B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D AY ’ S F A M I LY

SPECIAL PLACES TO STAY

Join us

THE ELTERMERE INN, CUMBRIA

On the cover:

Every property featured is a Sawday’s Special Place – look them up at sawdays.co.uk

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

ALASTAIR & TOBY SAWDAY

T I M E A W AY I S F A R T O O P R E C I O U S T O SPEND IN THE WRONG PLACE. THAT’S WHY, B A C K I N 1 9 9 4 , W E S T A R T E D S A W D AY ’ S .

Twenty years on, we’re still a family concern – and still on a crusade to stamp out the bland and predictable, and help our guests find truly special places to stay.

If you have one, we do hope you’ll decide to take the plunge and join us.

I T ’ S A F A M I LY A F F A I R

Our story

“Our gentle campaign against mass tourism and chain hotels remains at the heart of what we do.”

TOBY SAWDAY

B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

Sawday’s began as a campaign against the bland and predictable – the corporate takeover of tourism. Celebrating eclecticism and individuality,

two decades later we are still, successfully, challenging convention.

We are a family-run business. In the early

nineties Alastair Sawday’s Tours, always

maverick, led travel groups to the hidden

delights of France, to B&Bs, farmers, small

privately-owned hotels and nourishing

human encounters. Alastair’s first book was

a best-seller, and our guidebooks of carefully

hand-picked Special Places to Stay are still

hugely successful today.

In 2010 Alastair handed the reins over to

his son Toby, who amongst other things,

launched our new website and our first pubs

iPhone app, as well as Sawday’s Canopy &

Stars, our collection of glamping places.

Alastair is still involved, always on hand

to visit a new place, organise a member

gathering, or to gently chide us for not

cycling enough.

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

Celebrating his first book!

We believe in what we do, passionately

and honestly. We love all things local and

independent, and seek out quirkiness and

creativity, only selecting the most special

places and members.

Our trusted network of inspectors in Britain,

Ireland, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal

have grown our ‘family’ of Special Places

to almost 5,000. They come in the wildest

imaginable variety of shapes and sizes,

from funky fincas and blissful B&Bs to arty

agriturismi and charming châteaux.

We don’t conform and we don’t ask you to

– we will defend to the last your right to

do things your way. You have personality and we like it.

W H A T M A K E S U S D I F F E R E N T ?

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

“With us, there’s only one box you have to tick – the ‘do you run a very special place indeed?’ box.”

ALASTAIR SAWDAY

Things we love...Character, charm and authenticity

Good conversation, humour and a sense of fun

All sorts of buildings, from the crumbling but dignified to the modern and stylish

Open-minded, friendly owners who love welcoming guests

Free-range pets and children

Hardly any rules and regulations

D E L I G H T I N G I N I N D I V I D U A L I T Y

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

NOT VERY SPECIAL PLACE, DULLSTOWN

we’re not such fans of this!

we really like this

STUDIO FARROWS, SOMERSET

Gwen visiting one of our very first members

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L YB E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

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So why join us? The short answer is that becoming a member of our ‘family’ of Special Places is like

being awarded a Michelin star (but better, obviously). Our stamp of approval will tell guests that you offer a truly special experience and you will benefit from

our knowledge, reputation and support.

The long answer is overleaf...

A ‘ S P E C I A L LY ’ G O O D I D E A

Joining the family

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

Jane's vintage charm THE BEACHHOUSE, FRANCE

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

Jane's vintage charm Sawday’s success is built on the trust our guests place in us to hand-pick only the most Special Places, on their behalf.

YO U R S T A K E I N O U R R E P U T A T I O N

“Sawday’s. Is there any other?”SONIA HODGSON, HORRY MILL

A C U R A T E D C O L L E C T I O N

We really can’t stress too strongly what a

massive difference that makes. In an online

world drowning in information, a site like

ours that presents a relatively small and

careful selection of Special Places stands

out like a brilliantly shining beacon.

I N S P E C T A N D R E - I N S P E C T

Our inspectors have an eagle-eye for the

special, but absolutely no preconceptions or

check-lists. They visit every member, see

every bedroom and bathroom and, on the

lucky days, eat the food.

