From luxurious lodges to Caribbean villas, these are some of the best eco-friendly and sustainable hotels in the world.
Six Senses Duoro
These days, sustainability within the travel industry goes so much further than banning plastic straws or putting a recycling bin in your room. Resorts and hotels around the world are getting serious about renewable energy, conserving and protecting their local environments and minimizing waste production (research estimates that hotels process 289,700 tons of waste each year!) in innovative ways that will benefit generations to come. From electricity-generating fitness equipment to native tree planting and onsite reverse osmosis centers, these hotels are leading the way for a more sustainable future. Here, some of the best eco-friendly and sustainable hotels around the world.
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1. Calilo: Ios, Greece
Situated on the unspoiled island of Ios in the Greek Cyclades, this family-owned, 30-suite luxury resort was created with sustainability and ecotourism at the heart of their ethos. The family has worked to purchase a significant amount of beachfront land in Ios in order to consciously leave 99% of it undeveloped, so that the island can maintain its natural beauty for future generations. They’ve also launched the Elektra Olive Tree Project, a conservation initiative to restore the habitat that was previously burned by wildfires and deforestation. To date, they’ve planted more than 68,000 olive trees and bushes (including 550 ancient olive trees), and guests can “adopt” and name a tree then follow its life cycle.
2. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort: Eagle Beach, Aruba
This adults-only oasis is the first certified Carbon Neutral resort hotel in the Caribbean, and the only hotel in the world to win the United Nations’ Global Climate Action Award. Sustainability is a core tenant of every aspect of the property, showcased by using solar panels to heat water for guest rooms and laundry, as well as replacing gas stoves with induction burners and water reducers that cut down water flow by 60% in showers, faucets and toilets. Best of all, guests can get in on the sustainable practices in fun ways. The resort fitness center is outfitted with electricity-generating treadmills and bicycles so you can create clean energy while burning calories. A sustainability concierge is also on standby to help guests find other ways to offset their carbon output, or you can join resort staff for their monthly beach clean up.
3. ARIA Resort & Casino: Las Vegas, Nevada
The neon city of Las Vegas is probably not what comes to mind when one thinks about a sustainable destination, but the sunny, hot desert climate means buildings have had to learn how to be sustainable if they want to survive. AAA Five Diamond ARIA Resort & Casino has developed some unique ways to be sustainable without sacrificing the glamour of a Las Vegas getaway. For starters, 90% of the building’s daytime power comes from solar panels, water conservation technology saves approximately 50 million gallons per year, and in the casino, slot machine bases serve as displacement ventilation units to cool guests from the ground up instead of cooling empty space from the ceiling.
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4. The Ranch at Laguna Beach: Laguna Beach, California
Nestled between the sea and canyons, The Ranch at Laguna Beach is a founding member of Beyond Green, a global collection of hotels, resorts and lodges that are committed to protecting the planet’s natural and cultural heritage through more than 50 rigorous sustainability indicators. One of their primary efforts is to preserve California’s water supply by irrigating their 87 acres of land with reclaimed water through a partnership with the local water district, saving 20 million gallons per year. Other efforts including LED lights to generate less heat, and recycling glass products in the onsite glass bottle crusher to create sand for the resort’s golf course bunkers, repair pavement and filter the pool. The half-acre Harvest Garden also utilizes wet food waste and paper waste as compost, preventing 20,000 pounds of food waste from entering landfills.
5. Vakkaru Maldives: Baa Atoll, Maldives
A 30-minute seaplane flight from Male International Airport transports guests to the secluded reef island of Vakkaru Maldives, where powdery sand, crystal clear ocean water and 113 luxury villas and suites await. The island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with sprawling coral reefs, unique marine biodiversity and 2,300 fully grown coconut trees. Sustainability is top of mind, thanks to an onsite reverse osmosis water treatment center that produces the still and sparkling drinking water served in reusable glass bottles in each guest villa and dining outlets. They also protect and foster the natural environment by inviting guests to plant coral using specially designed frames to attach fragmented corals.
