Here's a comparison of the offerings on a single destination, Australia, from eight prominent publishers. Emphasis on history, sights and walking tours. Brief hotel and restaurant listings. Some of the suggested walking tours are better than any guided tour you could buy. There are about 55 titles, updated every three to five years.
Emphasis is on sights and interesting but brief histories by region.
Information on where to stay and eat is brief. Critics say they're bigger on looks than valuable information. Plans are to update every few years. Each region or city has a page or so introduction and section on exploring, followed by many pages of hotels and restaurant listings, with detailed descriptions and costs. The company offers 15 different series of books.