ALASTAIR SAWDAY PUBLISHING CO Blog Sawday's British Hotel Awards

While many are thinking about the upcoming festivities, we feel Christmas has come early with the launch of our brand new British Hotels Guide. In bookshops now, Sawday's Special Places to Stay: British Hotels & Inns (edition 18) is stocked full of the 300 best independent hotels across Britain. We have whittled this fantastic collection down to five hotels who have smashed the award categories for 2016/17. From innovative menus to treasures that have been delighting guests for years, have a look at which British Hotels have brought home a title....Sawday's British Hotel AwardsFavourite Newcomer Award: Coruisk House - Elgol, Isle of Skye New hotels can be hard to find in tough economic times, but these Owners have burst onto the scene with a heavenly place hidden behind a mountain on the Isle of Skye. This chic little restaurant with rooms serves ambrosial food: Highland beef with braised oxtail, lobster bisque and ginger steamed pudding. Decor is rustic and cosy, with wood-burners and mohair throws.Nicely Priced Award: The Beckford Arms - Salisbury, WiltshireNip to Wiltshire for this gorgeous inn lost in lush countryside. Dine in Georgian-meets-modern interiors, snooze in garden hammocks in the summer, warm up by the drawing room's roaring fire in the winter. Graze on Brixham clam chowder and chocolate delice, before wandering sleepily to small - yet perfectly formed - bedrooms.National Treasure Award: Rose & Crown - Barnard Castle, DurhamLike a good red wine, some hotels get better with age. This 18th-century inn sits peacefully in a village that time forgot, tucked away in the north Pennines. Take your pick from the line of real ale pumps and enjoy a fine meal in the panelled restaurant. Stylish rooms await with comfy beds, Bose sound systems and lovely bathrooms. Dogs are very welcome.Fabulous Food Award: The Crown & Castle - Woodbridge, SuffolkFind yourself blissfully marooned at the end of the road at this bolthole in foodie Suffolk! With small miracles coming from their kitchen, The Crown & Castle delights all with their menu: potted brown shrimps, flawless steak and kidney pie, Cornish crab quiche and seasonal artichoke heart salads are a mere taster of their treats. Wellington boots wait at the back door so pull on a pair, build up an appetite and then indulge in the freshest of food.Hotel of the Year Award: Penally Abbey - Tenby, PembrokeshireThis stunningly refurbished country-house hotel is surrounded by acres of lawns and woodland. Have a scrumptious afternoon tea in the sunroom, down a drop of the good stuff in the elegant, art-filled bar, relax beside the open fire in a drawing room with wide sea views. Slip away to sleep in stunning bedrooms of crisp white linen and vast windows that frame Carmarthen Bay.Sawday's Special Places to Stay: British Hotels & Inns is available from all good bookshops (RRP £15.99) or online directly from Sawday's (£11.99+ P&P). For more information on the book or any of the places featured visit www.sawdays.co.uk