Two weeks to go in the season

And Liverpool are still top.  Though not favourites, and we won't be top when we next play.  But time to appreciate our best season for a long time. It's not we could have been contenders. We were contenders. That will have to do.

This weeks hotel- Hilton Istanbul

Very "the shining".  I like it.  A reminder of the days when Hiltons were Hiltons, not over priced Travelodges.

This week's hotel: Travelodge Waterloo Central, London

Apologies for me scruffing the room up before the photo.  What is there to say.  It's a Travelodge. Quite close to Waterloo Station IF you know how to get out of Waterloo station.  I didn't.  And so it was a bit of a hike. Not their fault.

Unlike the lack of free WiFi, or shampoo.  I am sure that all helps keep the rates very reasonable, but it is a bit of a downer to have to go to the corner shop for shampoo.  Also luckily there is a corner shop on the corner.  Possibly on both corners of the block.  It is well served, along with a Sainsbury's express opposite Waterloo station.

The shower only worked if you held the head in place, but to make up for that they offered me a free breakfast.  Sadly I had already eaten.

Clean enough, safe enough, and probably reasonable enough (I didn't choose or pay - seems to be £88/night).  Not quite the Ritz Carlton though.

Last Weekend's hotel room - De Vere Greenwich, London

Not a great picture, but a great hotel and a bargain.  Less than £130 for 2 nights for 2 in London.  I know people who expect to pay twice that for one night for one.  Admittedly this was for a weekend break, but it is great value.
The hotel itself is an old Admiralty building, and the location is fantastic - about 100m from the Cutty Sark (so about 150m from a tube station and the water bus).  Greenwich itself is interesting, and has a good range of restaurants and bars.  OK, it is 30 minutes from central London, but this was the heart of Empire, and of course of GMT.
The hotel has free wifi, and is nice throughout though a little generic.  Rooms are fine, and by London standards quite roomy (i.e. you can walk in them rather than shuffle).  The Admiral's bar is reasonably priced too, which is a surprise.  Strongly recommended.

Oh, and apparently Thor stays there.

Longer days

It is already noticeably brighter in the afternoon, if not in the morning.  This is an annual good thing.

Christmas at LFC

Nice to be top at Christmas - a sign of progress.  But now we are slipping, and our lack of strength in depth is showing.  We need one or two good acquisitions in January.  Another striker and another defender.  Bet we get a midfielder.

Season's greetings

Back in 2014.

This week's hotel - Kempinski Residence & suites, Doha

Lovely, and extremely convenient.  Frightfully expensive too I think, but I'm not paying 

This week's hotel- ramada beach quorum, Mucat, Oman

Does what Ramada does.  Efficient and functional, if not the most luxurious.  And actually near a beach- if not an awful lot else

Tonight: hotel Koffieboontje in Bruges

Cannot complain about the location.  Room also has a mini kitchen.  Wifi free but does not seem to extend to the bedrooms.

Tonight only - holiday inn express, Shrewsbury

Very nice, and very reasonable with free wifi.  Fine all round.  Of course it is on business park, so it hardly has a view or other attractions.  But it makes tomorrow's journey about 30 seconds.  Which is nice.

Yesterday's hotel room. Jury's Inn Birmingham

Yesterday's rather than today's because jury's Inn are one of those chains that persist in charging (big) for Internet access.  And so despite the large room, good breakfast and extremely comfortable bed I cannot recommend it.

Tonight: Premier Inn, Birmingham Alston

Much nicer than last night.  Oddly no phone.  30 mins free wifi.

Last night's room - travelodge Rugby

Almost defines basic, and so close to the railway you almost need a platform ticket.

Lansdowne - another view

Day three, room three.

This week: the Lansdowne hotel, Hastings

Not exactly the Ritz Carlton, but you can't argue with the location.  That is the sea you can see out the window.

Tonight's room Brittania hotel, Birmingham

Pretty reasonable through Late Rooms, comfortable enough though hardly the latest taste in decor.  You can hardly get better placed on New Street.  Free wifi.

This week's hotel: Movenpick Geneva airport

Boy is it close to the airport.  You can see the control tower from my bedroom and it is maybe 300m.

This week - mannings hotel Truro

Apparently the food is great.  I'll find out tomorrow (it was)

A night at the airport - Etrop Grange, Manchester

I'd visited Etrop Grange for meetings many times, but never stayed. I was only staying this time because of the threat of bad weather before my flight. A lot of people had the same idea. The food was excellent, the room comfy, service attentive and England won 8-nil. A good deal and surprisingly cheap. Apparently you can park your car here for the duration - there is a pick up service for the less than 5 minute journey to the airport.