Booked a Fabulous room as it was one night away without our 3 year old. It was a spacious room but I did feel that for the price it was left standing by the quality regularly turned out by your Hotel Du Vins or Malmaisons.

No mini bar. Bathroom fixtures and fittings fairly amature.

On the plus side - a lovely position directly opposite the cathedral, an extremely comfortable bed and a much needed nights sleep!!!

Overall a fun place to stay with slick looking rooms and a good restaurant with very friendly, if slightly slow service, but can't forget the sleepless night we had here. Our room was on the first floor situated over a noisy pub/bar and as the drinking increased so did the decibels. When the bar shut - the revellers hung around on Cathedral Green before finally calling it a day. Dozed off then only to be woken by the bang-bang-banging of dustbin lids and more drunken shouting an hour or so later. Shuffed cotton wool in my ears - but still could hear the dustbin lorry taking away the empty bottles at some ungodly hour in the morning. Bleary eyed the next day!

I stayed at this hotel for one night (luckily) on business. The location is great, overlooking the cathedral IF you are fortunate enough to get a room at the front of the hotel.

If you, like me are unfortunate you will get packed off to a dingy, depressing room with a small obscure glass window five feet off the floor. My bathroom was actually a shower room (not big enough to fit a bath in). It was obvious why obscure glass was fitted at around 0600 when it sounded like a local pub was having beer delivered, clearly the view was not pretty and had to be hidden.

As for car parking, prepare to be expected to park a quarter of a mile away in a public shoppers car park with an uphill walk to the hotel

My overriding view was that this is a hotel that trades purely on its location. As I was celebrating checking out I glanced at the hotel brochure.I can honestly say that it bore no relation to the experience I'd had.

If you are going to visit this hotel ensure that you specify a room at the front overlooking the cathedral. If you are happy to accept a room at the back, then thats fine but don't expect to get the quality of room that you see in the brochure.

I checked into this hotel having been so disappointed by my experience at the Mercure Southgate (I had been booked in for 3 nights but left after 1).

The Abode is excellent. The staff are helpful and friendly and the rooms are superb (good size desks and free internet). The food is as excellent as you would expect from Michael Caines (the black pudding in particular is outstanding (i asked for more) and the banana toffee dessert is the best i have ever had).

The room i was in (305) did not have a fantastic view but to be honest i didn't care and it didn't spoil my stay one bit.

This will undoubtedly be my first port of call in Exeter on my return trips (i have previously stayed at the Barcelona and Mercure).