Cheap Sleeps in Italy '99 Ed

The value of a really good book in other spheres of literature can mean hours spent in another time and place in a trance of pleasure, or perhaps the true satisfaction of gaining a comprehensive understanding of a concept or event that had formally intrigued or baffled you. These are considerable and valuable pleasures of course, but when a book like this gets things absolutely right, it can mean a trip being enhanced to an immeasurable degree, resulting in memories that will stay with you until the day you die.This was my experience with this book, and when I awoke on our first morning in our hotel, the sun was streaming in over a terrace bedecked with lemon trees and classical sculptures, I could hear the mass being sung by the nuns in the nearby convent, and I could look directly above my bed to see a deep relief sculpture of prancing angels, it was difficult not to be convinced, for a split second that I had not survived the flight over, slipped by the pearly gates due to some administrative error on the part of St Peter & Co, and awoken in paradise. That I had this experience was entirely due to the quality of the research undertaken for this book, and the discretion of the author. The writing is of a quality that you will wish to revisit the book, and your destination.A 5 star rating is probably overused on ... but it would be ungrateful and crass of me to give less here.Priceless information, precious memories, a palpable hit.

We used Sandra's books for both Italy and London and have had great success with them. In Italy we stayed in two of the most charming and wonderful hotels ever and have gone back to them a second time because we enjoyed them so much. Her information is accurate, her comments on cleanliness, location and amenities have been invaluable to us. We were desperately seeking a B & B in London and went to one she highly recommended. Believe me, it was more than adequate. In London hotels are very expensive and actually are pretty bare-boned but Sanda's information helped us to stay inexpensively, in a very convenient location, without breaking our bank account. I truly can't thank her enough for the recommendations in Italy. We love both of the hotels (Rome and Florence). We've also used cheap eats in Italy and London and found them helpful and accurate. Bravo Sandra! [:-)

I have to confess to being a huge fan of Sandra Gustafson's entire line of Cheap Sleeps/Cheap Eats guides. I first started using them when I was a budget consious traveller in college and law school. The I stayed in only the cheapest of her "Cheap Sleeps" confident that she only recommended clean and safe hotels of distinction. Now that I am a more discerning (and less budget conscious) traveller, I find that I still rely on Ms. Gustafson's recommendations. That is because her watchword is really not CHEAP but VALUE. She has ferreted out the hotels where for $80 a night you live better than most places that serve up $150 a night rooms. I also find that by mentioning that I am relying on Sandra Gustafson's recommendation when booking or checking in, that these sm all hotel owners welcome me warmly. She must truly leave a good impression when she stays in these exceptional-value hotels and B & Bs. So let Sandra Gustafson pave the way for you. I have NEVER been disappointed. I have used Cheap Sleeps/Cheap Eats LONDON, PARIS, ROME-FLORENCE-VENICE and HAWAII.

I loved everything about this book. It gave such great detail. Knowing which rooms had great views, closets for storage, and shower curtains were awesome for me and my travel partner to know. The book even goes as far as to say which room you could possibly get fresh flowers from the hotel gardens. We stayed at several of the hotels that were recommed and fell in love with each one. We loved it, and it certainly came in handy during our travels throughtout Italy. I recommend it highly to all that are planning a trip to Italy. And we are looking forward to using the book for our trip coming up in September.

I ordered several books about Italian hotels before I happened upon this one. The author gives detailed descriptions of the hotels including her personal view. I planned my own vacation using this book as a reference. The prices have increased slightly since the book was published in 1996 and a few of the fax numbers have changed. Overall, I found it to be very useful.