Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)My girlfriend tried using this guide, as one would Frommer's or Fodor's (see my reviews), and became a bit frustrated. Two issues `twisted her lemon', one was the paltry lack of information on important locations (Salisbury and its magnificent cathedral gets 58 words, Stonehenge a short paragraph) and the other was the difficult and demanding way the guide connects the hotel descriptions to the maps.
Regarding the first point, the title of the guide is very clear about what it covers: Hotel's and Itineraries. It is not a country guide.
Karen Brown's selections of hotels are excellent and her comments and appraisals are `spot-on. She writes as one who has actually stayed at each establishment, who has met the owners or managers, and one who paints a picture of what you will find and the experiences that you should have when using one of these select properties. Great. That said you should know before purchasing this guide that these hotel selections are some of the most unique and best in the UK. Therefore, they are not for those on a shoestring or moderate budget; but rather, as the financially well-endowed would say, these guides are for those with "discriminating tastes." Her website, karenbrown.com, is worth a visit and you can check out the various accommodations listing in greater detail.
Besides top notch unique accommodations, the guide gives you nine extraordinary driving itineraries that wind you through the very best regions of England, Wales & Scotland. This is what the book is all about. Nada mas.I kindly pointed this out to my girlfriend.
Regarding the second point, the guide is cumbersome. Karen Brown needs to make finding the hotels, which correspond to dot on her maps, much easier. Her driving itineraries are in the front of the book, and the recommended hotels in the last part of the book and there is no simple reference between the two. There are much better ways to set this up. Karen Brown needs to learn from the major guide publishers. They could help her a lot here. Also, her driving itinerary maps are very remedial and could be much better.
If you have money, love to drive and you want unique, superior accommodations, get this guide, you won't be disappointed. This guide is very useful, especially when used in tandem with a good country guide, like Fodor's or Frommer's mentioned above. Recommended
Click Here to see more reviews about: Karen Brown's England, Wales & Scotland Charming Hotels & Itineraries 2003 (Karen Brown's Country Inn Guides)
Completely updated every year, Karen Brown Guides point you to the most charming inns and B&Bs in Europe and the USA. Loaded with tons of reviews and easy-to-follow ititneraries as well as lively, personal descriptions of all inns, hotels, and B&Bs; accommodations in all price ranges, chosen for their charm and the warmth of their welcome; plus locator maps which help to plan inn-to-inn itineraries.
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