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.

Star Wars Day

May the 4th be with you

monday's hotel: room G06 Hyde Park Boutique hotel

Just behind reception, so could have been noisy but not a problem for me.  Bumped up from a single, which was nice.

As usual good wifi, shower, clean, roomy, comfortable.... If it was closer to the office it would be perfect as opposed to just very good.

Yesterday's hotel: room 211 Hilton Doubletree Cambridge

You don't really get the size of the bed from the picture.  Vast.  Very nice location, great breakfast, good shower.  Wifi free to Hilton Honours members otherwise a ridiculous £15/day - and though ok it was a bit patchy.  Lovely location on the Cam.  I am sure it is reassuringly expensive, but I didn't see the bill. Only nit to pick was the pillows were a bit soft, and one of the lifts wasn't working - small stuff.

Tonight's hotel: IBIS Coventry centre

Difficult to find, grubby, artexed walls, pay car park.  On the plus side I guess it is cheap but I am not paying so that does not matter.  Wifi free if a bit slow.  And of course the room key did not work first time.  Horrendous journey down and the election just started so I am not in a good mood.  Maybe i'll be more generous in the morning

Room 203 London continental hotel, London

Upgrade to a double room.  Hey ! Room to swing a cat.  Convenient and reasonable.  Stayed many times and no doubt shall again.

 

Tonight's hotel: Novotel Birmingham Centre

Room 409.  When was the last time you had a separate loo and shower?  Obviously old but done up nicely.  Still doing the old wifi rip off though : £9 for decent access.  Unforgiveable in this day and age.  Right on Broad Street so handy for fun.  I'll be in my bunk.

Last night's hotel: Hyde Park Boutique hotel

As before, very good value for the money.  Room to swing a cat, good strong shower (which was tricky to turn off), good strong Wifi, close to Bayswater tube.  Recommended

Southampton holiday inn

So, little bit of a mixed bag.  A bit old, poor wifi, but friendly and good water pressure.  View is what you might call interesting.  Key didnt work two times out three.  Bed very comfy.  Tv didnt work very well. Good breakfast.

Last week's hotel Birmingham Radisson Blu

Another new one for me.  Achingly funky.  Rather deliberately so.  Only problem was that the door key kept on losing magnetism.

Great wifi, great shower, good breakfast ( though the eggs were a bit over complicated.  The point is eggs shoukd be simple)

5 minutes easy walk from New Street Station - when you know where you are going.  Googlemaps found it difficukt to locate, but in reality it is easy.

Hope to go back.

Didnt use the small gym on the 18th floor which looks suitable for only 4 or 5 people - but was empty when I visited

Midland hotel, Manchester

Reassuringly expensive as they say. But I had no complaints.  Good free wifi, good breakfast, pleasant staff, a bar on someone else's expense account.  You may not have the last of those.

Mercure Piccadilly Manchester

A standard room, not the suite I had last time.  They had just had a flood so it was freezing, but otherwise fine

Marble Arch Gloucester Place hotel, London

Catching up a bit from last week. This place was down the road from my usual haunts, and very cheap. So I was not expecting a lot. In the end it was absolutely fine, with good wifi and breakfast buffet.  They dont seem to have a standard rate but vary the price on booking.com and similar. So I shall try them again, and see if they are reasonable later in the year when they reopen after refurb.

Marble Arch Gloucester Place hotel, London

Catching up a bit from last week. This place was down the road from my usual haunts, and very cheap. So I was not expecting a lot. Min the end it was absolutely fine, with good wifi and breakfast buffet.  They dont seem to have a standard rate but vary the price on booking.com and similar. Mso I shall try them again, and see if they are reasonable later in the year.

Tonight's hotel: Radisson Blu Liverpool

Pretty snazzy, wifi ok, water pressure a bit dismal.  Oh and do go in the right entrance and not walk around the block - it is a long and unnecessary journey.  So I guess, read the directions.

Tonight's hotel: Mercure Piccadilly Manchester

I don't know what I did to deserve it but I must have been upgraded.  The Graden suite is rather lovely. Not sure about the apple though.