Abode Exeter Hotel

A posh downtown venue right on Cathedral Square in Exeter. You can choose from various levels of luxury (and therefore price).
Our room had a nice high cathedral ceiling, a very stylish bathroom (ultra-​modern looking… I’m not always big on modern decorating but this was cool), and nice little touches – a fresh cut flower in a vase, lots of yummy snacks to choose from (definitely head and shoulders above the tired packet of coffee you find in most run-​of-​the mill motel rooms… but that’s actually not a very good comparison as this is most definitely not a run-​of-​the-​mill type of place) and the set of shampoo/​conditioner/​lotion rivaled anything you’d find at the Body Shop (or Bath & Body works here in the States). Nice, if very small, flat-​screen TV with DVD player, and a good amount of space to move around, especially for a downtown hotel. There was a fancy-​looking restaurant in the hotel, too, but I can’t comment on that because we didn’t eat there, the main reason being because it was a too pricey for the quick, casual dinner we were looking to have that night.
As for location… well, it’s got its good points and bad points. The good part is that it is right in the middle of the really nice downtown section of Exeter. Lots of streets full of shops and places to eat, an outdoor market, and of course, the Exeter Cathedral. Lots to see, and lots to do. You won’t be bored.
The bad part: parking, or lack thereof. If you’re driving to the hotel, be prepared for a bit of a hike. First, if you’re using a sat-​nav /​GPS, do yourself a big favour and follow the instructions on the hotel website. Downtown Exeter is a maze of one-​way streets which tend to dead-​end in narrow spaces between buildings, making it an adventure to get back out.
Second, if you have heavy luggage, bear in mind that parking is a couple of blocks away from the hotel, and nothing is going to scream «tourist!» more than dragging big suitcases across cobblestone streets and through open-​air markets. Happily, there is an alternative to this: you CAN drive up to the front door of the hotel to unload your luggage, but this too can be an adventure. You have to «buzz in» at the barrier on the street, and then this hi-​tech pylon-​type thing lowers down into the ground allowing you to drive out into the Square and up the brick-​paved path in front of the shops to the hotel, which is at the end. This brings its own challenges, since you have to share the path with pedestrians.
Third – you may be led to believe that there is only one option or location for parking. This is not the case. A word to the wise: there are several options for parking in the area, and it’s worth your while to do your homework first.
As for service… the people at the front desk were friendly and polite, but the housekeeping staff needs to take a few lessons from them. Early in the morning – several hours before check-​out time, I might add – two members of the housekeeping staff started banging bloody murder on our door and saying they wanted to get in to clean… actually tried to open the door and were only thwarted by the deadbolt… all this when the «Do Not Disturb» sign was placed right on the door, right in front of their noses. It’s not the first time this has happened to us (though it always makes me want to call the front desk and ask them why they bother with providing «Do Not Disturb» signs if they’re just going to ignore them anyway) but it never fails to annoy me.
The room itself was great, and the hotel is a good place from which to explore downtown Exeter on foot… but next time I think I’ll cut down on the parking rigmarole and «do not disturb» incidents by staying in the suburbs.

This hotel has been renamed to Abode Exeter in 2008 after an extensive reconstruction.
I’ll forever miss those worn-​out stairs, squeaky floors and slanted doors of the good old Royal Clarence. Before the reconstruction, the hotel naturally enticed one to relax with a cup of English tea and a spreadsheet. I am afraid the magic is lost for now, at least until the new version starts squeaking again!

Beautiful hotel with great views of the historic cathedral. Very modern rooms and surroundings. All fixtures and fittings are very modern and retro. All the rooms seem to have there own character some with roll top baths and bathrooms contained within wardrobes. Strange but very appealing! Great breakfast and staff. Situated right in Exeter town centre. Well worth a visit.