When I travel the biggest things I battle are boredom and loneliness. Often times when walking in or out of the hotel I pass the bar where I can see people chatting and having a good time. The only thing that keeps me from going in is the fact that I don't drink.

I go to bars with coworkers occasionally, but much of my work travel now is solo so I have few people to socialize with. My question is whether or not a bar could be a good place to socialize and find people with which to pass the time who are in a similar situation away from home. To be clear, I'm not looking for romantic companionship, I'm just fine on that front, just something a step up from sitting alone in a hotel room.