I really like the way this book is organized. There are sections such as "Desserts" and "Canyons". When I went to Arizona the last time, I wanted to visit desserts, and I wanted to hike some Canyons, so I could simply read these sections and learn pretty much everything I wanted to know, rather than piece this information together as other travel books make you do (since they are usually organized by area). The organization also allows you to skip information such as "Art" and "History". Of course in the end I ended up being interested in these sections after all, so I read them in the care while I was there. And once again, I could focus on these sections rather than finding this information organized by area.

Long story short: I really like reading about an area by topic of interest, rather than by location. It makes travel planning much easier. Of course, your need may be different (you may be in a certain town and want to figure out what to do for instance...). In that case, this book still is useful (it DOES have short sections on individual locations), but there are other books I use for that type of research.

Overall, I can highly recommend this book. In fact, I will order some of the other books from this series for different states.

Compass Guides are the best series I have ever read. They are literate and beautifully illustrated, laid out well and very logical to use. Of the Compass Guides I've read, Cheek's Arizona is the best (followed closely by his Santa Fe Guide).

He writes with wit and style. He's not afraid to share his opinion, but never takes for granted that his is the only viewpoint. He also adds a human element that few other guides offer. Frequently you'll find sidebar articles that introduce you to a person whose story particularly illustrates the idea or place in question.

I lived in Arizona for 4 1/2 years. This is the guide that I used to learn the state. I would recommend it to anyone. When my wife and I married in Sedona, Arizona we sent copies of this book to our relatives to acquaint them with the wonderful place they'd be visiting. All who read it were delighted. You'll be, too.

This book is incredible. It gives all kinds of details ranging from local interest and lore to general information about the state. It reads like a novel and yet is very informative. Even if you have no intention of ever visiting Arizona, this is still a wonderful book to read and the photographs are breath-taking.

We tried three 2-star hotels from this book on a recent vacation, and were very pleased with the character, staff, and value at each. That was enough to easily justify the purchase price. The maps and indices make it very easy to find options at various price-points in any region. The descriptions and photos of each hotel were helpful and accurate. But I should also say that our "workhorse" for planning the trip was Rick Steves' France guide, where we found most of our lodging. I'd purchase Rick's guide first, then purchase "Hotels and Country Inns..." to add some variety.

If you want to see the best of France, just arm yourself with your Michelin atlas, Michelin Red Guide, a Blue or Green Guide, this book, a rental car, and your appetite for great food and wine.

Any inn that appears in both the Red Guide and this guide will be a memorable experience. All inns in the Red Guide have professional service and great food. Inns listed in both guides will also be unique and charming. Coupled with the data provided by the Red Guide, the pictures in this guide are very useful.

Best of all are the places in the countryside. Easy parking, phenomenal food, great wine, and usually a great setting. This is not a budget guide, but there are some great deals to be found. The cheapest place I stayed was an isolated Auberge in the Vosges mountains that charged only $50 per person for half board. This included a very small room, great 3 course dinner, buffet breakfast, and all tax and service.

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

I have been to Hong Kong once before but that trip came up so fast that I wasn't able to do proper research. I was able to find limited maps on the Internet and the HK Tourisim Assoc. had a map that was good for the areas it covered.

When I was told I was returning to HK, I looked for several items, one which was a good map. I found it in Fodor's Hong Kong Citypack. Most of the guides give the same type of info that is easily accessable, covering the Central to North Point areas and Kowloon. This map won't give you the south side of the island with Stanley and Aberdeen but it covers everything on the north side from Kennedy Town on the far west to Chai Wan on the east side of Hong Kong Island.

The map covers the mainland as far north as Diamond Hill and it seems like if the MTR has a station there then this map covers that area. It shows the patsh the MTR takes but does NOT show all of the exits. This is the only bad part of the map that I have found. You can use the tourist assoc. map for that though.

The guide itself is okay and the 3rd edition is the one youwant to get. Where the 2nd ed. is orange on the bottom of the cover, the 3rd. is yellow. The guide seems to be more like they wanted X number of items on subject Y. Very basic information and some that is misleading. In one paragraph they talk about the Temple St. Night Market. In the next paragraph, they say "at the end of the street" near X & Y is the Jade Market. You won't find out until you examine the map that the jade market is a few block away from the end of Temple St.

There's nothing "illegal" about the merchant adding the cost of processing the credit card back into the transaction. I don't know how Visa Asia works it, they can and will cut off merchant banks that allow this. But you should expect to pay an extra couple of percent when charging.

A possible typo is that Amex holders can get cash at some "Jetco" ATM machines. I assume they mean "Jesco", the grocery store chain.

Finally, the guide is too big to be shoved into a back pocket. I would have preferred a smaller thicker guide.

There doesn't seem to be a great pocket guide on the market, I'm combining this guide with the Berlitz pocket guide which does fit in my pocket. If you need a good map though, this is the one to get.

Concise and articulate. The book is divided into six sections from a brief history of Hong Kong to travel facts. In the margins are quick tips (shopping,accomodations) and highlights of the top 25 sights to see while in Hong Kong. A detailed color pull out map is provided. Light weight and perfect to slip into a purse or pocket.

Good if your looking for nice hotels although one big inaccuracy. Hotel La Mariposa in Manuel Antonio is not nearly as wonderful as they described it, much nicer hotels are available. Good background info on the country.

Hi, I am working at ILISA Spanish Language Institute in San Jose, Costa Rica and I just want to say that this book helps our students a lot by giving them helpful inside information and thus by getting to know all the ins and outs about this fantastic country. Thanks!