This week's hotel: Thistle, Newcastle

A turret room, 505.  Which may have been an upgrade from the booking, but either way the hotel was full.  Directly across the road from Central Station, and I mean about 10m, but no noise from the station.  The same was not true of Newcastle's vibrant nightlife - the hotel provided ear plugs by default.  It didnt bother me anyway. Good shower, great free wifi. Full English contributed to my expanding waistline, but coffee took a time.  I would be happy to go back.  I might even pay.

It was the longest day in a Northern city, so I went for a late walk and reminded myself of its strikingly grand architecture.  Pubs seem to be transitioning into clubs, and the Bigg market looks like it is heading downhill (which of course it literally does).  High Bridge seems to be losing shops for restaurants and hotels.  Wish I had more time to explore.

Last week's hotel: IBIS City Centre Coventry

Well it's not cheap, for what it is.    Parking and Breakfast, which is not great, are extra.  But at least the wifi was free and ok.  I am not fond of their bathroom pods which have a shower and sink and toilet, but it was ok (at least until I slipped trying to get out of it).  I was not paying the bill, and I think that I was generous last time in saying it was cheap.  I get rooms in London for less, which is my benchmark.  Admittedly not nice rooms.

The major good thing about this hotel is that it is 5 minutes walk from the station, and also 5 minutes from where I was working (and these were not opposite directions!).

I was in a bad mood when I got there because the Birmingham-Coventry line was closed because of a fatality, and I had to take a taxi from Birmingham New Street.  and when I did get there the key did not work first time.  Again.  But it does the job. And things could have been worse.

Breakfast is a sort of small scale buffet featuring limited choice and dried up eggs for about £8.  Not good enough to be enthused, not bad enough to be angry.

Birmingham City Centre

Dodgy keys, reasonble wifi, no parking, strong shower but very low.  Bit dated and worn, but ok.

Last week's hotel: Enclave suites, Orlando, Florida

Well, I really like it.  Ok it is clearly getting a bit worn and used, but it is literally 5 minutes drive from Universal Studios.  By which I mean 5 minutes after finally getting in your car in the Universal car park, you are pulling into the Enclave Suites car park.

The staff are pleasant enough if not exactly world leaders in customer service, the pool(s) are clean, the showers are good, the cleaner's really do clean, and it is really rather affordable.  For a family on any kind of a budget it was great.  My one real gripe is that the card keys were just as unreliable as anywhere, which meant a couple of trips to reception.  Oh, and though they were willing to let us have a mail order delivery they could not quite get with the programme about telling the mail order company that we were guests.  Perhaps I should have tipped more.

It is quite likely we shall return.

Tonight's hotel: the varsity hotel and spa, Cambridge

Lovely, if pricey - £165/night.  Mind you it is graduation week, so the hotels are full.  Shame I am

not going to have time to take advantage of the great location, the spa etc.

Room is huge, and the bathroom has a balcony.  The tv is bigger than at home.  Only negative is that water pressure is not great.