The Dolphin, in Exeter

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.

Lovely polite service Dog friendly extra attention for them Relaxed Nice coffee and bacon sandwich would definitely recommend

The grill fish is really tasty, a good place to have dinner with friends.

Clean boozer, friendly staff l, thanks GG

Well located, room was tired though. Good breakfast.