IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, its first net zero carbon hotel, in partnership with Zeal Hotels and Valor Hospitality.
Running entirely on renewable and solar energy, the 142-room hotel combines sustainability with modern comfort.
Guests can enjoy a mini gym, gardens, meeting spaces, and an EV-friendly environment with 12 charging points. Its onsite restaurant, ISCA, sources ingredients locally to promote responsible dining.
Designed with sustainability at its core, the hotel has earned a BREEAM Outstanding rating and is the UK’s first building to use Solarlab vertical photovoltaic panels as a rainscreen cladding system.
It follows the Passivhaus standard, employing adiabatic cooling and reversible heat pumps for energy efficiency. Eco-friendly materials like Ecocrete, a low-carbon concrete, were used in construction.
Joanna Kurowska of IHG emphasized the growing demand for responsible travel, highlighting how the hotel aligns with IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow sustainability plan.
Zeal Hotels’ Tim Wheeldon underscored their decade-long mission to achieve net zero carbon hotels, while Valor Hospitality’s Brian McCarthy celebrated the project’s community focus, including collaborations with the Science Park and local students.
As IHG’s fastest-growing premium brand, voco hotels blend individuality with reliability. With 29 properties across Europe and over 20 more planned, voco continues to redefine sustainable hospitality.
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