Question

what difficulties did Jerome and his friends face in finding an accommodation for themselves how did they manage

Answer 1

They tried to find a lodging in Datchet but were unsuccessful as there was no vacancy in any of them. A man had told them that there are only two inns in Datchet, so they  waived their prejudices about those two hotels which they had rejected, and instead headed towards them. But unfortunately, there was no vacancy. 
Later, a young boy had offered to let them  sleep at his house which they described as uncomfortable.