Guest blog - The history behind Hotel du Vin

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to looking into the history of one of Exeter's most iconic and distinguished hotels. 

Dubbed a “contemporary wonderland”, Hotel du Vin has experienced a rather fascinating past and come a long way since originally being founded as an eye infirmary in 1808. Now, over two centuries later, 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of Hotel du Vin opening their doors to Exeter visitors and marks the perfect time to share a look into the history books of this iconic building.

With the expert eye of Front Office Manager, Toby Shirazian, we welcome you to Hotel du Vin...

A brief history

The infirmary as an institution was founded in 1808 following a meeting at the (now fire destroyed) Royal Clarence decided that a new eye hospital was needed for the people of Exeter. Originally, the infirmary was located on Holloway Street, just a short walk from the current location, and records show it housed just 7 beds, one matron, one nurse, and a servant. As demand grew, a new house was founded on Magdalen Street, which was then extended upon over the years until the late 1880s when a new site was sought for a purpose built structure.

Creating the building we know today

In 1896 an appeal was launched for a new hospital building, with a competition held to design the hospital. The entries were assessed by Mr Charles Barry, who is known more famously for building the Palace of Westminster.

The honour of the winning design went to Sir Alfred Brumwell and on 11th April 1899 the foundation stone was laid. Prior to its demolition to build the new infirmary, the fireplace in the entrance was taken from the original house on the site while the marble flooring covered the original ground floor and part of the first floor. 

Raised by public, in total the new hospital cost £25,000 (£19,000 for building and £6,000 for fittings) which equates to around £3.5m in today's money! Officially titled 'The West of England Eye Infirmary', the 25 bed hospital was considered at the time to be second only to Moorfields Hospital in London.

First World War and later years

Come the First World War and the infirmary is VA (Voluntary Aid) Hospital Number 1 in Exeter, treating soldiers wounded on the front line. Other hospitals in Exeter included Bishop Blackall School, Reed Hall at the University of Exeter, Topsham Barracks, and even the Bishop's Palace at Exeter Cathedral.

On 4th October 1914 the hospital was mobilised with 24 hours of the order being given that it was to be a VA hospital. By Christmas 1914, it had provided more Red Cross beds in Exeter than any other provincial town in Britain.

The next most significant time for the hospital came in 1948 when it was absorbed into the NHS, before sadly closing the hospital doors in 1992 when the hospital moved to the newly built Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Wonford.

Modern day

The conversion to Hotel Barcelona took place during the late 1990, opening as a 45 bedroom hotel in 2001. In 2008 the hotel was purchased by Swire Properties before being closed for extensive refurbishments. Re-opened as the Magdalen Chapter Hotel, during this time a roof conversion took place and 14 bedrooms were added, making the hotel the 59 bedroom property we know today. 

In April 2016 the hotel was purchased by Hotel Du Vin and a full bedroom refurbishment was completed six years later. Further plans to refurbish the ground floor public areas, and a project to transform the Potting Shed meeting room into the garden suite (Beekeeper's Cottage), were completed in October 2023.

Brimming with its own charm and unique personality that distinguish itself from other hotels, historic walled gardens and striking architecture create the backdrop for a truly special experience at Hotel du Vin.