Premier Inn Hitchin Town Centre hotel

You're staying slap in the middle of Hitchin, on Portmill Lane—basically as central as it gets. The Premier Inn does what it does: clean rooms, decent beds, a no-nonsense breakfast, and zero pretence. It's the kind of place where you're not paying for Instagram moments; you're paying for a solid night's sleep before exploring Lavender Hill's independent shops or hitting the pubs around the Market Square. The staff know what they're doing, and the location means you can stumble back from The Hermitage or Sun Hotel without a taxi.