Having to stay somewhere in town while on a short term contract at Perkins at my own expense, I naturally gravitated towards the cheaper end of the accomadation spectrum. I'd seen Formule1 hotel billboards in othjer towns and it looked cheap so I went there not expecting much apart from a roof over my head.

As a franchised operation (I assume) that means you are pretty much at the mercy of the folks who buy their share of the name and how they choose to operate. But this one is excellent.

If you have an eye for detail then you will notice that the room is constructed to a cost, indeed the whole prefabricated building is assembled , motor car style, in modular parts. But don't let that put you off.

What you don't get for your money is drink-making facilities and en-suite. But what you DO get is a (comfortable foam mattress and fresh pillows) double bed (all rooms are the same layout) plus a bunk for 1 child if you need, a washbasin (plastic formed but nonetheless usable) a heater and thermostatic control, safety latchable windows and door (prevent anyone forcing their way in), a 14 inch portable style TV (look, it's not going to be 100% perfect- the TV reception was pretty fuzzy but it had a SCART socket ('peritel') that accepted my games console for entertainment, a single mains socket for laptop and phone chargers, and a clever vertical strip lighting system that used one tube but allowed split illumination/ shading options in the room.

Look, it's £23 a night. The door is key-code entry so you can't 'lose' your keys (although you may forget the code so make sure you keep a record on your mobile phone, scrap of paper etc' and although the self-cleaning toilets and shower units appear bleak (think parisienne tardis toilets here) they are functional and effective.

There's been a lot of rubbish said about Formule 1 hotels, but I will use this one again without any hesitation;- I paid £10 more a night for a stay at a 'traditional' hotel up the road and I can now confirm that this place is far superior. And it happens to be cheap.