Club Med
Explore the earth while you save the earth—add these sustainable resorts to your bucket list.
While traveling isn’t always the most eco-friendly activity, many hotels are now adopting more sustainable habits to give back to Mother Earth. And, according to Booking.com’s 2021 Sustainable Travel Report, 72% of travelers think travel companies should offer more sustainable choices.
So if you’re on of those jetsetters looking to add some sustainability to your next vacation, add these energy efficient or eco-friendly hotels to your list:
SAVE THE REEF
Aqua-Aston Hospitality
Aqua-Aston Hospitality, an operating business of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, has established itself as a leader in conscious travel. In an effort to keep not only its guests but also the ocean safe, Aqua-Aston partnered with Little Hands Hawaii—a Hawaii based, family-run small business—to provide all hotel guests at its 20+ locations with reef-friendly sunscreen. Over 6,000 tons of sunscreen enters the Hawaii ocean each year, and as a result reef bleaching can occur, causing coral to ultimately die.
Courtesy of Surfjack Hotel and Swim Club
Another Hawaiian hotel that is dedicated to reef safety is The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club in Honolulu. Before heading out to the pool or one of Hawaii’s beautiful beaches, hotel guests are encouraged to lather up with Raw Elements sunscreen, a reef-safe alternative to SPF, courtesy of complimentary dispensers on the property.
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ENERGY-EFFICIENT POOLS
Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa
Any time you check-in for a stay at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa, you’re bound to feel connected to the planet. The property is surrounded by beautiful desert scenery with a breathtaking view of the McDowell Mountains—perfect for anyone looking to get away and reconnect with nature. There’s no doubt you’ll want to spend some time at the resort’s 2.5 acre water playground, an oasis made up of ten swimming pools, poolside cabanas, a Grotto bar and a three-story tall high-speed water slide that the hotel recently enhanced to become more energy efficient and mindful of water usage. The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale was also rated #5 Best Value of 26 Green Hotels in Scottsdale on Tripadvisor!
Club Med
If your travels take you to the Dominican Republic, consider Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, the only operating resort in Michès. This all-inclusive luxury resort thought of it all when it came to sustainable efforts. Their adults-only Zen pool, tucked away in the Emerald Jungle, is naturally-filtered by plants—as the water passes through the plants’ roots and soil, the elements work their magic to clean the pool water, no harsh chemicals required!
An eco-friendly hotel pool isn’t the only thing that makes Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda a sustainable stay. Their employees’ uniforms are made from recycled plastic (using approximately 40% less energy consumption than polyester production), they source coffee, cacao and produce from local farms, have an on-site “community” garden to educate guests on planting, recycling and composting and they banned single-use plastics!
Their adults-only Zen pool, tucked away in the Emerald Jungle, is naturally-filtered by plants—as the water passes through the plants’ roots and soil, the elements work their magic to clean the pool water, no harsh chemicals required!
SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES
Grace Bay Resorts
Cool down after a day in the sun during your next trip to Turks and Caicos at the luxurious Rock House resort. This resort combines sustainability and architectural design in the form of greywater harvesting, natural ventilation to cool down the resort and a beautiful landscape that consists only of local species of plants. And, a view almost as stunning as the crystal blue waters, the resort itself is a sight to see. Located at the base of a limestone cliff, the Rock House offers a stylish beach club and jetty, which extends 100 feet into the water, allowing guests to sail the waters on yachts and excursion boats to really make the most of their getaway.
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PLANT-FRIENDLY
VisitLEX
It’s not uncommon to see hotels that allow pets, and many even make the stay just as special for them as their human companions. But, what about people who want to travel with their plants? The world’s first plant-friendly hotel, Elwood Hotel & Suites, located in Lexington, Kentucky, has those folks covered. Guests who book the plant-friendly package will stay in a Gardener Premier room, decorated with live plants from a local nursery partner, and equipped with three windows to let in natural light. They’ll also receive a complimentary potted succulent from a local greenhouse and locally-made botanical toiletries.
POSITIVE ENERGY
The Sinclair
Ironically, an old Sinclair Oil building in Fort Worth, Texas has more recently been repurposed as The Sinclair, the first energy efficient hotel in the world to power itself through ethernet cables. By doing so, the building’s energy consumption is reduced by over 30 percent! Another first—the hotel’s backup power runs on the world’s first UL 924 lithium iron battery. In the event of a power outage, this battery can power the building for up to three hours—and takes up less space than a typical diesel generator.
And if guests want to help contribute to The Sinclar’s sustainable mission, all they have to do is workout in the on-site fitness center! The gym’s bikes and weight machines all help power the hotel through its aforementioned ethernet-based system.
Ironically, an old Sinclair Oil building in Fort Worth, Texas has more recently been repurposed as The Sinclair, the first energy efficient hotel in the world to power itself through ethernet cables.
SUSTAINABLE EATING
Courtesy of Richard Sandoval Hospitality and Hotel Clio
Located in Hotel Clio in Denver, Colorado, Chef Richard Sandoval’s Pan-Latin restaurant Toro promotes sustainability that you can taste. To celebrate Earth Day, Toro recently launched a plant-based campaign to create some buzz about the importance of bees. If you love some fresh, local honey, you’re in luck! On the rooftop of Hotel Clio there’s a beehive where the hotel makes its own local honey to share with its guests and the community. Currently, there are two beehives that each house about 40,000 Carniolan bees. They’re expecting to produce approximately 45 gallons of honey this summer!
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