As a self-employed service engineer I find myself on the road quite a lot. Sometimes this necessitates finding somewhere to put my head down for the night. As a rule, I tend to look for Travelodge or Travel Inn hotels as I've used them many times in the past and have had no complaints.

A few months ago I was doing a lot of work in the East Anglia/Lincolnshire area and I required some overnight accommodation in the area. Unfortunately, as I was booking so close to the date in question, I was unable to get anything suitable from either Travelodge or Travel Inn. A search around the web came up with an alternative from the Choice Hotels chain.

Choice Hotels is an international chain with premises all over the world. They have a number of different brands catering for those on a budget (e.g. Comfort Inn) to mid and upper range outlets such as Quality Inn and Clarion Hotels.

My own stay on this occasion was for one night at the Boston/Bicker Bar branch of the Comfort Inn in Lincolnshire. This is a relatively new establishment located on the junction of the A52 and A17. As is the case with many of these types of hotel (such as Travelodge and Travel Inn) they are often located on the intersections of major roads and motorways. Consequently, there is often little of interest within walking distance. In this case, the only nearby establishment was the petrol station located adjacent to the adequately sized free car park.

The hotel has fifty-five rooms, six of which are described as "premier" rooms. All rooms are en-suite and have a colour television with a selection of satellite channels. Other amenities include tea and coffee making facilities, a telephone and a hairdryer. The "premier" rooms also include a trouser press and a supply of toiletries. The hotel also boasts meeting rooms, a pool table and a small gym, though I didn't sample any of these.

I arrived at the hotel in late afternoon after a hard
day's slog. Though I'd specifically booked a non-smoking room I was informed at reception that none were available. Apparently one had been reserved but there was an unspecified "problem" with the it. I was offered a smoking room which had been aired throughout the day (the windows had been left open) and in all fairness it smelt reasonably fresh.

First impressions were quite good. The room was clean and spacious with a well-stocked tea/coffee tray. The en-suite bathroom was also presentable and I was delighted to see a large bath installed. If I have one criticism of Travelodge hotels it would be that the baths are much too small for an eighteen stone discus thrower such as myself.

I needed a soak in the tub after a long day at work so I ran the taps... and watched in dismay as the bath filled with a grey-brown tinted liquid. I work in the water treatment business and the colour and smell of the water convinced me that the contaminant was common or garden rust. Perhaps I should have sold them some corrosion inhibitor? At the same time as the bath filled with sludge an awful racket was emanating from behind the panels in the corner of the room - it sounded like a rather sickly pump in its final death throes. I was almost tempted to dismantle the panels and look inside but I decided life was too short.

At this point I really should've been beating a path to reception to demand a better room but lethargy/apathy/indifference (delete as appropriate) got the better of me and I decided to slum it.

Having finished my bath (probably dirtier than before I'd got in) I ventured down to the dining room for dinner. The menu was quite limited but the food was quite reasonable. The service in the restaurant was both courteous and prompt. I adjourned to the bar for a couple of pints of beer which didn't look too dissimilar to the water in the bath but at least it tasted better!

I got a good night's sle
ep in the bed and though the hotel is located on a fairly busy intersection, the noise was not too intrusive.

I didn't stumble down to breakfast - I'm not a morning person - so I can't comment on its quality. I opened my door to find that the newspaper I'd ordered at reception hadn't arrived - I was past caring!

It was only at the point of settling my bill that I mentioned the water and the lack of a newspaper. The lady on reception seemed concerned and offered her apologies but by now I just wanted to get on my way. I won't be making a return visit.