becoming a member of the sawday's 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 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.
+44 (0)117 204 7810sawdays.co.uk/joinus
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 . . .
. . . 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
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 [email protected]
Pubs
S AW D AY S . C O. U K
Peter’s romantic harbour views
OLD HARBOUR VIEW, WEYMOUTH