Rugby and the opportunity for some child-free time meant we had at least two good reasons to head West for the weekend. In my book, one is enough but two or more must not be ignored. We headed for Exeter and booked the Hotel Du Vin as we haven’t stayed with them in years and wanted to check out the unusual building.
The hotel itself is on the sight of an old eye hospital and whilst that could potentially feel a bit Scooby-Doo and creepy, it really doesn’t. That said, there are a few artifacts from the building’s medical past but they look really great alongside some more of Hotel Du Vin‘s mid-century touches.
Centrally located, Hotel Du Vin is ideal for seeing the rest of Exeter (though if you are heading for rugby the ground is a little further out of town). Aside from the cathedral and some beautiful heritage buildings, there are lots of nice cafes and shops to explore. The cute quayside area is worth a visit too .
I gave the match a swerve and availed myself of some downtime exploring the hotel interior and a glass of fizz with a book in the bar. Sensible me thinks, as it poured.
Plenty of contemporary well-designed public spaces in the hotel to find yourself a nook. Quite a few tables in one of the large public rooms were filled with afternoon tea gatherings and definitely some hen-party action. If that’s not your cup of tea (see what I did there?) then you can head for the library and some peace.
As we planned to be out and about for most the weekend, we didn’t splash out on a deluxe double or the Studio but our ‘Superior Double’ was totally welcoming and not at all poky. The bed was ultra comfortable and we had a minibar, great wifi and good coffee machine; all nice touches. The en-suite was compact but had a bath and shower in a contemporary style with metro tiles and REN toiletries (Yessssssss – my favourite).
Hotel breakfasts are the make or break of a good hotel stay, no? I just love this bit of a weekend so they have to get it right. This should include; people watching, a choice of interesting food (which you haven’t cooked yourself), decent coffee and a leisurely read of the papers. Happy to report it was marvellous. The bonus with Hotel Du Vin Exeter is the view from the breakfast setting with floor to ceiling windows. We loved it.
From the restaurant/breakfast room you can view the walled garden, potting shed and find your way to the spa. The REN Spa would be the perfect place to enjoy a little piece of tranquility in the city location and luxe-out your stay. There there is also an inside/outside pool and workout suite but we didn’t get time to try either of those sadly on this visit.
To digest our feast, we returned to Exeter Quay for a walk along the waters edge. People were engaging in all sorts of activity; canoeing, cycling etc but for the Sunday sloths among us, there were plenty cafes and spots to just watch the world go by or grab a drink.
Even without the lure of an away match, the other half agreed that for a chilled-out weekend, Exeter is a pretty safe bet. The Hotel Du Vin offers an iconic building with a unique personality to stay in and with comfy beds, power showers and a pool I’ve now got THREE reasons to go back.
Doubles from £75 excluding breakfast.
STYLEOPHILE 