Europe's Wonderful Little Hotels Inns, 1998: The Continent

We have been living in Europe for 1-1/2 years. Although this guide seems to be written by and for middle-aged cautious British travelers (no offense), we are not British and not even close to middle-aged and have stayed at 5 of the hotels and found them great. Although not cheap, the prices, are not crazy and are all clearly marked in the guide and phone numbers are listed so one could verify the cost. This is definitely not the ''rough guide'' (which we also use for longer trips). This guide is for people who want a very nice place to stay, maybe for one or two days, and who want a break from the chain hotels we are all used to on business trips. It is for people who appreciate not just warm shower water and a towel, but a nice bowl of fresh fruit in the room, and a substantial breakfast and a friendly host that doesn't make you feel like your plastic hilton key-card. The food at all 5 of the hotels we chose was amazing (we pretty much base our trips around food and architecture anyway...). We have given this book to friends visiting us and they are completely satisfied. In addition, the book survives on readers' reviews, so it is only as good as the reports that come in.

While living in Europe the past three years, we have found this reference an indispensible tool for finding wonderfully pleasant accommodations. We have stayed in over 20 of the guest-only recommended hotels & inns throughout the continent and have yet to be disappointed.