You won’t be sleepless in Seattle when you stay at the Hyatt at Olive 8. The Hyatt will be the Emerald City’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified hotel when it opens on Jan. 30, 2009.

The eco-hotel’s green features include automatic room lighting (which turns on and off as guests enter and exit), Bricor water-reducing showerheads and dual-flush toilets. Other eco-highlights include the use of non-toxic housecleaning products, equipping the property with energy-saving fluorescent and LED lighting, using low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint, providing a 100 percent non-smoking environment, and enforcing a comprehensive recycling and composting program.

The 350-room Hyatt also features luxurious amenities such as super-comfy pillow-top Hyatt Grand Beds™, 37-inch flat screen HDTVs, iPod docking stations, Wi-Fi and iHome stereo systems.

In addition, the Hyatt will be home to one of the largest green roof gardens in downtown Seattle.

Eco Spa and Restaurant

The Hyatt’s Elaia spa will feature organic and natural skincare products and treatments. The spa has 12 treatment suites and a 65-foot lap pool and whirlpool featuring a saltwater purification system that eliminates the need for chlorine. Guests can also enjoy the 2,400 sq. ft. Stay Fit@Hyatt fitness center, open 24 hours a day, and on-site yoga.

Urbane Restaurant and Bar will use ingredients from regional farmers from across Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Urbane will serve beer and wine produced exclusively by Washington and Oregon breweries and wineries.

Rates start at $209 per night based on double occupancy. For more information, go to www.hyatt.com.

There are budget hotels—and then, there are hay hotels, the newest sleeping sensation sweeping across Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein. Yes, you sleep on hay. As in, from a barn. In fact, the hay-filled lodgings are converted outbuildings and barns located on family farms.

The idea has been a hit with ecotourists, budget-conscious travelers and outdoorsy families on cycling or hiking tours. Hay hotels (or Heuhotels as they’re known in Europe) are inexpensive—as little as €8 (about $12) per night—and the second-harvest hay that’s used is softer to sleep on than the coarse stuff you may have encountered in hay rides. Plus, your hosts serve up a hearty breakfast, fresh from the farm. A few rules: BYOSB (bring your own sleeping bag) and absolutely no smoking.  

Check out www.heuherbergen.de, which has an English Web page and lists hay hotels in the Schleswig Holstein, the northernmost state in Germany (and the region with the most hay hotels). Here are a couple of other Heuhotel Web sites in German … but grab someone who can translate for you: www.heuhotel.de and www.heuhotelferien.de.