6. Six Senses Douro Valley: Samodães, Portugal
Deep in the heart of the Douro Valley, the oldest demarcated wine-growing region in the world, the postcard-perfect Six Senses Douro Valley rises from the rolling countryside like a Medieval castle. The renovated 19th-century manor house overlooks vineyards, serene gardens and the majestic Douro River, and features a state-of-the-art spa, indoor and outdoor pools, fine dining and a wine library. The resort is intent on preserving their region as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by offsetting their carbon footprint through the Forest Restoration Project to nurse a community forest back to health for fungi, insects and birds. The hotel also has a sustainability fund where a percentage of revenue goes to funding underprivileged children and at-risk animals.
7. Four Seasons Resort Hualālai: Kona, Hawaii
When it comes to a Four Seasons property, luxurious accommodations, service and experiences are a given, but Four Seasons Resort Hualālai takes sustainability and their commitment to the environment to another level. The resort has planted more than 50,000 indigenous koa trees in partnership with Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, hosts beach cleanups and they have a natural resources team to monitor the marine environment and water quality. They also employ five marine biologists who implement traditional Hawaiian practices from aquaculture to pond reclamation, and they’ve helped create a marine reserve off the resort’s coast. They recently debuted Boomerang, the brand’s first onsite, zero waste, closed-loop water bottling and filtration system, significantly reducing the use of single-use plastics and carbon emissions by 95%.
8. Rosewood São Paulo: São Paulo, Brazil
The glamorous Rosewood São Paulo is tucked among leafy parks and tree-lined avenues in the heart of the bustling city and serves as an example of a sustainable development model that blends old and new. The hotel is part of Cidade Matarazzo, a complex of restored buildings from the early 20th century utilizing upcycled and recycled materials. Thanks to solar panels and a partnership with Omega Energy, the hotel operates with 100% renewable energy, making it Brazil’s greenest hotel to date. Additionally, they maintain a waste management program to recycle all solid and organic disposables in their dedicated bio digester and glass crushing machine. Rosewood São Paulo is also free of single-use plastics and utilizes an in-house water filtration system to produce glass bottled water for guests.
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9. Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge: Vancouver Island, Canada
In the lush, green wilderness of Vancouver Island is Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge eco-safari, where guests can camp in 25 luxurious white canvas tents along the banks of the Clayoquot Sound. Each tent features a generous king bed, spacious en-suite bathroom, locally crafted furniture and incredible views of the natural surroundings. Since 2001, Clayoquot has worked to help regenerate the declining salmon population by creating new spawning habitat on property and restoring native stocks to river systems. They’ve also established an Environmental Legacy program (through a 3% room rate surcharge) to support additional initiatives including an all-steel composter to manage organic waste, utilizing naturally falling trees as building materials and diesel generators that result in a 50% decrease in fuel consumption.
10. Blue Apple Beach: Tierra Bomba Island, Colombia
The charming 10-room Blue Apple Beach luxury resort recently achieved B-corp status, cementing the fact that their sustainable practices support not only the environment but their local community as well. The company offers a minimum wage that is 15% higher than the Colombian minimum wage, more than 85% of annual expenditure remains in Colombia and 65% of the company’s energy source is from solar power. The BIPOC, female-led company also launched the Green Apple Foundation in 2018, Cartagena’s first glass-recycling program that has diverted more than 180 tons of glass waste from landfills that are then used by artisans to craft glassware, lamps and souvenirs.
11. Cottar’s Safaris: Maasai Mara, Kenya
Since 1919, conservationism has been at the heart of Cottar’s Safaris company. Cottar’s 1920s camp, situated in the 7608-acre Olderkesi Conservancy, is one of only ten accredited Long Run Global Ecosphere Retreats in the World and certified at a Gold Ecotourism standard in Kenya. As a member of The Long Run, they follow the 4C impact guidelines of conservation, community development, cultural stewardship and commerce. The Cottar’s Wildlife Conservation Trust has partnered with the African Wildlife Foundation to preserve the natural habitat and wildlife of the Maasai Mara National Reserve from poachers and cattle farming. The resort also built the Olpalagilagi Primary School for 200 students, paying teachers salaries and offering a school meal program.
NOTE – This article was originally published in veranda and can be viewed here
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