The Devon Hotel

The Devon Hotel is a three-star hotel at Matford on the southern edge of Exeter, and it treats dogs as a normal part of the business rather than an exception. Dogs stay from 20 pounds per dog per night in designated dog-friendly rooms, and the useful part is where they are allowed once they are in: the bar lounge and the sun terrace are both open to dogs, so you are not confined to the bedroom all evening. The restaurant is the exception, which is worth planning around if you were counting on dinner in-house.

Practically, this works best as a stopover or a base for visiting family in the area rather than as a destination in its own right. Parking is generous, and the site stays quiet despite sitting close to main roads and an industrial estate. Breakfast comes up repeatedly as the strongest part of the stay, and dog owners have found the staff friendly and the location easy for getting in and out of Devon.

It is not uniformly strong, and the honest picture from guests travelling with an animal includes a poor stay as well as a good one. Room cleanliness has been a real complaint, covering dusty furniture, a marked mattress and cracked fittings, and a room move made in response did not resolve it. There is also a layout point worth knowing in advance: some rooms have a short flight of stairs between the door and the room itself, which is awkward with a dog that does not take steps easily, and more so with an assistance dog. Booking notes have not always reached housekeeping either, so confirm a dog-friendly room directly with the hotel rather than relying on a note attached to the booking.

For dog owners who want an affordable, easy-access Exeter base with somewhere to sit with their dog in the evening, it is a reasonable pick at a 4.1 out of 5 paw rating, provided you ask for a dog-friendly room on the level and confirm it before you travel.