Premier Inn Exeter St David’s review – I stayed in a brand new ‘best ‘ever’ room

Premier Inn is arguably one of the UK’s most well-known budget hotel chains, with over 800 hotels across the country. Though the brand prides itself on offering customers “economy pricing”, that doesn’t mean economy quality. As part of its latest push to offer the “best hotel experience ever” Premier Inn has launched brand-new Next Evolution Style rooms across a list of locations.

Premier Inn Exeter Central St David’s, just a stone’s throw from St David’s Station, is among those to welcome the Next Evolution rooms offering the new interior and design. The hotel is easily identified from its exterior, decorated with the brand’s recognisable purple signage.

The lobby is a simple, straightforward space, with two check-in desks as well as a self-service kiosk. You can expect to be greeted by warm and friendly staff who show a genuine interest in your stay. If staff aren’t present there’s a small buzzer to alert someone you need assistance.

Premier Inn is marketed at everyone, but its family-friendly nature is very clear. Each floor has signage reminding people to be quiet in communal areas close to bedrooms, special deals for families include free kids breakfasts with a full paying adult (subject to availability) and up to two kids stay free with one paying adult. The lobby also features a kids’ corner with activities for little ones.

Guest rooms are spread across four floors and security is a priority, with a key card required to access corridors where rooms are located. Corridors are freshly painted and it’s clear the hotel has undergone recent renovation.

Premier Inn Exeter St Davids offers four different room styles, including double, twin, family and accessible rooms, encompassing the newly launched Next Evolution Style. Having stayed at a different Premier Inn location not too long ago, on entry to our room we were pleasantly surprised by the difference in quality of the new rooms. There is no fear of feeling cramped, with more than enough space for two people to stay comfortably.

A soft neutral colour palette, with hints of purple woven throughout the room – a nod to the brand identity. From the bathroom, purple light glowed into the room. The soft hue serves as a helpful guide to the bathroom at night that won’t disturb you, but can be switched to a regular light or turned off when required.

As part of the new design, the room is segmented into three zones. The “getting ready area” features plenty of storage space, including space to hang your clothes from the Premier Inn purple non-slip coat hangers, along with a full-length mirror (a handy addition even elevated brands sometimes forget about).

There’s a vanity area complete with built-in LED lighting – perfect for dolling up before dinner, plus a decent hair dryer.

The “hive area”, designed to work, enjoy a drink, and charge devices, includes tea and coffee-making facilities. If you run out of tea, coffee, milk or sugar, complimentary sachets are available to take from the reception area.

Whether you’re looking to dine in your room or need to catch up on some work, there is also a handy comfy table area.

Premier Inn says it has designed the new generation rooms based on feedback from guests, which is apparent from the small touches and attention to detail. USB outlets are installed on plug sockets, maximising charging potential, while a handy bottle opener is attached to the wall – ideal if you’re in the city to celebrate or fancy a nightcap. However, rooms still do not feature small fridges, making storing any drinks or snacks difficult.

A king-sized bed sits at the heart of the room, in what is designated as the “sleep area”, serving as a prime example of the brand’s acclaimed mattresses and bedding – so soft you might struggle to leave its marshmallow-like embrace come morning. If you want to take the hotel experience home, Premier Inn offers its own mattress and bedding range which you can learn more about here.

Beds are backed by purple fabric headboards, adding an element of luxury at a purse-friendly price.

You can rest assured of a peaceful night’s sleep. Even though we stayed on a busy weekend, we weren’t disturbed by any noise pollution from neighbouring guests.

Premier Inn says it has implemented design practices including floating furniture to make the room feel more spacious by allowing guests to see the floor underneath. This also aims to reduce the amount of items guests accidentally leave behind, with socks, underwear, chargers and make-up bags being the most commonly lost items.

Bathrooms are basic but extremely clean, including a walk-in waterfall shower and large sink area. In case you forget basic toiletries, bathrooms also come kitted out with Baylis & Harding shampoo and body wash.

The Next Evolution Style rooms have launched across select Premier Inn locations, including:

Ayr A77/Racecourse, Basildon (Rayleigh), Belfast City, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, Titanic Quarter, Birmingham South (Hall Green), Bolton (Stadium/Arena), Coventry City Centre (Earlsdon Park), East Midlands Airport, Exeter, Central St Davids, Glasgow Airport, Glasgow City, Centre Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow Newton Mearns (M77 J4), Kings Lynn, Leamington Spa Town Centre, Lisburn, London Angel, Islington, London Gatwick Airport (Manor Royal), London Greenwich, Maidstone Town Centre, Preston South (Craven Drive), Reading (Caversham Bridge), Rugby North (Newbold), Rugeley, Sheffield (Arena), Solihull Town Centre, Southampton City Centre (West Quay), Stratford-Upon-Avon, Central Stratford-Upon-Avon, Waterways Wakefield South (M1, Jct39), Wolviston/Wynyard.

Premier Inn does offer vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives, including THIS™ Isn’t Bacon and GARDEN GOURMET® Sensational™ Vegan Sausage, however, these were not out during our stay and there was no clear signage as to whether this is something guests can order separately.

Thyme Bar & Grill also has a reasonably wide-ranging dinner menu, including classics such as pizza, sirloin steak, gammon steak, burgers, curries, pasta and salads. Vegetarian options are also included on the menu, plus a range of sweet treats for those who still have their dessert stomach to fill.

Quite literally over the road from Exeter St David’s, Premier Inn Exeter Central St David’s is perfect for those travelling into the city or connecting elsewhere in the country.

Exeter’s High Street is just a short walk away (approximately 18 minutes) where you can find an array of big-name shops including John Lewis, Waterstones, Zara and H&M. There are also plenty of independent and chain dining options located within reach of the hotel. If you’re after a reliable watering hole within easy reach, The Imperial Wetherspoon pub is tucked away behind the hotel, which you can get to in around five minutes.

The grand facade of Exeter Cathedral is around a 19-minute walk away, while Gandy Street, home to an array of independent businesses, is just 17 minutes away on foot.

If you’re arriving by car, unfortunately, there is no on-site parking available, however, chargeable off-site parking is available opposite the hotel with a daily rate of £12.50 between Monday and Friday or £8.80 on weekends. Alternatively, you can park in the overflow car park – approximately a one-minute walk from the hotel.

Prices start at £45 but can rise depending on demand and how soon you book. Express.co.uk conducted an independent search and found prices as low as £45 on select dates when booked in advance. Breakfast can be added on from £10.99 per person. Find rooms and book direct on the Premier Inn website.