Von Essen hotels

No bribes

'Thank God, you cannot bribe or twist the honest British journalist, but seeing what unbribed he'll do, there's no reason to.' Reading Michael Winner's paeon of praise to Andrew Davis, the owner of Von Essen Hotels for having rescued Cliveden, a luxury hotel, from the abyss, I could not help but recall this old Fleet Street ditty.

Mr Winner, a Sunday Times columnist, was recently given the grand tour of the the Von Essen empire in a private helicopter. Several journalists have now enjoyed such aerial jaunts accompanied by Mr Davis, and it works a treat. The resulting articles would bring a warm glow to the most jaundiced of PRs. And even those journalists who merely get a ride home in the owner's silver Rolls Royce are impressed.

Let me be clear. I have nothing against lubricating the wheels and the throats of the press. But what I do find a touch worrying is how much of what is written about hotels is inspired by high-spending PR companies intent on burnishing their clients' image. The punters need to read such stuff with more than a pinch of salt. As for Michael Winner, he is perhaps best known for having made some terrible films. The actor, Denholm Elliott, once said that he was one of the few actors who had ever worked with Winner more than once and 'it certainly wasn't for love.'

I wouldn't dare claim that the Guide always gets its judgments right. But our independence helps. We do not accept payment, advertising or hospitality from hotels for their entries in the printed Guide. Our readers also help to keep us honest. If we put in a hotel that shouldn't be there, or leave out one that should be in, they are quick to let us know. They are not impressed by helicopters and Rolls Royces which is why Cliveden does not currently have an entry in our Guide. We do, however, continue to monitor its progress. Some Von Essen hotels are included in our 2010Guide, among them Ynyshir Hall, which is still run by its previous owner, Joan Reen. As for Mr Davis he is a colourful character, and he adds to the gaiety of life, but I have yet to be convinced that he is a hotelier.

Adam Raphael

Special offers

Oh to be old!

There are some special offers that deserve to be celebrated with champagne. Carlton Riverside, owned by Alan and Mary Ann Gilchrist, at Llanwrtyd Wells, is offering a discount depending on your age. The older you are the bigger it is. At 65, your get a 65% discount, at 85 an 85% discount and at 100, you stay for free! The only condition is that you have to spend a minimum of £75 (for two) in the hotel restaurant each evening on any combination of meals, wines, drinks etc. Mrs Gilchrist is an accomplished cook and there are more than 80 wines on the list, so this won't be a hardship. Breakfast is a joy, with fresh orange juice and good scrambled eggs.

Hotels, inns and B&Bs with special offers (click and see)

New website

Changing faces

Our newly designed website coinciding with the launch of the 2010 Guide has several new features including more hotel offers and lists of hotels by region and facilty. It also has an improved search. Please have a look: :www.goodhotelguide.com. The website is work in progress, and not everything is singing and dancing, but it soon will be, thanks to our excellent web developer, HeadChannel. Next step will be to put hotel videos up on the website. Comments and suggestions for future improvements welcome. Please email me: editor@goodhotelguide.com.

Travellers Tales

Basil Fawlty

I took my wife for a Birthday dinner to a hotel. After the meal we retired to the lounge for coffee and mints. The coffee arrived but no mints. When my wife asked about the mints, the waitress said: 'Very sorry but one of the staff has eaten them all.'

'The owner is hands-on, and she and her husband run the place by themselves. If the chemistry between her and her guests is less than perfect, there will be no one to dilute it. She showed us to a room at the front within traffic noise range. It was small, dark and painted in sombre colours reinforced by dark fabrics. A very small bathroom contained a shower cubicle and loo. It was all deeply unwelcoming.'

The food was artistically presented, but we felt it was produced to enhance the reputation of the chef, not for the enjoyment of the diners.

25% DISCOUNT

Buy the 2010 Guide

The 2010 edition of the Good Hotel Guide to Great Britain and Ireland is now available. Completely revised and rewritten, the new edition has 450 full entries, and more than 400 shortlist entries. There are more than 100 new entries and a similar number has been dropped. Discount vouchers worth a total of £150 are included with each copy. They enable a 25% saving off the normal B&B price at participating hotels. A copy of the new Guide ordered direct from us costs £17.50 (including £2.50 p&p), compared to a retail price of £20.

Click here to buy now!

The Good Hotel Guide, founded 32 years ago, is totally independent. It receives no payments, hospitality or advertising from hotels selected for an entry in the printed Guide. Hotels pay to be on the Guide's website, but only those hotels who have an entry in the printed Guide are invited to appear on the website. Some of our selected hotels also buy copies of the printed Guide from us. Selected hotels are recommended by readers, backed where necessary by an anonymous inspection. The British edition of the Guide is published each autumn. Adam and Caroline Raphael, who edit the Guide, are award-winning journalists. Caroline, a former BBC researcher and a travel writer, is editor-in-chief. She has worked on the Guide for more than 30 years. Adam, who previously worked for the Guardian, the Observer, the BBC and the Economist, is the Guide's marketing director. Desmond Balmer, formerly travel editor of the Observer, is editor of the British guide. The Guide specialises in small owner-managed hotels and B&Bs in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Channel Islands. It includes budget B&Bs, good value hotels as well as grand country houses and chic city hotels, all offering value for money in their price.range..