What do an overpriced hotel room in Cambridge, my relatives’ 1970s house in France, and my childhood bedroom in Cheshire have in common?

Not enough sockets.

OK, so maybe not everyone travels with two laptops, a battery bank, a modern smartphone, a smart watch, a kindle and a set of wireless headphones.

Even so, the fact that recently refurbished hotel rooms in 2026 lack sockets, especially sockets with USB ports, is pisspoor. If Premier Inn can get this right, so can everyone else.

I’ve ordered an Anker charging station with 200W to split across its four USB-C and two USB-A ports - let’s hope it is the answer; I will report back.

Meanwhile, the cockpit of a French rental car has better charging options than many a hotel room these days.