Hotel du Vin & Bistro Exeter Hotel

Magdalen Street Exeter

Set in a former eye hospital, The Hotel du Vin has turned every aspect of an imposing Victorian brick building near Exeter Cathedral to its advantage. Opened last year after a transformation of an existing hotel by design firm Fielden Clegg Bradley, it features a good dose of period charm, such as the early 18th-century marble fireplace in the front hall; mixed with modern fabrics, cool white subway tiling in the bathrooms and quirky vintage wallpaper prints. Rooms come with iPads, but they’re not just added bling. Use them to play your music, map out a walking route, order your morning paper or find city restaurant recommendations (the suggested pub lunch at The Fat Pig was superb). There are indoor and outdoor pools, and a spa using REN products. The dining lives up to the reputation of chef Simon Hopkinson, serving excellent, simply prepared British and European dishes. Worth a meal in Exeter, even if you’re not a guest. AM. Doubles from £150.