Royal Exeter Hotel

The staff were so helpful and friendly, and our room was clean with loads of space. Breakfast was generous and really good. Bournemouth town, the BIC and the pavilion are all an easy walk away, so we’ll keep booking here when we visit.

The room had plenty of space and was clean, with great towels, but it felt very worn. The floor was uneven enough that furniture shifted noisily whenever I walked around, which was unnerving. There wasn’t even hand soap, and they couldn’t give me any when I asked. Parking caused most of the trouble. On arrival I was told I had to pay, then that it would have been free if I’d booked directly instead of through booking.com. That felt like a deliberate penalty. Breakfast wasn’t included either. When I asked to leave my car until 5 after work, I was charged again despite the free parking they offer to residents. I ended up paying for 72 hours, though the car was there for about 45. I tried to raise it directly with the hotel rather than going to social media, but the conversation was uncomfortable. There was no apology or real engagement, and I was made to feel like a nuisance. The staff were generally hostile, and the whole stay felt awkward. I wouldn’t recommend it. The location is handy for the BIC, at least.

We left after just one night of a planned two night stay and checked into the Norfolk Royal, which was perfect. At this hotel, our first room was at the far end, up and down stairs. It was filthy, with a small black Beatle on the bed, dust everywhere, a large wasp flying around and a mouldy smell. We asked to move and were given a room directly above the club. Nobody warned us about the pounding noise from 8pm until 4am, or that the whole room would vibrate. When we asked at reception the next morning why we hadn’t been told, we were told it was on the website. I eventually found a small note at the bottom of the room selection page, saying there may be some noise. You wouldn’t see it just by clicking on a room. The receptionist was rude and raised her voice, with no customer service skills. The hotel itself is old, tatty and disgusting. We packed up and left. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you want to party until 4am. For a relaxing break, forget it.

The rooms are fine, but a very loud nightclub kept us awake until at least 3am. And if you’re too sleep deprived to notice you’ve left something valuable behind, good luck getting it back. The hotel doesn’t answer calls or emails, so a stay could end up costing a lot more than the room price.