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Southernhay House Hotel – reviews, photos

36 Southernhay East, EX1 1NX, England
Hotel amenities
Southernhay House Hotel
Ranked #11 of 27 hotels in Exeter
4.0 of 5 stars 40 Reviews
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40 reviews from our community

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Lugano, Switzerland
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“Mixed feelings!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 November 2011
3
people found this review helpful

This is one of those places where somethings are just spot on and others well, one needs a sense of humor! First things first; the staff were wonderful, friendly and professional. The location is wonderful; just a stones trow from the cathedral and town center.
The decor: positively over the top, but I guess that's a matter of taste. It was flash and (probably) fashionable but not stylish. Room: cramped and badly designed. I am 5.3" and had to do a little jump to get down from my bed whereas my husband had no such problem as he is very tall. The toilette was "open" ( the walls did not meet the ceiling) and even after 28 years of marriage one likes a bit of privacy. Moreover it was in two parts. The WC was on the left with the towel rack. The shower was on the right and no towel rack! You had to come out of the WC walk between the bed and the dresser to get to the shower. After having had your shower you would realize that the towels are on the other side! So it was a matter of calling for help or walking back to towel rack. The Shower had no towel hanger either. Unfortunately I can not remember the name ( I seem to remember that they were names and not numbers) of the room.

The only meal we had was breakfast. It was lovely but could take a couple of lessons from the breakfast served at the Mövenpick airport hotel in Zürich.

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Iromi P about Southernhay House Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
southernhayhouse, Owner at Southernhay House Hotel, responded to this review
8 November 2011
Thank you for your positive review and we agree, all our staff are wonderful! However, we would just make the point to all readers that we are a small, independent and passionately run and managed Hotel - a far cry from an airport hotel in Zurich! Our aim is to provide a friendly and stylish retreat on a low key and personal level. To correct one misapprehension; some of our loos and showers are finished at ceiling height with glass walls above the limestone. It's clear glass but it's a wall!
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Birmingham
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Very small room, nicely furnished. Mediocre service & poncy food”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 October 2011
3
people found this review helpful

My expensive (£150) room was tiny and cramped. There was no wardrobe and I had to hang my suite shirt etc on wall hooks. The washbasin was in the bedroom and had no shelf for toileteries. The room was nicely furnished. The service was okay, mediocre for the price. The food was poncy. I didn't understand what half the stuff on the menu was. Not because it was French or something but because of the use of silly words. The food itself was okay. However avoid the home made baked beans at breakfast which are sickly. Overall I felt the hotel was poor value for money. The owners have spent a lot on furnishings but overlooked the basics. I did offer feedback at reception and the girl looked uninterested so don't expect much change.

  • Stayed October 2011
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask mikethebaggie about Southernhay House Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
southernhayhouse, Owner at Southernhay House Hotel, responded to this review
8 November 2011
Everything is relative but readers should note that our Opium room is our cheapest rate because it is smaller, but by no means cramped and we attach pictures of this lovely gem.
As to "poncy" food; our menu is based on Victorian classics which may not please all of the people all of the time but surely doesn't warrant kindergarten language. You did not even pay for most of the food, which was on a corporate account. And we really don't consider our Prix Fixe menu at £15 for two courses and £19 for three poor value.
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Honiton, United Kingdom
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“Sunday Brunch”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 October 2011

Excellent Meal at a very reasonable price. Staff were excellent and service very good. A great addition to the Exeter eating scene

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask DavidBotsford about Southernhay House Hotel
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Exeter, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“A good addition to the Exeter scene”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 October 2011

I went here for lunch with my parents to celebrate my Dad's birthday and it was perfect for such an occasion. (I have been here before with friends in the evening too, where maybe it was a little stiff and formal, though the bar is delightful). It was a lively lunchtime service, they were busy, but the staff were great - friendly and attentive without being obsequious. The food is good value for lunch - £19.00 for 3 courses - and my Dad was particularly delighted by the Exeter pudding. Portions are probably on the smallish side (if you like to chow down) but it was really lovely, fun experience. The only thing is that the restaurant can really get quite noisy. Probably not the place for a romantic tete a tete.

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Exeter, United Kingdom
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Something different for Exeter”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 October 2011

We have eaten here twice and also stopped by for drinks. The staff are very welcoming and attentive and the service is excellent. The atmosphere is great and we loved the decor. The food was good and well presented. The only comment is that I would like to see the menu changed more frequently - we were told it's only changed four times a year so if you plan to eat here regularly you'd soon run out of choices! The wine list offered a good range of reasonably priced wines as well as the more expensive ones.

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Dessie5 about Southernhay House Hotel
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Additional Information about Southernhay House Hotel

36 Southernhay East, EX1 1NX, England
Price range (per night):* INR13,106 - 20,948

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