Not everyone makes the grade (we reject 1 in

4). And if you are selected, you can’t afford

to relax back in your hammock, because we

regularly re-inspect all our Special Places –

a vital part of maintaining our reputation,

for the benefit of all our members.

Q U A L I T Y , N O T Q U A N T I T Y

We don’t pretend (or want) to be in the

same business as the sites that handle

zillions of bookings a day. Enabling our

carefully selected members to use our

name ensures that you attract the right

kind of guests.

V A R I E T Y

From country-house hotels to city pads

and funky fincas to blissful B&Bs, the

variety of Special Places in our collection

has grown and grown. We genuinely

delight in individuality and we promise we

won’t try to change the way you do things.

L OYA L T Y

We’re pleased to say that nearly half of our

members have been with us for five years or

more. We must be doing something right!

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

Being part of the Sawday’s family is one of the very best things you can do. So let’s take

a look at what you get in return for being one of our selected Special Places.

T H E ABC O F M E M B E R S H I P

B E N E F I T S

BAY HOTEL, CORNWALL

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

is for A C C R E D I T A T I O N

Enabling our carefully selected members to use our name ensures that you attract the right kind of guests

– the kind that come back again and again.

All our places feature on our

popular website, visited almost

3 million times a year. Guests see

your full contact details so they can

contact you directly, and our online

Member Area helps you to make

the most of your Special Place.

Most of our Special Places have

the opportunity to feature in our

guidebooks, too. Since our first

book back in 1994, we’ve sold over

1.4 million and continue to publish

guides on British and French B&Bs

and Hotels, English and Welsh pubs

and Italian Special Places. They are

much loved and set us apart.

But featuring on our website and

in our guidebooks is only the

beginning of the story. Your hard-

earned accreditation entitles you to

use your badge across all your own

marketing activities – letting guests

know that you and your place

really are something very special.

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

is for B E L O N G I N G

One thing we’ve learned over the years is that running a smallish hospitality business can sometimes feel quite lonely. So we make a big effort to give all our members a genuine sense of belonging to a friendly, supportive community.

That starts with our membership

team. You’ll find they are fully

paid-up members of the human

race, who talk your language and

will always be happy to provide

you with any help you need. They

genuinely want to get to know you

better and love to hear from you.

And we’re sure you’ll also enjoy

coming along to our regular

member gatherings, where you’ll

have a chance to get to know

other Sawday’s members, and

do a bit of serious networking.

Or exchange cake recipes –

whichever you prefer.

“Trustworthy, friendly and helpful – with a reputation for offering wonderful places and discerning visitors.”

JULIA NAISMITH, HOLLYTREE COTTAGENic on tour in Lyon

Nicky enjoys a Toulouse gatheringToby has a tipple with our Andalusian members

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

F A C E B O O K . C O M / S A W D AY S @ S A W D AY S P I N T E R E S T . C O M / S A W D AY S

is for C O N T E N T. . .

Okay, that may be a bit of a marketing buzz-word, but it’s really just another way of saying that people love to hear about Sawday’s and our Special Places.

O U R N E W M A G A Z I N E S

Our gorgeous Sawday’s magazine for guests is positively bursting

at the seams with travellers’

tales and inspirational articles.

Our recently launched members’ magazine is packed with handy

hints from fellow members,

news from Sawday’s, and tips on

how to get the most out of your

membership with us.

M A R K E T I N G & S O C I A L A C T I V I T Y

Public awareness of Sawday’s

is high, thanks to our themed

website collections of Special

Places, popular blog, monthly

newsletters and competitions.

We’re active on Facebook, Twitter

and Pinterest, too, and love to

share our stories of Special Places

to help us reach out to even more

guests for our members.

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

...and also

C O N N E C T I O N S

Oh yes, there’s another C.

The fantastic relationships we’ve built up over the

last 20 years, both with the media and like-minded

household names such as Waitrose, The Guardian

and Cath Kidston, means we’re able to reach millions

of exactly the right kind of people. We introduce

them to the Sawday’s name – and sometimes to

individual Special Places – while ‘piggy-backing’

their marketing budgets.

The exposure and coverage we get is wonderful, and

all our members reap the benefits.

