lodgings - lodging

[altiwife]

I think the following sentence is okay.
a. Their lodgings were always kept with a soldierly cleanliness and order.
But what about my next sentence?
b. Their lodging was always kept with a soldierly cleanliness and order.

 

[Rover_KE]

Only a is colloquial.

'Lodgings' can mean just a single room.

1. lodgings
2. a room or rooms rented for residence:
3. They found lodgings for the night.

​(Collins)

(Ignore the numbers in the quote. They aren't there in the original and I can never figure out how to delete them.)