New hotels in Exeter

Exeter's new-hotel story runs to two properties, opened three years apart on opposite sides of the city: a 142-room voco built inside Exeter Science Park in 2025, and a 104-room Hotel Indigo carved out of a former department store in Princesshay in December 2022. Travelers who want to walk to the cathedral and the Quay should book the Indigo; anyone here for a conference or business at the Science Park is better served staying next to it, off Junction 29 of the M5, than commuting in from the centre.

What to do

A weekend in Exeter

Start at Exeter Cathedral, whose Gothic nave and West Front anchor the city's historic core; free Red Coat guided tours leave from outside it daily, and the tower is open to climb for a view over the rooftops toward the Exe Estuary. From the cathedral green, it's a short walk down to the Quay, where kayak and bike hire, antique shops and riverside pubs line the water: worth an hour or two, especially with a stop at one of the craft workshops housed in the old warehouses. Underground, Exeter's medieval Underground Passages are the only attraction of their kind open to the public in the UK, built to carry water into the city from springs beyond the walls, and worth booking ahead for a guided tour since group sizes are kept small. Spend the rest of the day around Gandy Street's cobbled run of independent shops and cafes and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, which runs touring exhibitions alongside a permanent collection covering natural history, world cultures and local archaeology.

A full week

A week gives room to explore Devon from an Exeter base. The Jurassic Coast and Dartmoor National Park are both under an hour's drive, worth a full day each: Dartmoor for its granite tors, wild ponies and moorland walks, the coast for the seafront towns of Sidmouth or Lyme Regis and their fossil-hunting beaches. In the city itself, set aside an evening for the Quay's bars and restaurants once the day-trip crowds have thinned, and use a quieter morning to browse the antique centres and independent bookshops along South Street and Fore Street. If business brings a stay near Exeter Science Park, the M5 puts Exmouth's beaches and the Exe Estuary within a 20-minute drive for an afternoon off, and the park's own cycle paths connect through to the National Cycle Network if a bike is handy.

Where to stay

Princesshay and the city centre

Hotel Indigo Exeter occupies the former House of Fraser building in Princesshay, on the site of a department store that traded from 1792: a central address within walking distance of the cathedral, the Quay and Gandy Street. The Hotel Indigo Exeter's 104 rooms are split across three design themes drawn from that history (The House That Moved, Colson's Department Store, and Cathedral Heritage) and its rooftop bar, Beckett's, looks out over the city skyline while its ground-floor restaurant, Dottie's, covers the hotel's own dining. This is the base for anyone here to see Exeter itself rather than pass through it.

Exeter Science Park

voco Zeal Exeter Science Park sits just off Junction 29 of the M5, inside the science park itself: IHG's first net zero carbon hotel, with 142 rooms built for the business and conference market around the park rather than for leisure sightseeing. Being IHG's actual first net zero carbon property is a genuine sustainability claim rather than a marketing label, and it's a practical choice for a meeting or conference at the park, but not a base for exploring the cathedral and Quay on foot; the city centre is a drive away rather than a walk.

Which hotel for your trip

Weekend visitors and couples

Hotel Indigo Exeter's Princesshay address puts the cathedral, the Quay and Gandy Street all within a 10-minute walk, and its ground-floor restaurant Dottie's and rooftop bar Beckett's give a reason to stay in as well as go out for the evening.

Business and conference travelers

voco Zeal Exeter Science Park is built for exactly this trip: a 142-room hotel inside the science park itself, just off the M5, without the parking or commute hassle of staying centrally for a meeting on-site, and with a genuine sustainability story to point to for anyone booking on behalf of a company with its own environmental targets.

Travelers without a car

Hotel Indigo Exeter is the only realistic choice of the two for anyone arriving by train or coach: Exeter St David's and Exeter Central stations are both a short walk or taxi ride from Princesshay, while voco Zeal sits on the edge of the city off the motorway, built around car-based business travel rather than rail arrivals.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Exeter?

voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, IHG's first net zero carbon hotel, opened in 2025 inside Exeter Science Park just off Junction 29 of the M5.

How many new hotels does this guide track in Exeter?

Two: voco Zeal Exeter Science Park (2025) and Hotel Indigo Exeter (December 2022).

Where should I stay to be near Exeter Cathedral?

Hotel Indigo Exeter, in Princesshay, is a short walk from the cathedral, the Quay and the city's main shopping streets.

Is there a hotel near Exeter Science Park?

Yes: voco Zeal Exeter Science Park sits inside the park itself, just off Junction 29 of the M5, built for the business and conference market rather than city-centre sightseeing.

Does Exeter have a hotel inside a historic building?

Hotel Indigo Exeter occupies the former House of Fraser department store in Princesshay, a 1930s building on the site of Colson's department store, which traded there from 1792.

Which Exeter hotel is easiest to reach without a car?

Hotel Indigo Exeter, in Princesshay, is within walking distance of both Exeter St David's and Exeter Central train stations, unlike voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, which sits just off the M5 on the edge of the city.