Couples looking to book a hotel in Exeter city centre for a romantic stay may choose The City Gate Hotel on Lower North Street, a quirky boutique pub-with-rooms with perks such as a Nespresso machine in your room. Or there’s Southernhay House, a luxury boutique hotel set inside a beautiful Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse on Southernhay East Street.

Those searching for hotels by Exeter Airport will find well-known international chains some 8 km east of the city centre. Hampton by Hilton is right by Exeter Airport, with amenities including free parking, Wi-Fi and a complimentary breakfast. Near the M5 is the Holiday Inn Express, just off Junction 9 of the motorway and a quick 5-minute drive from the airport.

Many of the cheap hotels and B&Bs in Exeter are found north of the historic city centre, near St David’s Railway Station and the University of Exeter. These include the 3-star Park View B&B overlooking Bury Meadow Park on Howell Road which offers reasonably-priced rooms inside a homey Georgian building. The Oakcliffe Hotel on St David’s Hill is another good-quality B&B, just a 10-minute walk from the city centre.

Hotels within walking distance of Exeter’s famous Cathedral Close include the White Hart Hotel by Marston’s Inns on South Street whose history as one of Exeter’s oldest pubs is reflected in its traditional interiors. The Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel on Southernhay East is another good mid-range option with a swimming pool, spa and a central location just a 5-minute walk from the cathedral.

Travellers looking for cheap family rooms will find them at the Premier Inn on Bonhay Road in St David’s, with additional perks including blackout curtains and a power shower for your room. Less than a kilometre from the hotel is the Royal Albert Memorial Museum with family-friendly events and interactive areas where you can get hands-on with some of the exhibits.

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The elegant 4-star Hotel du Vin on Magdalen Street, just over a 5-minute walk from Exeter Cathedral and right next to Bull Meadow Park, has a modern spa tucked away inside its walled garden where guests can relax by the pool area, recharge with a locally-sourced beauty treatment or work out in the fitness room.

Hotels in Exeter city centre with free parking are scarce, so your best option is to stay in a B&B. The Victorian-style Telstar B&B and contemporary Townhouse B&B, both on St David’s Hill, have free parking bays and are set within a few minutes’ stroll from the city centre.

Headweir Mill House sits on the banks of the River Exe just outside of the city centre and has 11 beautifully-appointed guest rooms, eight of which have riverside views. The Cedar Lodge Hotel offers cheap B&B accommodation just a short stroll from the river and is found on Okehampton Road.

Jurys Inn on Western Way, northeast of the city centre, has wheelchair-friendly bedrooms with features including wide doorways, low beds and accessible bathrooms, as well as accessible toilets in the hotel’s public areas and lifts to all floors. The Devon Hotel in the outer suburb of Matford, a 15-minute drive south of Exeter city centre, has two specially-adapted rooms with grab rails, a shower with seat and emergency assist alarms. There’s also ramped access to the hotel’s restaurant, bar and lounge from the car park.