The neighbourhood of adaptation, inspiration and contemplation Perched on the River Exe, the historic centre of Exeter was once described as the Jewel of the West. In the heart of the city centre, Hotel Indigo Exeter has been lovingly restored and converted from its department store origins. This hotel was once the home of Colson’s, a department store opened in 1792 by local milliner Mrs. Colson, who became one of the cities most loved characters. From Colsons to Dingles, to House of Fraser, and now Hotel Indigo Exeter. Staying true to its roots the hotel takes its design inspiration from the building’s department store past and other notable neighbourhood sites as each of the 104 rooms are styled to honour elements of the city. With luxury amenities like Egyptian cotton linens, spa-inspired bathrooms, and 40-inch flatscreen TVs, this is the perfect place to explore the sights and sounds of the city.
"We stayed in two King rooms with balconies as a family and overall the hotel has a lot going for it. The location is fantastic — right in the heart of Exeter, perfect for walking everywhere. The hotel itself looks great, especially the sky bar on the top floor. The views are excellent, the drinks are very good, and the service up there was genuinely friendly and attentive. We also grabbed some nibbles in the downstairs restaurant and both the food and service were solid.
The rooms were clean, spacious, and the balconies were a nice touch. Everything felt modern and comfortable.
The only real downside — and it’s a big one — is the front desk service. For a hotel at this price point (and especially as an IHG property), it really let the whole place down. The staff were slow, not particularly knowledgeable (and I hate to add, not the ”quickest”), and quite short/rude at times. We were told when checking in that we’d get late checkout as IHG members, but when we returned later a different staff member had no idea what we were talking about and seemed confused about how to handle it. She eventually offered only one room until 12pm, which after a 3pm check-in really doesn’t feel like proper late checkout.
We travel a lot and the front desk experience here was noticeably below standard. The rest of the hotel (rooms, bar, restaurant, location) is genuinely good, but the poor front-of-house service is what we’ll remember most. Would I stay again? Probably, because of the location and the rooms, but I really hope they sort out the front desk training and attitude."