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

G ordon's glossy modern lines KAYWANA HALL, DEVON

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

THE PIGGERY, MONMOUTHSHIRE

DOMAINE DE PÉLICAN, FRANCE 180 DEGREES BLUE, CORNWALL

ADA NADA AGRITURISMO, ITALY

THE WHEATSHEAF, CUMBRIA FINCA EL MORO, SPAIN

Nature-lovers

B runchers Seasiders

Explorers

Pub lunchersLone rangers

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

We’re proud of the fact that 99%* of our guests would recommend us. And when you become a member, that loyalty to Sawday’s is all yours.

If you’re interested, we’d be happy to

provide you with lots of fascinating

information about the kind of people you’ll

meet through us – starting with the fact

that, between them, they visit our website

nearly three million times a year.

Actually, though, the most important thing

of all about the ‘Sawday’s tribe’ really can’t

be quantified. We mean what an interesting,

diverse and altogether delightful bunch

they are. We love dealing with them, and

we know our members feel the same; we

hear countless stories of lasting friendships

formed in Special Places, around the

breakfast table.

And remember, you’re not dependent on us

to make the introductions. As a Sawday’s

member, you can use our name to attract

the kind of people who really appreciate

a Special Place like yours, and are likely to

book again – as well as recommending you

to their friends.

“We have greatly enjoyed many Special Places. Thank you for making a difference to our travel.”

JUDITH HODGKINSON, NORTHAMPTON

Meet your loyal and lovely guests

*2012 Sawday’s survey of 948 visitors to sawdays.co.uk

B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

Carolyn’s labour of love

YARLINGTON HOUSE, SOMERSET

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

G E T T I N G I N T O U C H

We’d love to hear about you and your

Special Place. If it all sounds promising,

we’ll arrange for one of our inspectors to

come and take an informal look around.

M O N E Y M A T T E R S

Before we visit, we’ll agree a fair

membership fee, based on the size of your

place and what you charge – so you’ll

know from the outset how much belonging

to Sawday’s will cost you. (We think

you’ll come to look on it as one of your best

ever investments.)

We’ll also ask you for a small initial fee, to

cover our costs, which is refundable if we

decide you’re not quite right for us.

T E L L I N G YO U R S T O R Y

If all goes well, we’ll ask you to supply

photos, while we create a sparkling write up

for you to check – so no need for you to rack

your brain, searching for the right adjectives

to make your Special Place stand out.

And once you’re up and running on our

site, you can update your details whenever

you like, through our Member Area.

T I M E T O C E L E B R A T E

All done? Then maybe a chilled glass of

something crisp and fizzy, and a toast to you

and your place, the hard work you’ve done

to make it so special, and the even greater

success you’ll soon be enjoying as part of

the Sawday’s family of Special Places.

If your place is really special, then becoming a member of Sawday’s is a piece of cake. Here’s how our selection process works...

“Becoming a member really isn’t daunting or complicated – we’re not out to find fault, just specialness.”

CHARLOTTE MURPHY, HEAD OF MEMBERSHIP

O U R S E L E C T I O N P R O C E S S

How to join

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B E C O M E A M E M B E R O F T H E S A W D A Y ’ S F A M I L Y

If you’d like to become part of Sawday’s – or if you have any questions at all about membership – please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you, even if you’re

not ready to apply. We love a good natter!

C A L L O U R F R I E N D LY M E M B E R S H I P T E A M . . .

+44 (0)117 204 7810Monday to Friday, 9am – 5.30pm gmt

. . . D R O P U S A L I N E A N D W E ’ L L C A L L YO U B A C K . . .

members@sawdays.co.uk

. . . O R F I L L I N YO U R D E T A I L S A T

sawdays.co.uk/joinus

G et in touch

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Everything you love about Sawday’s – but outdoors

To join our collection of beautiful and quirky glamping places,

or to find out more, get in touch: +44 (0)117 204 7830

ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk

sawdays.co.uk/pubs

canopyandstars.co.uk

Special Places to Eat & Drink If you have an original or authentic

pub and would like to join our new collection, please get in touch:

+44 (0)117 204 7829 pubs@sawdays.co.uk

Pubs

S AW D AY S . C O. U K

Peter’s romantic harbour views

OLD HARBOUR VIEW, WEYMOUTH