IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the future opening of a lifecycle net zero carbon hotel in partnership with Zeal Hotels.

voco Zeal Exeter Science Park will be the very first lifecycle net zero carbon hotel in both IHG's and Zeal Hotels’ portfolios. The 142-room property is set to open in the English city of Exeter in 2024. It is signed under a franchise agreement and will be managed by Valor Hospitality.

The hotel has been designed to align with the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework Definition of the UK Green Building Council.

In order to be a lifecycle net zero carbon hotel, the property is being built using passive-house principles to minimise energy use. The building also uses a ‘fabric-first’ approach, and embodied carbon from the hotel structure will be offset upon its opening.

An airsource pump will provide heating and cooling for the ground floor. The upper levels will be heated by adiabetic cooling and electricity. Photovoltaics on the building’s roof and three of its façades will provide the majority of energy needed to run the hotel, with the rest coming via renewable energy sources.

voco Zeal Exeter Science Park’s amenities will include a restaurant, a bar, a gym, gardens, a meeting space, and car charging points. It will be located in a development just a 5-minute drive from Exeter Airport.

Once fully developed, Exeter Science Park will house 76,400 m² of buildings dedicated for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) businesses.

I’m delighted that voco Zeal Exeter Science Park will be IHG’s first lifecycle net zero carbon hotel. This outstanding property in a beautiful part of southwest England perfectly illustrates the commitment of IHG and Zeal to doing business responsibly and will provide our guests with a place to stay that matches their own expectations around sustainability. This agreement with Zeal follows a flurry of recent signings for IHG in the UK, and I’m excited to see the progress we’re continuing to make with our Journey to Tomorrow 10-year responsible business plan. It also marks another milestone for conversion-friendly brand voco, which is our quickest-growing brand globally and proving a popular choice for owners around the world.

Karin Sheppard, SVP Managing Director, Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts

We are proud to be partnering with IHG on this very important project for both our businesses and the world around us. We have a vision for Zeal Hotels and we’re looking forward to turning this into reality with IHG and the voco Zeal Exeter Science Park when we open our doors to guests in 2024. At Zeal and IHG we want to play our part in creating a sustainable future. As we work together on this project, we are sharing our knowledge to help move our industry forwards.

Tim Wheeldon, Managing Director of Zeal Hotels