I have stayed at Ibis hotels before so I knew what I was gettting - a reasonably priced chain hotel which is clean and comfortable, but not too many frills on offer.

It was easy and convenient to book online - no hassles whatsoever. We arrived at the hotel to find (as we expected) that it was outside of the town in a 'business park' type area with a pub/hotel, a chain restaurant and 2 gyms nearby. One of the gyms, LA Fitness, currently has a reciprocal arrangement with the Ibis so that you can use your facilities - not free, but for a small hourly charge. If I'd known about it in advance, I'd have given it a try.

Now to the hotel - the staff were friendly and generally helpful. The reception, bar and restaurant are in an open plan area which no doubt means they can cut down on staff, but makes for a slightly clinical feel if you want to sit downstairs in the bar for a few drinks. Our room had a comfortable bed (albeit with slight roll-together factor), small sofa, desk with tea-making facilities, tv and a brightly lit shower room (no bath).

The hotel has its own restaurant which I did not try but the menu did not look very large and the only choice over three days for a vegetarian was pizza, a cheese baguette or chips. If you're tired and don't want to drive into Lincoln to eat out, there are two other places to eat nearby, just a quick stroll across the car park. One is a pub/hotel called the 'Pride of Lincoln' which I dubbed 'The Shame of Lincoln' for it's aircraft hangar atmophere, awful (if cheap) greasy food and brain-numbing background music. NY Italian diner style chain Frankie and Bennys is also within walking distance and that was OK. As there were a list of restaurants with menus near the hotel reception, perhaps it was also possible to order takeaways - I didn't look into it.

Breakfast is available at an extra charge, just under 5 pounds at the time of staying there. It's a pity this doesn't include real fresh coffee - a machine was available giving ersatz 'cappucino' which tasted awful - my husband who had black coffee confirmed that his had an odd taste too. Stick to the selection tea if you decide to opt for the breakfast as they have teabags. It's a pity they can't at least make up fresh coffee in flasks for breakfast time, it wouldn't be such a huge effort.

It's worth mentioning that there is a wildlife park called Whisby Natural Park just a couple of minute's drive away. It has a series of lakeside trails you can stroll along, and although traffic from the busy A46 can still be heard, it's still a lovely tranquil spot to wander around and watch the birds.