Stay at These 10 Fabulous Eco-Friendly Hotels for a Sustainable Vacation

Being mindful when traveling can carry many meanings, and one important one is showing care and concern for the environment. You can choose your hotel based on their sustainability practices, and you don’t have to sacrifice comfort.

You also don’t have to limit yourself to accommodations in isolated areas of nature, although you do have those options if you prefer. Green, energy-efficient hotels can be found on mountains, islands, and cities. When planning your next vacation, consider these fabulous eco-friendly hotels.

Constructed among the trees in the Bali rainforest, Capella Ubud includes luxe, tented rooms each with their own private salt water pools. Its restaurants serve seasonal and sustainably farmed ingredients with tastes that are said to “awaken the senses.” Spend some time around the campfire with hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows at night. And if you need some daytime luxury, there is a spa, classes such as yoga and pilates, or you can have your chakra balanced by a Camp Guru.

You may be surprised to find a hotel on the Las Vegas strip on a list of LEED-certified luxury spots. The Palazzo at the Venetian is one of the largest LEED-certified buildings in the world, including a solar-thermal system on its roof to provide warm water for its pools and spas. The space also has a water filtration system that helps it sustain its landscaping off the water grid and has one of the highest recycling rates in Nevada.

Pro tip: You may not consider Las Vegas to be an eco-friendly town, so think about carbon offsetting pros and cons when booking your next trip to Sin City.

Want a luxurious winter vacation? Head to Whitepod in Switzerland, featuring 18 eco-friendly pods or Swiss chalets that give you a view of the mountainous Alps landscape around you. The hotel’s restaurant also offers seasonal cuisine that’s locally sourced for a wonderful meal before tucking into your igloo-looking accommodations. The resort also makes its own soap at a soap factory on site to help cut down on resources needed to transport goods to the hotel.

Wine lovers may love this eco-friendly option in Sonoma County in California. Visitors of the h2 Hotel will see how the environment is considered in every aspect from the green roof to the locally sourced cuisine. Instead of cruising around with your car, the hotel offers trips with one of the public bikes available in the town of Healdsburg. It’s a great way to explore wineries. The hotel also has water bars on every floor for guests to refill carafes with their choice of still or sparkling.

Pro tip: Check with some of the best hotel credit cards to see what kind of rewards may be available to you when staying at a boutique hotel.

Located near the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Bisate Lodge includes forest villas for the nature traveler. Guests can take guided hikes through the park or visit the local nursery to see work being done on reforestation projects. But the highlights may be gorilla treks, where guests can see the animals in their natural habitat, or a hike to visit the grave of legendary primatologist Dian Fossey.

One of the highlights of the Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland are the floor-to-ceiling windows in each room that look out on the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel offers several activities depending on the season, including pottery making, stargazing, bird watching, or learning more about Fogo Island’s fishing industry. You can even eat seafood from the island’s local waters in the inn’s restaurant. This hotel was built with respect for nature and culture, and 12% of their revenue is reinvested in the island’s community.

Located in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Petit St. Vincent consists of 22 cottages on its own private island. The luxury hotel has a desalination system to turn seawater into drinking water and gives guests reusable flasks to avoid single-use plastic bottles. The resort also has a tree-planting project, which has replaced poisonous trees with fruit trees, and has been working on reef regeneration in the area.

Pro tip: For some out-of-the-way resorts, consider what kind of benefits you may get from a travel credit card when booking accommodations as well as flights or other travel expenses.

Explore the natural diversity of the Galapagos Islands at Pikaia Lodge. The eco-friendly hotel has its own private tortoise reserve for you to explore or you can travel to any number of sites in the islands for scuba diving, fishing, and hiking. If you want something a little more low-key, the Galapagos offers plenty of beautiful sandy beaches to explore and relax on. And at the end of the day, the hotel has a restaurant on site with a menu that changes every two days to give guests a variety of options.

SoHo in New York is home to the Crosby Street Hotel, a luxury spot on a cobblestone street that pledges to minimize its impact on the environment. Rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows to give spaces a bright feel and there’s also a 99-seat screening room if you need a space to host an event. The hotel also has a rooftop kitchen garden, which supplies its guests with seasonal produce like tomatoes and herbs as well as eggs from its four chickens.

Located in Glenorchy, New Zealand, the Headwaters Eco Lodge is excellent for those interested in hiking, biking, and skydiving. And if you’re on a family vacation, the award-winning eco-resort also offers options for guests to explore the natural areas around the lodge. You could also take time for yourself on a wellness retreat at the resort.

Many industries are doing what they can to help reduce climate change. You can live sustainably, and thankfully vacation with the environment’s best interest in mind, too.

Take some time out of your schedule for a vacation in a city or out in nature at a resort that’s environmentally conscious and luxurious at the same time. You can feel good taking some time off while also knowing you’re supporting businesses with sustainable practices.