Top Green and Eco Hotels

If you’re environmentally conscious in your everyday life, you won’t give up your eco-values when you travel. The hotel industry—spurred by green guests who demand eco-friendly services—is increasingly understanding the benefits of going green. Organic bath products, fluorescent lighting, free hybrid parking and bike rentals are just a few ways hotels are transforming into sustainable businesses. 

But some properties stand out among the rest, pulling out all the stops on green design. These hotels are eco-certified, having passed rigorous green building and green service standards set by nationally recognized certification programs including the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) (which certifies green building practices) and Green Seal certification (which certifies products, services and construction materials). The hotels also promote sustainable cuisine, local art and natural health and well-being.

On your next eco-vacation, book your stay at one of the following hotels and find out how easy it is to live—and travel—green.

Western U.S. Green Properties

Seattle: Hyatt at Olive8

Seattle’s first LEED-certified hotel (and Hyatt’s first LEED-certified location in North America), the Hyatt at Olive 8 is a brand-new eco-chic addition to the city’s downtown accommodation offerings. Its location—one block away from the historic Paramount Theatre and a short walk to either Pacific Place shopping, Pike Place Market or Capitol Hill—is an ideal base for your Seattle sightseeing ventures.

The first feature that passersby will notice is the stylish, enticing all-glass exterior. You can’t help but peer in and gaze at the aesthetic, natural interior design and watch diners chatting around candlelit tables in the ground-level restaurant, Urbane—which offers sustainable, locally grown Pacific Northwest cuisine, wine and beer. The glass building design combined with energy-efficient lighting infrastructure (LED, fluorescent and cold cathode) and a living green roof help cut water and energy usage significantly—the Hyatt uses 32 percent less water and 20 percent less energy than other buildings of its size. Another construction note: 95 percent of recyclable construction debris was diverted from landfills by being incorporated into the building design!

Room features include Watt Stopper® light controls, Toto® dual-flush toilets and Bricor® water-reducing showerheads. Green housekeeping utilizes chemical-free cleaners. Guests can also learn about LEED certification by viewing the interactive video in the hotel lobby. Rates start at $189 per night. 1635 8th Ave. Tel. 206-695-1234. Olive8.hyatt.com

Portland: Avalon Hotel and Spa

Portland is renowned for its eco-attitude and sustainably conscious residents and businesses, so it’s no surprise to find tucked along the Willamette River, Oregon’s first LEED-certified hotel: the Avalon Hotel and Spa. Located in Portland’s up-and-coming South Waterfront district, the 99-room luxury boutique Avalon combines its green designs effortlessly. The property abuts Cottonwood Bay, an 8,000 square foot protected green space, which provides a conducive habitat for butterflies. Also, the planting of native drought-tolerant plants have reduced irrigation needs by 95 percent.

The Avalon is located one mile from downtown shopping, and close to public transportation, the Portland Art Museum and riverside jogging trails. Rates start at $149 per night. 0455 SW Hamilton Court. Tel. 503-802-5800. www.avalonhotelandspa.com

San Francisco: Orchard Garden Hotel

The green boutique Orchard Garden Hotel lies in the heart of downtown San Francisco—considered one of the greenest cities in the United States—and minutes to Union Square. The hotel is Green Seal-certified and LEED-certified—the first California hotel to receive this distinction.

Orchard promotes alternative transportation by providing bike racks and Zip Cars for guests, and by offering Commuter checks to its employees. Partially used bath products are donated to homeless shelters, recycled carpets are chemical-free and cleaning products are organic and citrus-based.

Orchard also employs an innovative combined key card and lighting system that will save 20 percent of energy costs: As guests enter a room, they place the guestroom key card in a box that triggers the lights to turn on; when they leave with their key, the lights turn off. Also check out Orchard Garden’s sister property, the Orchard Hotel, which is registered to become LEED-certified. Orchard Garden rates start at $179 per night. 466 Bush St. Tel. 888-717-2881. www.theorchardgardenhotel.com

 

• The Hotel Terra’s pool and patio provide guests with an expansive view of Wyoming’s Teton Range.

Courtesy of Hotel Terra

Jackson: Hotel Terra

The Silver LEED-certified Hotel Terra Jackson Hole in Teton Village outside Jackson, Wyo., is the first green hotel launched by the Terra Resort Group—and includes all the eco-bells and whistles imaginable.

Some of the coolest green features include radiant-heated flooring in the parking garage (to help retain building heat and cut energy costs), reclaimed lumber lobby pillars, “Eco Shake” roof shingles made of recycled vinyl and cellulose fiber, reflective-coated Energy Star-rated windows, non-irrigated native landscaping, and water-saving systems including dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals in public men’s restrooms that reduce Hotel Terra’s water usage by 34 percent annually.

Hotel Terra also offers eco-amenities such as refillable aluminum bottles for bath products, and 100 percent organic cotton mattresses, bed sheets and towels. Want to take a load off? The Chill Spa treatments feature Eminence Organic Skin Care; a 50-minute massage starts at $135. Gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows over Jackson Hole Valley as you enjoy a breakfast of organic eggs and all-natural ham at the Terra Café—which also participates in food composting through a local group, Terra Firma Organics. Rates start at $119 per night. Eco-Adventure packages (including a biologist-led wildlife tour, a free Flip Ultra video camera and daily breakfast) start at $174 per night, per person. 3335 W. Village Drive, Teton Village. Tel. 307-739-4000. www.hotelterrajacksonhole.com

Next: Eastern U.S. Green Properties and Beyond