I subscribe to both the Gallivanter's Guide and A Rare World. While I've enjoyed A Rare World, it's nowhere nearly as informative, detailed, and nuanced in its reviews as the GG.

A Rare World:
Pros:
-- Includes a very decent number of reviews in each edition, which typically covers one area thoroughly (Singapore in the most recent edition), but also includes a few one-offs (the last issue also included Park Hyatt, DC). And each edition also includes a number of one-two paragraph mini-reviews of properties that don't get the full review.
-- They have a "Do" and "Don't" listing for each hotel, which occasionally points out some interesting suggestions that have helpfully informed my visit.

Cons:
-- The quality of writing is not professional, and nowhere nearly as polished, evocative and acute as in the GG. The language is fairly cliched and repetitive, with occasional typos, etc.
-- The photography appears to be hotel publicity stills which don't give you a true depiction of the property, whereas all the photography in the GG is original and shows what the rooms and facilities really look like.
-- It really suffers from not having a score scale. I think the "6-point" scale used by the GG is incredibly helpful in quantifying the degree of specialness of the property. In A Rare World, I sometimes feel as if it's difficult to distinguish one rave from another. The writer does indicate some degree of preference between properties, and also is clear when a property has become tired and no longer deserves the same sort of ranking as other luxury properties, whatever its reputation may have been.

So would I renew: yes, I think I will. There are enough helpful tidbits and insights that I think it's a good source.

Is it as good as the GG? Nowhere near, for the reasons described above. I do wish there were slightly more reviews in the GG--occasionally it's a bit skimpy (3 properties, for example). And I do prefer the way A Rare World balances focus on one particular region/area with one-off reviews included as well. But GG is just so very well written, so insightful, so detailed--I find myself eagerly awaiting its arrival every month.