Southernhay House Hotel

Third and last stay at this hotel.  Spent £1,190 on 2 rooms for 2 nights to bring my mother for a treat.  On our second night, I was kept awake until nearly 1am by the noise of people in the bar and the staff clearing up.  I went down twice in my pjs to ask them to reduce the noise as I wanted to sleep.  The next morning the manager eventually and reluctantly agreed it would have been possible to at least shut the 2 doors to the bar and restaurant area so that the noise wouldn't have travelled so easily.  The owner was vile about it all and refused or didn't even understand that noise travels and has now banned me from returning (knowing I wouldn't)!  So don't stay in the Ivory room if you want some peace at 12.45am.  There was never anyone at reception to collect/leave keys with, and we would ring the doorbell repeatedly to try and get someone, look in the bar area etc but couldn't find anyone.  My observations on this and the consequent lack of security and possible impact on their insurance arrangements was again met with anger.    Cleanliness is also an issue - black mould in the shower, dirty carpet, clump of hair on the bathroom floor (which I had put from the shower into the bin but it was obviously dropped on the floor when the room was cleaned) etc.   No sheet on the under mattress.  Have seen from negative reviews elsewhere that this will be met with a horrible reply from the owners - they don't want to raise their standards or apologise for anything.

Arrived around midnight (as previously communicated with the hotel) as it was our wedding night. Also wrote in the notes of the booking that it was our wedding night. We couldn’t tell if we’d rung the bell properly so tried again. We were greeted with no smile or warm welcome unfortunately. As it was our wedding night, I thought we may have a congratulations note or something in the room but had nothing at all. Really disappointing. The stay was made up for a bit by the lovely greeting we had in the morning along with a stunning fried breakfast and pancakes. I’m not 100% sure it’s worth what we paid but it is a beautiful hotel.

I went in for drinks, horrible service, the waitresses and bar staff were run off their feet, as a result of bad management, which when working in hospitality I HATE. Other people I was meeting got turned away, for no valid reason. I am not blaming the waitresses or bar staff but purely the management. A very poorly run establishment.

We stayed for a wedding anniversary and were delighted by the hotel, its ambience, its situation and impeccable service. We stayed in the room. “Cotton” and revelled in the large comfortable bed and especially the deep, roll top bath. Breakfast was beautifully presented, generous portions and well cooked. If you want a secluded, discrete and tasteful place to stay in Exeter - this is it. Highly recommended.

Fantastic from the second we came in the door to the time we left. We could not fault anything lovely experience The rooms, bar and dining area are gorgeous, with every detail perfectly thought out. They’re cosy, stylish, and just a great place to relax The service staff were all excellent, very attentive and polite, the food was delicious and the cocktails were yummy! Special thanks to Nick for taking such good care of us and advising us on our trip to Greece. We'll definitely be back!

We stayed at this beautiful hotel for two nights and loved it. It's an oasis in the middle of town. The whole place is very stylish, beautifully decorated and so welcoming. We had a "comfy room" which had a unique layout but it was certainly big enough for the two of us; it was bright, airy and super clean with lots of thoughtful touches. It also had a great shower and such a comfy bed! Breakfast was delicious with a good choice and everything both looked and tasted amazing. Service was excellent; all the staff in the hotel were very friendly and attentive though. We had drinks in the bar one evening, it has a good cocktail and drinks list and is a lovely area to sit and relax after a busy day! We had a great stay, would love to come back and wholeheartedly recommend it.