The Royal Exeter Hotel, 1812 Lounge Bar

Room was cold, floorboards were very creaky so no chance of being quiet if you are up in the night. Bed was not very comfortable, small and pillows were awful. Lack of plug sockets and the shower was just a giant head that you can’t move so not ideal if you don’t want to wet your hair. Bathroom was FREEZING despite radiator saying it was on setting 5 (wasn’t on at all), we had to get the portable radiator out of the wardrobe and use it for the night. Paid £12.50 for breakfast and it was rubbish. Get one of everything and beans tasted like the cheapest possible option from the local shop. The only saving grace for this hotel was the lovely staff who are the only reason it got 2 stars. I would have been happier paying maybe £30-35 for the room not £65, and maybe £6-7 for breakfast.

The Royal Exeter Hotel is in a fantastic location, just a 4-minute walk to the town center, which is incredibly convenient. Unfortunately, that’s about the only positive thing I can say about our stay. The room was in a dreadful state. Mould was everywhere—on the bathroom ceiling, the shower head, and even in other areas. The shower didn’t work, so I opted for a bath instead, only to find the water was green, which was both unsettling and unhygienic. Two bulbs in the bedroom were out, making it difficult to get ready in the morning, and when I took a closer look, the light fittings were covered in thick dust. To top it off, there was a blood stain on the duvet cover, which we only noticed when getting into bed late at night after a long day out. By that point, we were too exhausted to do anything about it. The noise level was unbearable. The on-site club blasted music until 3 am, and we could hear people vomiting and loudly returning to their rooms. Just as I finally managed to fall asleep, the fire alarm went off at 5 am for about 30 seconds with no explanation. I raised these issues with the receptionist in the morning. While she apologised, her lack of empathy was disappointing. She casually admitted the hotel has a mould problem and seemed unaware of the fire alarm incident, which is concerning given it should have been communicated in staff handovers. Overall, this was a terrible experience. We had no rest during our stay, and the state of the room was unacceptable. I would not recommend staying here if you value cleanliness, comfort, or a good night’s sleep.