Page 6 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Great Places to Stay in Europe

GPS_006-009_Prelim/HTG.qxd 9/7/01 3:14 PM Page 66 (TEXT BLACK plate)1:00 PM Page 63:14 PM Page 63:14 PM Page 1133 3
GPS_006-009_Prelim/HTG.qxd 9/7/01
GPS_006-009_Prelim/HTG.qxd 9/7/01

6 HOW T O US E THI S GU ID E

H OW TO U S ET H I S G UIDE
HISGUIDE is designed to help to a single country. The sections run
you get the most from your in loose geographical order, starting
T travels in Europe. Each place in Northern Europe and ending in
to stay – whether a hotel, a bed-and- Southern Europe.
breakfast or a country inn – has been Within each section there are
chosen because it is in some way always three parts: introductory pages,
special, an experience worth describing the accommodation scene
seeking out in its own right and overall; maps, showing where the
more than just a bed for the night. hotels are located; and the hotel
There are 15 sections, each devoted entries (‘listings’) themselves.

OUR EIGHT SELECTION CRITERIA
• Character – in the buildings, and the • A personal welcome – genuine, not
interior decoration. forced – from staff or proprietor.
• Atmosphere or ambience – often • Bedrooms like real bedrooms,
influenced by other guests. not hotel rooms.
• Style and taste not only in the • Interesting food, prepared with care
interior decoration but in the details – from fresh ingredients.
the placing of furniture, the
presentation of menus, and so on. • Size: generally not very large, but
some large hotels are included – see
• An interesting, attractive location. the qualifications below.
A Question of Balance reach their basic standards inspectors favoured the
As you would expect, our of comfort. We believe that privately-owned, smaller
main entries – the ones this philosophy will give hotels, guesthouses or inns
illustrated with photo- our readers more mem- because it’s so much easier
graphs – tend to score five, orable experiences on their for them to offer a gen-
six, seven or even eight out travels than a cushioning uinely personal welcome
of eight on the list des- of standardized comfort and an atmosphere in
cribed above. But, and you and facilities. which you feel like an
will find this clearly stated Please do use the form individual, rather than one
in the text where appro- on page 432 to let us know in a crowd.
priate, a significant number your views on the places
of our main selections are where you have stayed, or Variety
especially strong on just to recommend others for Above all, our contributors
one or two of the points, the next edition. have tried to provide var-
and weak on the others. It iety. There are more than
is very often the case for Food 2,000 entries in the guide,
example that a lovely old We don‘t underestimate its and among them there is
building, in a magical set- importance, and some every sort of lodging: bed-
ting, makes a truly special entries would not have and-breakfasts in historic
hotel, despite the fact that made it in to this guide, private houses; hotels in
the bedrooms may be dull, were it not for their food. stately homes and
possibly small, and the However, it is increasingly châteaux; self-catering
service not as some would true, especially in Britain, apartments in Venetian
wish. This is especially true France and Italy, that good palaces; there is even a
of Venice hotels, but you’ll food is the norm. In these guest house in a windmill.
find such places through- countries, hotels generally And if you really need a
out the guide. need to have more going retreat, try one of the
Generally speaking, our for them than food alone to monasteries in Spain that
inspectors have rated be featured in this guide. open their door to trav-
setting, atmosphere and a ellers. We’ve deliberately
personal welcome more Size mixed the unusual with the
important than service, A few have less than 15 more conventional rest-
food and sophisticated rooms; most have between aurants-with-rooms,
facilities. But, of course, 15 and 50; a few have country inns, smart town
they have rejected many more than 50. As houses and crumbling but
anywhere that doesn’t you might expect, our beautiful farmhouses.