Spoke too soon, just got an e-mail, in English, with a link to their route planning app.
For me, the best bit about a hotel in the group is that the owners are drivers and riders. Any hotel owner will be able to tell you how to get to a local market or beauty spot. Having someone who enjoys driving and riding the local roads as opposed to just 'using' them is a huge bonus.
They know the good bits, the unused bits, the challenging bits and the easy bits. They use sat-navs and can plug routes in for you, sending you off to great little restaurants or bars, doubtless owned byfriends, but that doesn't matter. When you stay in one, by and large you feel as though you are somewhere familiar.
