slow Food, is the second destination in our new Slow series. 46 exceptional places to stay – places where attention is lavished on some of the most important things in life: convivial meals, community, friends and family, a respect for the environment and a celebration of regional distinctiveness. From the mountainous north, through cypress-dotted Tuscany and on down to the gutsy, colourful south, you’ll discover an unmatched passion for Slow Food and Slow Travel. You will meet farmers, literary people, wine-makers and craftsmen – all with rich stories to tell. Go Slow Italy celebrates fascinating people, fine architecture, history, landscape and real food.

A coffee table format with full colour professional photography throughout.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (100KB download)

Spain (edition 8)

  • Publication date: 2 April 2009
  • £14.99

Whether you’re heading for the Sierras or the costas, historic towns or cosmopolitan cities, this guide has a huge variety of places to choose from. There are simple Casas de Aldea (small traditional houses in remote rural settings), restored monasteries and palaces and modernist buildings with all the contemporary designer trimmings. Stride out on walking holidays in the National Parks, linger by the pool and make the most of some terrific regional and international cooking.

Over 340 places, most of which are under €100 with half having rooms under €70 per night.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (100KB download)

Created: Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Early Spring 2009 Titles - French B&B, Ireland and Garden Lovers

French B&B (edition 11)

  • Publication date: 5 February 2009
  • £15.99

A fine collection of châteaux, chalets, pigeonniers, moulins and maisons in some of the most captivating parts of France.
This was our very first title - the thrill of finding such beautiful houses and welcoming hosts across the country inspired Alastair to start the publishing company. Quelle bonne idée! The book has guided tens of thousands of us to some magical spots whether we’re travelling from north to south and looking for a stop-off with character or just meandering, staying where the mood (and guide) takes us.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (100KB download)

Ireland (edition 7)

  • Publication date: 5 February 2009
  • £12.99

Over 200 special places – fishing lodges, keeps and castles, self-catering cottages, city hotels, farms and seaside houses.
Perhaps you like the idea of staying in one of those grand Georgian mansions set in parkland with a crystal-bound dining table and sparkling conversation to match. Or how about a simple cottage, right by the sea surrounded by wild roses and gentian, with a hearty Irish supper and a trip to the nearest pub in the evening? Whatever you fancy, you’d better get hold of the latest edition of Special Places to Stay Ireland.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (396KB download)

British Bed & Breakfast for Garden Lovers (edition 5)

  • Publication date: 5 February 2009
  • £14.99

The return of our hardy biennial featuring exquisite places to stay in equally exquisite gardens; from grand estates to small town plots, all over the country. In these places, you will meet owners with hugely different gardens: some will be finished masterpieces, others will be works in progress, but all will be talking points. Our owners are experts on their own gardens of course, but they can often organize private visits to other gardens, direct you to good local nurseries and give you the low-down on which public gardens to visit nearby.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (1MB download)

Created: Sunday, February 1st, 2009

News from the B&B World

We sent out our Sawday owners’ newsletter this week with a small section written by me asking for snippets that might be of interest to journalists. I have already received news of a Dorset b&b that have a donkey foal who is currently being trained to go with guests on their walks, not just for company you understand but to carry their picnics! He should be ready for duty in the spring. Then there’s the Sussex b&b where they’ve introduced a family ‘lie-in’ package - not only do they offer babysitting during the evening but will also do the same in the morning AND bring parents breakfast in bed.

Let me know if you would like details of these places or any others that I’ve got up my sleeve. Do watch this space too - thanks to a lesson from Libby in our IT department, I will be updating it regularly with details of all the latest titles and all sorts of other Sawday excitement. Thanks, Sarah

Created: Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Autumn’s coming - time for a weekend getaway with Sawday’s

British Bed & Breakfast (edition 13)

  • Publication date: October 2 2008
  • £9.99

We’re always keen to draw attention to owners who are striving to have a positive impact on the world so we have introduced our “Ethical Collection” to this new edition of our bestselling guide. Owners have had to complete a detailed questionnaire and have it evaluated before becoming part of this collection.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (100KB download)

British Hotels & Inns (edition 10)

  • Publication date: October 2 2008
  • £14.99

If you’re after the sort of recommendations that you might get from a trusted friend, look no further. New to this edition, a boutique beauty in the South Hams, a lodge on the shores of Loch Ness, colourful exoticism near er Reading and a London restaurant with rooms with a legendary rock and roll past and free pudding on Tuesday nights if you wear a hat.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (396KB download)

Scotland (edition 1, new title)

  • Publication date: October 2 2008
  • £9.99

We’ve had Pubs & Inns of England & Wales and Go Slow England, so surely it’s about time to redress the geographical balance. Now we have, with the second in our series of mini guides - Special Places to Stay, Scotland. Highlands, Islands, lochs, city splendours, remote crofts, cliff-clinging castles, spoiling hotels, and even a ’see-through house’ on the Isle of Skye are all included. 149 entries covering b&bs, hotels, inns and self-catering.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (1MB download)

Created: Monday, July 21st, 2008

Spring is springing at Sawday’s - brand new titles!

Created: Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

Go Slow England

  • Publication date 3 April 2008 £19.99
  • 48 of England’s most exquisite B&Bs, hotels…places to ‘go slow’
  • Home-made and home-grown food produced with care, skill and love
  • Fresh writing and beautiful colour
    photography in a coffee table format - four pages for each entry
Photos: Eshott Hall

The first in a new series of guides. The Slow Food revolution is upon us and
this guide celebrates the Slow philosophy of life with a terrific selection of the places, recipes
and people who take their time to enjoy life at it most enriching. In this beautiful book that goes
beyond the mere ‘glossy’, you will discover an unusual emphasis on the people who live in Special
Slow Places and what they do. You will meet farmers, literary people, wine-makers and craftsmen -
all with rich stories to tell. Go Slow England celebrates fascinating people, fine architecture,
history, landscape and real food.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread » (1MB download)

Created: Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

Devon & Cornwall

  • Publication date 6 March 2008 £11.99
  • 173 Special Places including stylish hotels, simple or sumptuous B&Bs, beamy old inns and beautiful self-catering houses. Information on each area including delights for walkers, surfers, gardeners and lovers of real ale pubs.

In this new pocket-sized book you will find places to stay that are just as varied, delightfully different. Here is a rich mix of beautiful B&Bs, charming hotels, lively inns
and self-catering cottages from swish to rustic, so you can unearth the treasures of both counties
in your own way, at your own pace. There are also some pages devoted to suggestions for walks,
beaches, cream teas and how to entertain children on a wet day; no excuse to sit twiddling your
thumbs or wondering what to do next.

Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (280KB download)

Created: Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

Italy

  • Publication date 6 March 2008 £14.99
  • Is there anyone who doesn’t love Italy? Doubt it, so delve in and discover wonderful places from Florentine art deco hotels and stylish Venetian apartments to rustic agriturismi.
  • Like to read more? Download our press release and sample spread (316KB download)
Created: Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

Partner Services