The Dolphin, in Exeter

I used to really like this pub. Gone rapidly downhill. Such a shame. The reviews below do not reflect it as it is now.

I stayed at Hotel du Vin, Exeter for 4 nights in July 2023. Generally very good service. Parking is very tight at this establishment so parking spaces must be booked and paid for in advance of your stay at £15 per night. When I arrived, there was a sign with my name on it so I parked there and didn't use the car for the rest of my stay. Reception were very helpful on arrival and answered any questions I had. I had a Cosy Room at the back of the hotel which I was disappointed about as it was very small and cramped and you could still hear the traffic noise from round the corner. Breakfast in the Bistro was great. Very helpful staff. Lots of choice from the Country Table and Hot Breakfast choices. All staff were welcoming and knowledgeable regarding the menu, but at £19.95 per head this was not worth it but I had the free breakfast every day as part of my booking. The indoor/outdoor swimming pool was great. The indoor part had water jets, so a bit like a jacuzzi then the outdoor part, through the wall, was deep enough to swim in. This area also had a nice changing room with showers and lockers. BUT my real gripe was the cleaning of the rooms. I am a cleaner myself so I do understand. I thought there were some marks on the bathroom shelf so I spoke to an older lady about it and she came back to me and informed me something hot had been left on the side so these were probably burn marks. But unfortunately when it came to the bathroom sink drain hole, this was really dirty. This really is not acceptable for an establishment that charges these prices. I called into my room one day to find a young girl tidying up. She just grunted at me when I said hello. No conversation whatsoever. Despite these annoyances, I will be back as I enjoyed my stay and the bed was particularly comfortable and the hotel is centrally located in Exeter. UPDATE This is much improved on last year. This year I paid more for a larger room which was much more suited to the purpose. It overlooked the garden, had a huge bed with plenty of room round it. The cleaning was also much improved. I would always book a Classic Room in the future. It made all the difference. Also, the room was situated at the end of the building, so you didn't hear anyone snoring or banging about. PLEASE NOTE the parking is now £20.

Great place, great landlords and great atmosphere

The place looked nice from the outside, so we decided to give it a try. But as soon as we walked in, it was like we were invisible to the staff. After finally grabbing a table and picking out what we wanted to eat, we tried to order at 11:57, only to be told that the lunch menu didn't start until 12. Fair enough, but why couldn't they just take our order and hold off on making it until 12? The staff were a bit of a mess - talking loudly, swearing, and sitting on the counter. And their personal conversations... I really didn't need to hear all the gossip on who’s sleeping with who, while trying to enjoy my lunch. To top it off, one of them had Snapchat notifications going off non-stop, which was beyond annoying. On the bright side, the food was actually pretty good. But the service was so off-putting that I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone or bother going back myself. A shame because it’s a lovely location and interior nice.

Really nice hotel in Exeter city centre. It's a great location and handy. The place has good-sized rooms, which are clean and tidy. The bar and restaurant are both top-notch. The food was really nice. My biggest issue is that there isn't any free parking at the hotel.