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I'm usually the first to be unimpressed at another Premier Inn just outside Barnsley.
However later this month I have the onerous task of taking 5 teachers to Florence for a weeks training and sharing with our European partners. An important detail is that our original accommodation was cancelled and we were passed onto a friend of the owner - who filled thier own cancellation with us. In a flat with rooftop hot tub. 😎
Result!
Away work sporadic for me. Summer is great as are Trail Centres to keep me out of the bar and I don't need local knowledge. I actually quite enjoy it, I can get a long cycle in without needing to get back to do normal day to day stuff.
Winter, not so enjoyable.
I've had some epic times away with some colleagues and some awful times away with colleagues. Some of our trips to the VW plant in Portugal were legendary.
Speaking of Premier Inn, £96 for a double room in Manc the other day and they stil manage to fail at bacon.
One other thing that bothers me about Premier Inn at the moment is this little debacle...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-49028337
Midday fire at a staffed, large hotel in a major city causing that amount of damage? Not good! It was being refurbished at the time (I stayed there the week before) so I assume the cause was a contractor error, but why the heck did it destroy the place?
What a thread! I wonder how many of us have crossed paths? And particularly without knowing it.. I think I’m on 86 countries, used to travel a lot, less so now but still do two- three nights every other week.
When I was younger it was running, would run 5 to 10 miles around cities, towns, hills, coasts, then get back and eat everything I could. Rarely drink when away and have had ‘two poached eggs on toast please’ for b’fasts more than any other. As said above, a good hotel in a good city is one thing, a bad one in an indifferent place is another.
Bit older now, so it’s a short run on the odd evening, usually try stay in interesting B&Bs now, avoid hotels when I can. Read lots, Netflix, Prime for things not watched at home (we hardly watch a screen at home) so get to watch Preacher, the Boys, SciFi when away, usually one episode a night, a bit of internet surfing, always call home and sleep and repeat.
Does mean, for years, I have struggled to leave my local area, never mind county for any reason other than work and the odd race or strangely to buy a boat (kayak/canoe/dinghy), a bike (race/classic/everyday), a car (race/classic) or a plane (small/vintage/classic things) - when it seems the further it is the more likely we are to want it and buy it.
Always used to take the bike with me when I could as I only went to a few regular locations, so got to ride Cannock a lot and a Mam Tor/Jacobs Ladder route when I was at another site.
My last trip was 4 weeks in BasingGrad. That was soul destroying. Hotel was average, its gym cycle machines were awful and the food was naff.
Exam and presentation on the course finished yesterday at just after 2pm which was a result as I had the joys of the m1! On getting in the van I realised what I had missed the most whilst away, music!! I literally turned it up loud and sang my whole way home!
Started my first grown up job late last year, and started to travel a bit within the UK the last few months. Just managed to negotiate a territory which includes my parents house, so I’ll be staying with them next week. Week after is Holyhead, so a costal morning run out of town is on the cards based on last time up there.
Just me and my wife at home, and she doesn’t mind having a few evenings to do her own thing, without having me around all the time. We do make more effort to do things together at weekends as well which is nice.
Travelling with colleagues can be great or horrible, depends who they are! One of my team is now a good mate, so we have a laugh and see the positives of being away. Others are constantly moaning about the inconvenience, which drags you down of an evening sometimes.
As mentioned earlier, Cannock chase is ideal, I popped in on the way back down from Manchester the other day.
Agree about the moaning, a bit of a whinge like everyone does is fine but after a while it gets tedious. I mostly work alone so working away with colleagues can be a nice change.
I've found the best Manc budget hotel to be Hotel One (Royal Exchange) and it's right near the sublime Rice Bowl and not too far from BundoBust or Tampopo and, if you can't overcome the temptation of NQ ale, walkable/rideable to the Smithfield, Port Street BH or City Arms.
Currently in a nice hotel in Hertfordshire. It ticks all the boxes - good food, at a reasonable cost; air conditioning in rooms; big spacious room; relatively quiet; good wifi.
It's my first time staying in a Novotel and I'm impressed overall.