Inside IHG's New 'Net Zero' Hotel
Photo Credit: The IHG Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park hotel runs entirely on renewable energy. IHG
Skift Take
IHG’s net zero hotel is a step forward, but the reality is that not every region or hotel owner can follow suit just yet. Access to renewable energy, sustainable materials, and even willing investors varies wildly, meaning true industry-wide change depends as much on local infrastructure as it does on big-brand ambition.
IHG has opened its first net zero hotel, which it says is the first of its kind in Western Europe. Located near the airport in Exeter, UK, Voco Zeal Exeter Science Park has 142 rooms and runs entirely on renewable energy.
While IHG owns the brand, the hotel itself is owned by Zeal Hotels, a hotel development company. Tim Wheeldon, managing director at Zeal, said building a net zero hotel takes longer because of the challenges in sourcing materials and navigating local building regulations.
“We’ve just taken the whole jigsaw puzzle of building and running a hotel and put it back in a slightly different way. It has taken us five or six years to do that in terms of design and procurement but we have proved that is possible,” he said.
Construction starts with sourcing low-carbon materials. The hotel’s build generated 25% fewer emissions than a standard hotel, with carbon credits offsetting the remaining footprint.
More than 60% of the concrete used came from waste and recycled building materials. But finding a construction company willing to take on a net zero project wasn’t easy.
“We brought them on about 18 months before you would normally bring a contractor. We knew if we just designed a hotel and then got planning permission for it, then sent it out on a tender basis to contractors and construction companie
