US Guide book gives Grange a boost

Tom and Sandra Carr, owners of Newark’s Grange Hotel, got a delightful surprise when they discovered that their hotel had been praised in an international best-seller – a US-published guide book entitled 1000 Places to See Before You Die, by globe-trotting  journalist and writer Patricia Schultz.

“We were sent an email congratulating us on being in the book,” said Tom. He and Sandra promptly bought a copy of their own and found that the book has been a Number 1 New York Times best-seller and has sold three million copies worldwide.

The author covers Newark’s International Antiques Fair and goes on: “To avoid a pre-dawn start on a day trip from London, stay at the charming Grange Hotel. Its amiable hosts provide a warm welcome, and the beautiful and tranquil garden is the perfect place to recover after a hectic morning of bartering.”

Said Tom: “It’s always nice to get some unsolicited publicity that you don’t expect… I think all this publicity is good for the town. Checking our records, we discovered that the lady had stayed with us a couple of years ago during one of the antiques fairs. She didn’t announce herself as a writer. I don’t remember her but Sandra does.

“Sandra presumed she was one of the antique dealers, because we had a lot of Americans in at that time and she just blended in. She travels the world to write these books – this is the second edition.”

And has the praise brought in any extra bookings? “It’s always very difficult to know. If you get Americans booking in, is it because of that? But quite a few people have mentioned having seen it.”