Amazon.com Review
Pamela Lanier has carved out a niche in the guidebook universe as one of the most discerning travelers. Her Elegant Small Hotels: A Connoisseur's Guide is a selective wishbook for those well-heeled, sophisticated, world-traveled-but-not-yet-world-weary nomads seeking out small hotels with the quiet and elegance of home. And what, exactly, constitutes an elegant small hotel? Small by Lanier's standards means generally fewer than 200 guest rooms; elegant applies to décor, and as Lanier puts it, "something more... those little touches that really matter; fresh flowers, nightly turndown (with a chocolate!), overnight shoeshine, luxurious toiletries, and oversized towels ... all the myriad details that add up to the intangible quality we call elegance."

Elegant Small Hotels is devoted almost entirely to the U.S. (there are a few recommendations for hotels in Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico in the back of the book) and is organized state by state, with hotels listed in alphabetical order. Each property is treated to its own page and gets its own photo, which makes perusing this guide a leisurely pleasure. Double-room rates range from $50-$100 to $225 on up--with most of these properties falling at the upper end of the scale. Still, for those travelers lucky enough to find themselves checking in at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles or the Lowell in New York City, Elegant Small Hotels will serve as a trusted confidante. --Kimberly Brown