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 with the use of neutral tones and contemporary features throughout the guest rooms and public spaces. The hotel offers a mini-gym, gardens, a versatile conference space, and 12 EV chargers. ISCA is the hotel’s on-site restaurant and bar. It uses local ingredients, working with local producers and farms to offer fresh and responsible dining options.
The voco Zeal Exeter Science Park stands out with its sustainable design, which earned a BREAAM Outstanding rating, a renowned sustainable buildings certification. It is the UK’s first building that uses Solarlab vertical panels as a rainscreen system. It also adheres to the Passivhaus standards for ultra-low energy building and uses adiabatic heating and cooling, and heat reversible pumps to reduce energy consumption.
Using materials that were chosen for their sustainability, and assembled in an innovative way to achieve best-inclass results, the voco Zeal Devon Science Park was built. Ecocrete was used in the construction of the building, which is a low carbon cement that emits 85% less CO2 compared to CEM1 (100% Cement).
Joanna Kurowska, VP, 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 add a sustainable hotel option to our UK portfolio, and continue our commitment to providing exceptional experiences to our guests.”
Together, with Zeal Hotels and voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, we help set the standards for zero carbon hotels. This is aligned with IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow, responsible business plan. We are showing industry leaders and guests how comfort and sustainability can coexist successfully, benefiting the environment and communities we serve.
Tim Wheeldon, founding director of Zeal Hotels, said:
“I am extremely proud of the team that has worked so hard to bring to fruition the Zeal Hotel vision. 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 is more than a decade that we founded Zeal Hotels. We had the intention of helping to make the hotel industry net-zero carbon by 2050. The decision to build a net zero hotel reflects the commitment we have to combat climate change and reduce our carbon footprint. We have created a space which is not only comfortable and luxurious, but also environmentally responsible.
We did this by harnessing renewable energies, implementing energy efficient designs, and utilizing innovative technology. We are excited to share our knowledge with others in order to accelerate the net zero-carbon process across the sector.
Brian McCarthy, Managing Director, Valor Hospitality, said:
“Valor has been a successful partner with IHG Hotels for over 10 years in the UK. We are very pleased to be collaborating with them on their first branded hotel that is net zero carbon. Zeal Hotels chose us to be their management partner, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work on such a cutting-edge project. This is a step in our desire to grow our business by working with great owners.”
Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park works closely with local students and the Science Park to support and create links with its community. The hotel is a knowledge centre, sharing insights into sustainable hotel construction, operations, and culture of learning.
