A new generation of hotels and travellers are beginning to ask: what if luxury wasn’t about escape, but about return? Not about indulgence, but about intention.
For decades, luxury in hospitality has been synonymous with excess—abundance not just in comfort, but in consumption. Italian marble underfoot, orchids flown across continents, and infinity pools carved into delicate coastlines became markers of opulence, often at the cost of the very environments and cultures that made these destinations unique. But in the shadow of climate change, this ideal is being re-evaluated. Across the globe, and increasingly in India, a quiet transformation is underway. A new generation of hotels and travellers are beginning to ask: what if luxury wasn’t about escape, but about return? Not about indulgence, but about intention.
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This shift is not merely aesthetic, but philosophical. Sustainability is no longer a checklist of eco-friendly features—it is a way of being, embedded in every design choice and every interaction with land and community. In this reimagining, luxury is not imported but restored: local traditions are revived, ecosystems nurtured, and cultural wisdom respected. And in doing so, the hospitality industry is being asked to trade spectacle for intimacy, uniformity for authenticity, and excess for meaning.
Several luxury resorts across India are leading the way in shifting perceptions of sustainability from surface-level initiatives to holistic lifestyle transformation. Coconut Lagoon and Spice Village, both operated by CGH Earth, offer grounded examples of environmentally responsible hospitality. At Coconut Lagoon, traditional Kerala homes have been carefully relocated and restored, reducing construction impact while preserving regional heritage. The resort incorporates biogas systems, rainwater harvesting, in-house glass bottling to eliminate plastic use, and effective waste segregation. Spice Village, located near the Periyar Forest, operates approximately 75% off-grid, drawing primarily on solar energy. It employs biogas production, vermicomposting, and organic waste recycling to manage waste sustainably and maintain ecological balance on-site.
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“Both Coconut Lagoon and Spice Village use probiotic toiletries. Guests are offered a range of handcrafted artisan toiletries that use powerful natural ingredients and the science of probiotics to create 100% chemical-free, non-toxic, non-polluting, completely natural, and sustainable cleansing products that benefit one’s microbiome,” said Mridula Jose, Vice President of Marketing, CGH Earth.
NOTE – This article was originally published in News18 and can be viewed here
