Meetings for up to 50 seated, parties for up to 150 standing in the garden and weddings with the ceremony and the reception in the same building can be organised at City Gate Hotel, a pub with 20 bedrooms in a Grade II listed building at Iron Bridge in central Exeter. Four private or semi-private spaces, a walled garden with a stretch tent and an in-house kitchen make it a practical choice for small corporate events and informal celebrations.
Seminars and company events
City Gate sells meeting packages that run from a breakfast meeting to a full day. The formats it suggests include board meetings, team training days, networking lunches and awards evenings. The Gallery is the main meeting room, with 50 seated or 70 standing, daylight and direct access to the garden. The Gallery and the Cellar Bar each have a 65-inch smart TV with HDMI, and the meeting spaces have air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The Snug, a semi-private space for 20 seated, suits a small working session or an informal interview day. For lunches and dinners with clients, the hotel offers a private dining room for corporate meals. A dedicated events manager handles bookings from the first call to the day itself.
Weddings and receptions
The hotel is licensed for wedding ceremonies, so a couple can hold the ceremony and the celebration under one roof. The Gallery is offered for the wedding meal, and the Cellar Bar, with its own bar and room for dancing, is promoted for the evening party. In the warmer months the Secret Garden takes a larger reception under its stretch tent.
Rooms and capacities
The Cellar Bar holds 20 seated or 100 standing and has a fully stocked private bar. The Gallery holds 50 seated or 70 standing and opens onto a private patio. The Secret Garden, under a stretch tent with its own bar, holds 80 seated or 150 standing, the largest capacity on site. The Snug holds 20 seated or 25 standing. The spaces can be booked separately, which lets a meeting in the Gallery be followed by drinks in the garden.
Accommodation
There are 20 bedrooms above the pub, each decorated in its own style. Check-in runs from 3 pm and check-out is at 11 am. Twenty rooms will not house a large conference, but they are enough for a wedding party, speakers or a small team staying for a two-day meeting.
Catering
Food comes from the pub kitchen: seasonal British cooking with real ales, craft beers and cocktails. For events the hotel offers seasonal menus, drinks packages and sharing boards, and party food can be adjusted to the group with the events manager. Breakfast is served from 7 am on weekdays and dinner until 9:30 pm from Monday to Saturday. Sunday roasts are a house speciality, and festive menus run at Christmas.
History and setting
The building is Grade II listed and stands at 1 Iron Bridge, on the edge of the old city center. Exeter Cathedral and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum are a short walk away, which helps when guests want to see the city before or after an event.
Getting there
Exeter Central station is close by, and Exeter St Davids, the main station with direct trains from London Paddington, is also within reach. Exeter Airport lies east of the city.
