British Hotels & Inns [antikvár]

6 A word from Alastair SawdayHave you ever thought of lifting sagging spirits with a quick flit to a hotel?A grey pall hung over Britain's hotels from autumn to spring. Petrol prices and food prices rose relentlessly and everyone has felt the pinch. So, we wondered, would the travellers of the UK lift their spirits by escaping to a good hotel, or would they sink more deeply into their sofas and gaze at the telly?It is hard to get a clear picture, but it seems that our hotels have cheered many of you. Those that charge over the odds have seen a drop in bookings; those that remain good value (whether simple or plush) are holding firm. The extra bank holiday (bless the Windsors) has helped. The general picture seems to be that those hotels that are terrific have lost no friends. The others have had to work hard. Luckily, ours are nearly all terrific.Photo: Tom GermainWe've held on to many long term favourites, and have over forty new hotels, including some great new city places and a couple on the Channel Islands and the Western Isles. The awful era of standardisation is largely over, though I worry a little about the constant repetition of decorative themes. When will hotels stop draping a useless swathe of material across the bottom third of the bed? And what is the purpose of the piles of cushions by the pillows?We continue to celebrate the small and the rustic, and inns with rooms are growing in popularity. Serviced apartments are becoming popular with those who need a bit of privacy; one even has a cordon bleu chef and a chauffeur.The generosity shown to our inspectors, often spontaneous rather than calculated, has been as heart-warming as ever. Tom Bell, who many of our owners know, has always been treated with special warmth. This has rubbed off on Carmen, who did a little inspecting and was treated to homemade wine and a gorgeous room with a claw-foot bath on her trip to Sark. Only a few harsh weeks back at HQ will wean her off such treatment.So, please, dear reader, promise yourself a lifetime of avoiding chain hotels and using only those run with love. We have enough of them here for any lifetime.Alastair Sawday