Bernie I've read some of the comments by others caught out by the Taunton Sting.
The manager of the Holiday Inn Express sounds like a typical motel manager. He states in reply to a similar complaint to yours that the bus lane has been designated as such for the past decade, and then goes on to blame the satnav people for not updating their data. What a copout! And what a nice little earner it must have been for the Council over that period! Really, how difficult would it be for the staff at the Holiday Inn to be instructed to bring this to the attention of guests by way of a printed flyer showing the "no go" lane?
The Council, being what Councils everywhere appear to be, will never seek to remedy the signage situation while it continues to fleece innocent visitors so easily, (you're only there one night and there's no electoral disadvantage in ripping off non-voters!) but the management of the Holiday Inn is missing a golden
PR opportunity by not notifying its guests of the problem. In fact, you'd think that given how long this abysmal state of affairs has been running, it would be almost beholden upon the management to warn their guests of it on arrival.
I dislike motel chains immensely. I find nothing appealing in their sterile atmosphere and bland impersonal service. Your unfortunate (and expensive) experience here just serves to convince me even more that in the UK, staying in friendly family-run B&Bs is the way to go.
It'll be interesting to see what sort of reply you receive from the Taunton Council...