Hotel du Vin Exeter

Our first visit to the hotel, just for coffee this morning 29 August
Coffee was £9.00 for two , no pastries available.
Our order was taken, paid for and them instantly forgotten by the member of staff
30 mins later I went to find out where our coffee was…..
No apology from the staff who brought the coffee to us. Bad customer service and experience all round

We loved our stay here, everything was so comfortable and the staff we all lovely. We booked onto the tasting menu and were served by Dylan who was fantastic. He gave us a really interesting experience, explained how all the wine pairings worked without being overbearing. The food was also incredible! We would definitely come back and recommend anyone visiting to try out the tasting menu.

Gorgeous room, great pool

Very comfortable suite, super comfy bed. Good bistro food quality.

Quite exclusive infrastructure with small but beautiful swimming pool, astonishing bar and restaurant rooms and classy building.

Location brilliant. Breakfast great. Hotel rooms very nice

The staff were exceptional during our stay and they are the reason for this 5 star review. Everyone we interacted with was so pleasant, friendly and welcoming! The service was much more attentive and personal than I’ve found in other hotels (including the really fancy ones). I don’t know quite how this magic has been accomplished, but it’s refreshing and would make me choose this hotel again. It gives you a feeling of security that they recognise the guests and have an eye on who is coming and going within the hotel. Anything we asked for was done willingly and promptly. Fresh robes within minutes of calling down to reception, water bottles filled at the bar before a day out, taxis booked.

The building itself has character. It was originally an Eye Hospital and later used as a War Hospital. The ground floor has original mosaic floors, signage and fireplaces and all the public spaces are very tastefully decorated. It’s a short walk from the Cathedral and the Quayside, so the location is good for the city centre shopping. We found the walking route along Southernhay felt safe and was well lit in the evenings, but the suggested path to the Quayside less so. If you’re going to the Quay, the walk through residential streets behind the hotel is considerably nicer than taking the path by the roundabout.
If you’re travelling with children as I was, it’s worth knowing that the hotel backs on to a park with an extensive play area, which is very convenient for an after dinner run-round.

We travelled by train and it’s a 10 minute walk through the city centre to the hotel from Exeter Central railway station. It’s best to walk round by the main road when you arrive - don’t try and shortcut through the cobbled Cathedral Yard if you have wheeled luggage!

We had a Deluxe Double room on the 3rd floor, which wasn’t large but was adequate for the two of us and nicely laid out. It was charming, with a beautiful roll top bath and a great view over the garden and the surrounding hills. There was a coffee machine with pods, a kettle and tea bags, a drinks fridge with a bottle of water, robes and slippers. The air conditioning was cool and powerful. There were little extras, like Ferrero Roche and biscuits.
A few small things would have improved the comfort levels. For me, the lighting was an issue. The room was unexpectedly dark, with one small window, and the ceiling lights were so feeble that we struggled to tell if they were turned on or not. I needed my phone torch to read the air con controls. The bedside lights weren’t any use for evening reading, they were more of an ‘atmospheric glow’. The dressing table mirror was too dimly lit to apply makeup, so I did this in the bathroom. The soundproofing was also a bit rubbish, you could even hear the toilet seat in the next room being lifted, so ear plugs would be a good call. We were woken a few times in the night by doors slamming (why is there no soft close?) and loud footsteps. The choice of hard floors in the rooms instead of carpet probably adds to the noise levels. The bed was just about passable (could have been nicer), but the pillows were soggy and ineffective. If we’d stayed a second night I would have asked for extra pillows.

The pool (our reason for choosing this hotel) exceeded expectations. It was warm and clean, there were plenty of fresh robes and towels, hairdryers, changing rooms, L’Occitane toiletries. Staff were regularly cleaning and maintaining the area, making sure everything was tidy and fresh. It was open all day. It was our favourite area of the hotel and a pleasant little sun trap. The garden area is peaceful and pretty, with deckchairs and a badminton set (again, great for kids).

The breakfast selection wasn’t huge, but it was all good quality and looked enticing. It was elevated by the gentleman who greeted us and showed us round. He even offered to make me an oat cappuccino which couldn’t be achieved by using the coffee machine. I don’t cope well with large amounts of dairy, so being able to get a coffee at breakfast that I actually wanted to drink made my day and justified the price in my mind. The homemade granola bar was delicious, the poached eggs were perfectly done, the sausages were a winner. The banana bread and the pain au chocolat had to be enjoyed too and we ate so much that I couldn’t face lunch.

I’m the person who reads dozens of reviews before choosing a hotel and if that’s also you, this is a great option. It’s a calm and cosy place to spend time, quite different from the other chains on offer nearby. A cup of tea on the terrace, an afternoon by the pool, drinks in the nicely decorated bar. We’d gone to visit Exeter, but once we got here, we didn’t feel like we needed to go out. It’s good value for money.

Thank you to all the staff here, you made our visit special.

Great location, comfortable and clean room. Lovely garden area and dining room, great breakfast choice.

The property is full of character and well maintained. The room was perfect for our two-night stay.

Centrally located

Clean room comfortable bed

Excellent hotel with very nice restaurant and super staff.

Lovely hotel with great facilities, very clean and comfy room. Enjoyed the heated pool in the walled garden. All staff were helpful and friendly. Would definitely stay again.