This giveaway is now closed. The winners were; Hannah Evans, Caerphilly; Mark Hopkins, Merseyside; Kate Davis-Holmes, East Yorkshire.
Not since Fawlty Towers have hotels made such compelling viewing as Five’s The Hotel Inspector which is one of the few reality format shows that I bother to watch.
A fan of the show since the earlier Ruth Watson series, I was initially dismissive when Alex Polizzi took over the show but with a couple of episodes I grew to love her dangly earrings and straight talking.
Now she’s written a book, the Little Black Book of Hotels, published by Quadrille sharing all her favourite escapes in the UK. Today on Maison Cupcake’s 4th Day of Christmas Giveaways, three readers will have the chance to win one.
I had hoped to embed a clip of the show here from You Tube but what I have discovered is that certain viewers have very different motivations for watching to mine!!
Instead I will share a couple of my favourite moments from the programme:
1. The South African couple running the hotel on a boat. The bit where he crashes into the bridge with a load of journalists on board is hilarious.
2. Alex announcing that various rooms are like brothels.
3. Alex discovering “man wee” stains around toilets!
4. All the earring dangling, purposeful striding back to the front door to see if they’ve taken any notice, that fabulous hair cut and her fantastic fashion sense.
This lady really knows her stuff about hotels, she was born into the Forte family and comes from a long line of distinguished hoteliers.
In the Little Black Book of Hotels, Alex reveals her pick of the very best places to stay in Great Britain. Whether you’re searching for a boutique city bolthole or luxurious country house or Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms, you’ll find it here.
There are 52 hotels featured with expert advice and great photography – that’s one for every weekend of the year, even if you only manage to enjoy them from your armchair…
Quadille Books’ giveaway:
Alex Polizzi’s Little Black Book of Hotels – THREE copies
There is one mandatory way to enter and several ways to get bonus entries.
This giveaway is open to readers with UK mailing addresses. Readers from overseas are welcome to enter provided they can give the UK mailing address of a friend to receive the gift on their behalf with any onward delivery being at their own cost.
The winner will be chosen using an online randomiser and announced in a subsequent post on this blog – the winners of several of the 12 giveaways will be will announced together across 2-3 posts according to their closing dates.
To win one of three copies of Alex Polizzi’s Little Black Book of Hotels:
1. Mandatory. Visit Quadrille’s 2010 Catalogue and leave a comment at the end of this post telling me which other of Quadrille’s books you would like to give for Christmas and who to.
2. Second chance to win, tweet a link to this giveaway as follows: “Win Alex Polizzi Hotel book @maisoncupcake” WITH A LINK TO THIS POST as it may no longer be the home page item if you enter later this week. Then leave a second comment saying you’ve done so telling me your Twitter ID.
3. For a third chance to win, “like” this post on Facebook and then leave a further comment saying you have done so.
You must leave a further separate comment for each bonus entry otherwise they cannot be selected in the draw.
Closing date: midnight GMT on Tuesday December 14th 2010.The winner will be notified by email. If the winner does not reply within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.Good luck everyone!Prize sponsored by Quadrille books
With thanks to Quadrille.
Also up for grabs during the Maison Cupcake 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways:
Waitrose Christmas goodies RRP £35 Closes Dec 12
Green & Black’s Ultimate Chocolate Chef gift set Closes Dec 13
Nigella Living Collection Measuring Cups Closes Jan 16 (bloggers’ competition, international)
Interflora Christmas Hamper RRP £100
Books from Octopus
Cookware from Sainsbury’s, Jamie Oliver and Mum et Moi
Chocolate from Matcha Chocolat
Spices from Steenbergs
and more!
I would like to give Skye Gyngell’s books to everyone that I know so they can enjoy her beautiful food. (And then feed it to me when I visit)
Facebook Liked!
Chirp chirp tweeted!
Bake and Decorate, would be a perfect gift for my sister who loves to experiment with cakes!
Tweeted @wendymcd83
Liked post on Facebook (Wendy McDonald)
Thank you x
Hi there! I would love to give my friend Lisa ‘Don’t Let the B*****d’s Get you Down by Janet Street Porter as she gave me ‘Life’s too f*****g Short by her last year for Christmas and it is just so eye-opening. Janet really gets things in perspective!
I have tweeted as @Bobbity666
And finally have liked on Facebook (Louise Strachan)
Thanks x
My Kitchen looks like the gift book for me…
and I would give it to MYSELF
Because I’m worth it!
liked on facebook
How to be Adored – Caroline Cox – Id give it to my little sister.
I tweeted you @Isis1981uk
Liked you on Facebook
Bake and Decorate
Liked and tweeted too.
This would be a super present that I’d keep for myself.
Gourmet Food For A Fiver. I would keep myself, because boy, do i need it!!
The Little Book of Quick Fixes For The Impatient Gardener
To my daughter and her fiancee
Bake and Decorate. I did a cake decorating course last weekend and I think I have a new hobby. So this book would be perfect
FIONA CIARNS
HOW TO BAKE
FOR MY MOTHER WHO LOVE SBAKING 🙂
I would love to give my boyfriend Gourmet Food for a Fiver by Jason Atherton. We love food, and we love cooking but sometimes ingredients make a dish so expensive! He’d have so much fun using this book (thank goodness he loves to cook) .. and of course I’d reap the benefits 😉 Win, win!
Have just tweeted about your competition 🙂
@kazautomatic
Have liked this post on FB 🙂
“Bake and Decorate” would be my choice to give to my friend as she wants to learn how to do this properly!
Have tweeted too – @maisietoo
Have liked this post on Facebook & commented. x
I would love to buy GORDON RAMSAY’S WORLD KITCHEN for my man because he could learn to cook me Pineut Ravioli! yummmmm!
Have liked the post on Facebook and commented!
Have just tweeted aswell – @FruityTutti
I would buy The Genius of Design for my little girl who is a designer in the making so I think it would inspire her.
I tweeted the competition as @netcurtains
I like on Facebook and suggested to friends
I would like Bill’s Basics because I have every other book of his, and I would give this book to me!
I would give “The Genius of Design” to a young friend of our family who is currently applying to university to study product design to begin her design career – hopefully it would provide some motivational inspiration!
I would gift bake and decorate to my sister…she absolutely adores baking! I have also liked on facebook!
I would get ‘bake and decorate’ for my baking mad sister. It would go really well in the baking hamper i have got for her!
i have tweeted too @ashlallan
Bake and Decorate for me too, love to make cakes!
RT on Twitter as well – @cobbiecollinge
Bake and decorate, good fun!
Sew by Kath Kidston – my daughter would love this