IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has opened Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park – IHG’s first branded net-zero carbon hotel- in partnership with Zeal Hotels and Valor Hospitality. The hotel is designed to operate entirely on renewable and solar energy.
As with all Voco-branded hotels, the 142-room Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park has been designed to help guests truly unwind and feel at ease, featuring neutral tones and contemporary elements throughout the guest rooms and public spaces. Guests will have access to a mini gym, gardens, versatile meeting spaces, and 12 EV charging points. The hotel’s on-site restaurant and bar, ISCA, emphasises locally sourced ingredients, collaborating with regional farms and producers to offer fresh, responsible dining options.
The Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park stands out with its sustainable design, earning a BREEAM Outstanding rating, a renowned certification for sustainable buildings. It is the first building in the UK to utilise Solarlab vertical photovoltaic panels as a rainscreen cladding system. Additionally, it follows the Passivhaus standard for ultra-low energy buildings, incorporating adiabatic cooling and reversible heat pumps to minimise energy usage.
In line with Voco’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park was constructed using materials chosen for their sustainable characteristics and assembled innovatively to achieve best-in-class results. For example, Ecocrete was used during construction, a low-carbon concrete with up to 85% less CO2 than CEM1 (100% cement).
Joanna Kurowska, VP and Managing Director UK & Ireland at IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented: “With a growing number of travellers seeking responsible travel options, we are delighted to open voco Zeal Exeter Science Park. The hotel will bring a new sustainable offer to our UK portfolio and build on our commitment to provide exceptional experiences for our guests.
Together with Zeal Hotels, voco Zeal Exeter Science Park sets the standards for net-zero carbon hotels and marks a pivotal step towards a more sustainable future in hospitality, aligned with IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan. By inspiring both industry leaders and our guests, we are demonstrating how comfort and sustainability can successfully coexist, benefiting both the environment and the communities we serve.”
Tim Wheeldon, Founding Director of Zeal Hotels, stated: “I am incredibly proud of the team behind the voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, who have worked hard to bring the Zeal Hotels vision to fruition. Our partnerships with IHG Hotels & Resorts and Valor Hospitality have been crucial throughout the development process, and we are excited to launch this new sustainable hotel.
It has been more than a decade since we founded Zeal Hotels to help the hotel sector achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The decision to build our net-zero hotel reflects our commitment to combating climate change and reducing our carbon footprint. By harnessing renewable energy sources, implementing energy-efficient designs, and utilising innovative technology, we have created a space that not only provides comfort and luxury but also prioritises environmental responsibility. We look forward to sharing our knowledge with others to help accelerate the net-zero carbon process across the sector.
Brian McCarthy, Managing Director of Valor Hospitality, said: “Valor has been a successful partner with IHG for over 10 years in the UK. We are pleased to be working with them on this first branded net-zero carbon hotel. Thank you to Zeal Hotels for choosing us as their management partner and allowing us to work on this cutting-edge project. This is another step in our aspiration to grow our business with great owners.
Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park is dedicated to supporting and forging links with its community, working closely with the Science Park and local students. The hotel aims to serve as a centre for knowledge, sharing insights on sustainable hotel construction and operations, and fostering a culture of learning.”
The hotel has been designed to reach net-zero operational and embodied carbon. Various measures and techniques have been utilised to achieve net-zero carbon construction, including:
– The building has been designed to minimise operational energy use, achieving an EUI (Energy Use Intensity) of less than 60kWh/m², one of the lowest known in the UK. This has been achieved by following the Passivhaus building standard to ensure that the building requires less energy for heating and cooling, using heat recovery, adiabatic cooling for guestrooms, and reversible heat pumps for balanced load sharing.
– Refrigerant emissions have also been minimised by using CO2 heat pumps, with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1, for domestic hot water – a significant reduction in environmental impact compared to conventional refrigerants.
– The building is designed to operate entirely on renewable energy and maximises on-site renewable electricity generation through vertical photovoltaic panels.
– The embodied carbon used in the construction of the hotel was reduced through sustainable material choices, including the use of 60% Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) in the concrete mix for the building frame (GGBS is a by-product from the blast-furnaces used to make iron). The remaining embodied carbon will be offset.
Voco Hotels is IHG’s fastest-growing premium brand, offering a hotel experience that is consistently thoughtful and distinct. Each property is characterised by its charm, providing guests with something different while ensuring the reliability of a global brand. There are currently 29 voco hotels open across Europe, with more than 20 set to open in the next three to five years.
Subscribe to our newsletter below