Travel consciously, making yourself and Mother Earth happy, by lodging in eco-friendly hotels. Constructed with sustainable materials, serving regional produce, and reducing their environmental impact are only some of the ways these hotels participate in sustainable tourism. With this list of our favourite eco-friendly hotels, taking care of the environment on holiday has never been so luxurious!
Whitepod – Le Valais, Switzerland
The Whitepod hotel lies at the foot of the Alps © whitepod.com
Dotting the Valais hillside, the minimalist Whitepod is a unique luxury camping experience only an hour-and-a-half drive from Geneva. In winter, forget about the snow outside the transparent PVC walls of your personal dome and enjoy warmth from the crackling wood burning stove. In the summer, the Whitepod sheds its white coat for green camouflage to reduce its visual impact on the green hills of the Swiss countryside.
To reach your sheepskin and wood clad pod, a 20-minute hike from the reception is imposed – the effort to pay for a priceless view of the Alps. Take advantage of the daily teatime and homemade pastries, outdoor seasonal activities like tennis, badminton, giant chess and sauna at the community Pod-house, and hikes up the Dents du Midi mountain range.
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Jetwing Vil Uyana – Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
This Green hotel is located in a nature reserve © Jetwing Vil Uyana
Jetwing Vil Uyana is a family endeavour dating back to the 1970s. The legacy continues with brother and sister, Hiran and Shiromal Cooray, applying a sustainable strategy that respects the environment without sacrificing comfort. The property lies within a man-made wetland and nature reserve for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, butterflies, and amphibians to call home. In dwellings made of recycled materials, woven reed walls, and cogon grass roof, wake up to the sun glistening over the paddy field to understand the rich simplicity of eco-living.
The vastness of Sri Lanka’s nature is best observed atop Sigiriya rock, a World Heritage Site that holds 5th century palace ruins. This paradise is situated a few hours by car from the lively capital city of Colombo.
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Waldorf Astoria – Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Eco-friendly luxury accommodation with a view of the Las Vegas Strip – not bad! © Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas
Who said luxury can’t be eco-friendly? With its energy saving lights, environmentally friendly cleaning products, and organic cuisine, the opulent Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas makes ecotourism posh. Its LEED® Gold certification shakes any doubt that this temple of sleek pools and suites is environmentally conscious.
The luxury hotel is decorated in a refined, Asian-inspired style, from the foyer to the 392 rooms. The Las Vegas Strip can be admired from the 23rd floor while you sip one of the fine cocktails at the Mandarin Bar.
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Lefay Resort & SPA – Gargnano, Italy
Breathtakingly beautiful views of Lake Garda Lake will meet you at Lefay Resort © Leonardo Lefay
The 5-star Lefay Resort & SPA on the Lago di Garda (Garda Lake), only around 100 kilometres from Verona, is the epitome of Italian refinement amid a rich landscape of hills and natural terraces studded with olive trees. Lefay Resort’s facade of wood and stone respects architectural integration, blending aesthetically with the surrounding Riviera dei Limoni. Dive into the gorgeous pool overlooking the lake – don’t worry, the overflow of water will be used for irrigation! Pleasant for the taste buds and the environment, Lefay’s culinary concept, Vital Gourmet, applies strict ethics of using seasonal ingredients, local suppliers of organic farming, and only traditional Mediterranean produce.
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Lisu Lodge – Chiang Mai, Thailand
Lisu Lodge is as close as you can get to both city and nature © Asian Oasis Travel
In the lush valley of Chiang Mai, the Lisu Lodge gets its name from the nearby Lisu tribe village. As part of a community-based project aimed at conserving Thailand’s heritage, guests can experience Lisu customs with local families. From your guest cottage overlooking the rice paddies, embark on a cycle tour and stop at a tea plantation for a cup of fresh-roasted tea. Or, get your hands dirty restoring the forest ecosystem at the Himmapaan plant nursery working with the local community. After a traditional Thai dinner in the woven bamboo walled lodge, warm up by the outdoor campfire under the star-filled sky.
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h2hotel – Healdsburg, California, USA
Eco friendly H2 Hotel in San Francisco © h2hotel
Discreet and refined, nearby to San Francisco, h2hotel greets you under the shade of its “green roof”. The grass roof manages rainwater flow to reduce the impact on nearby Foss Creek, while also reducing the heat given off by the building to preserve Healdsburg’s microclimate. You may go to Sonoma County for hiking and wine tasting, but you won’t want to check-out before trying h2hotel’s duck fat popcorn. Munch on these while getting ready for the sours mixing class or your Vinyasa flow yoga class. Give in to a sweet treat with the farm-to-massage spa offering delicious treatments of wine, honey, lavender, or lemon from the Sonoma backyard.
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Park Hyatt Hyderabad – Hyderabad, India
Soak in the sun without leaving Park Hyatt Hyderabad © ICE Portal
From its imposing facade, to its colossal columns in the foyer, up to the pristine suites, the Park Hyatt Hyderabad proves that extravagance and ecology are natural allies. Pamper yourself without guilt in this palace clad of energy saving, water efficient, and carbon reducing technology. Such details have led to the hotel’s well-earned recognition of the LEED® Gold status in 2011.
The hotel’s geographic situation offers you the possibility to easily visit Hyderabad’s landmarks like the Charminar mosque and the Golconda citadel and fort. For even more discoveries, explore these 14 unmissable places in India.
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Finca Rosa Blanca Inn – Costa Rica
It doesn’t get greener than this at the Finca Rosa Blanca Inn © Finca Rosa Blanca
A short drive from San José, within miles of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes, nestled in an organic coffee plantation is the Finca Rosa Blanca Inn. Since 1985, Teri, a Taoist Tai-Chi instructor, and Glenn, an artist, started with one wish: to be an eco-friendly hotel that leaves the minimum possible trace. Examples of efforts include hiding their electrical system underground to avoid harming wildlife and reusing the coffee pulp as fertiliser.
Follow an experienced guide through the coffee plantation to learn about the high-quality organic coffee produced here, taste ripe coffee berries (if the season coincides), and participate in a catación (coffee-cupping) to compare the aromas of the Costa Rican sacred bean.
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VIVOOD – Benimantell, Alicante, Spain
A view of the Guadalest Valley from the room at VIVOOD Landscape Hotels © Pedro Garcia
From your private jacuzzi, admire the immensity of the Guadalest Valley and forget the entire world – you are at VIVOOD. An hour drive from Alicante, VIVOOD aims to open your senses to nature and local products all while making eco-responsibility feel luxurious. The prefabricated units designed by architect Daniel Mayo sit naturally within the leafy décor. Highly minimalist, the straight lines of the earthy-toned VIVOOD suites seem to extend towards the horizon. Enjoy the silence of the valley by hiking the Aitana, the tallest mountain of the Costa Blanca. VIVOOD will be waiting for you with a spectacle of orange lights as the sun sets across the valleys reliefs.
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Hix Island House – Vieques, Puerto Rico
© Matthew Gilbertson/Hix Island House
Have you ever dreamed of living on a Caribbean island, benefiting of the wonders of nature? That’s Hix Island House, isolated from busy capital city San Juan yet only a 22-minute flight away. Designed by architect John Hix, the various casas (houses) are strategically built to capture the cooling trade winds, with the wabi-sabi philosophy in mind: use natural materials, adapt to nature, and invite the earthy and imperfect into everyday life. Lodge in the Casa Solaris, an all-solar powered guesthouse on the property. If you’re not catching some rays on Sun Bay, Vieques’ largest beach, you might be taking yoga classes in the shade of the outdoor yoga pavilion amidst the trees and the birds.
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