A stand-off at the Travelodge in Chelmsford which saw armed police called to the hotel turned out to be a hoax.
Essex Police said its officers dashed to the premises on Parkway, at the Army & Navy roundabout, at around 8pm on Sunday (September 14), over concerns for the safety of a man inside one of the rooms.
Officers were there for more than two hours.
A spokesman for Travelodge said police were called because the safety and well being of its staff was paramount.
She said: "Essex Police were called to Chelmsford Travelodge to attend a situation which turned out to be a hoax
"We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologise to our customers who were inconvenienced as a result of this incident."
