8 Eco-Friendly Hotels & Resorts for Sustainable Travel in the USA
Trying to be a green traveler and choosing a hotel with sustainable values can be overwhelming!
There is a lot to consider like environmental impact, food sourcings, and more.
Be sure to read my full list of how to choose an earth friendly hotel!
This guide is making it easy to find green hotels! I’ve narrowed down a list of some of the most eco-friendly hotels in America!
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The List of the Top Green Hotels & Sustainable Resorts in America
Here are some of the best sustainable hotels in the U.S. that are equipped with green initiatives like LEED certification, environmental design, solar power, and more.
1 HOTEL BROOKLYN BRIDGE: A SUSTAINABLE HOTEL IN NEW YORK
With sweeping views of the East River and Manhattan skyline, the LEED Gold-certified 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge brings the outdoors inside with biophilic design elements.
Water consumption is limited by low-flow plumbing fixtures and a rooftop rainwater reclamation system used for irrigation. Waste is avoided or minimized through the use of reusable and recyclable items like cups and carafes made from recycled wine bottles.
Elements of the hotel were designed with regional, reclaimed materials such as lobby tables made from heart pine beams from the former Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn.
Food is sourced from farmers in New York, New Jersey, and Ohio; and the hotel’s restaurant, café, bar, cocktail lounge, and lobby farm stand work with fresh, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients.
On-site composting is practiced and there is even an organic garden.
The Allison: An Eco-friendly Resort & Spa in Oregon’s Wine Country
Based in Oregon, The Allison Inn & Spa has the LEED Gold certification. Energy-saving features include solar-powered hot water, photovoltaic cells generating 7% of their electricity, and the use of energy-efficient appliances and computers.
Programmable thermostats and motion sensors control heating and cooling in unoccupied rooms. Waste is cut down by not using any plastic bottles or Styrofoam cups, and making glassware and candle holders out of reclaimed wine bottles.
Rooms have refillable bottles of soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Water-saving measures include a sheet-and-towel-saver program.
When it comes to food, local suppliers are used as much as possible and the hotel also sources from its 1.5-acre chef’s garden and greenhouse. The Allison’s signature restaurant Jory boasts a menu featuring the native flavors of the Willamette Valley.
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole: An Eco-friendly Noble House Resort
With interiors that capture natural light and exteriors that minimize light pollution, Hotel Terra captures the beauty of the outdoors while trying to protect it. They are the first LEED Silver-certified hotel in Wyoming.
They use less energy thanks to windows that are layered with low-emissivity, a reflective coating that keeps heat inside during winter and outside during summer, reducing the need for energy-guzzling heating and cooling.
Temperature control is further managed by systems that power down unused rooms. Water conservation is achieved by the use of low-flow fixtures and dual-flush toilets.
There is a water refill station in the lobby and guests are provided with reusable aluminum bottles.
The environment was also kept in consideration when it came to building materials, with the hotel using roof shingles made from reinforced vinyl, cellulose fiber, and recycled tires, as well as 80% recycled content in the building structure’s steel.
Inn at Discovery Coast: Enjoy the Natural Beauty of the Pacific Northwest Coast
A stay at the Inn at Discovery Coast promises to be one of discovery – just as the name suggests – with bike rides, hikes, historic trails, and scavenger hunts, all while being surrounded by ocean views.
Located in Washington, this 12-room boutique hotel, the inn is part of Adrift Hospitality – a group of inns and hotels that includes Ashore Hotel.
As part of Adrift Hospitality, the inn is a member of the Center for Responsible Travel, a non-profit organization focused on how tourism can be responsibly planned, developed, and managed.
Inn by the Sea: The Sustainable Maine Resort
Surrounded by indigenous gardens, Inn by the Sea promises luxury inspired by nature. Located in Cape Elizabeth, Maine this LEED Silver-certified inn composts food waste, uses post-consumer paper products, and recycles.
Rooms are cleaned with non-toxic Green Seal products. The menu at their restaurant Sea Glass boasts Maine fare, including fresh, underutilized seafood from the Gulf of Maine.
If you want to keep up your gym routine, you can hit the cardio room, which makes use of recycled rubber floors, or take a dip in their outdoor pool heated with energy efficiency solar panels.
For relaxation, there’s the spa, featuring walls designed with recycled sheet rock and floors made from recycled cork.
Ashore Hotel: Relax by the Oregon Coast
From bike rides and a dip in the pool to snacking on s’mores next to a bonfire, Ashore Hotel is all about fun and respite. They’re also dog-friendly! Based in Seaside, Oregon, they’re just twenty minutes from both Astoria and Cannon Beach.
Eco-friendly measures include recycling bins in all rooms, and they only use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners. Organic and local materials and suppliers are chosen wherever possible.
One of their partners includes Sleepy Monk coffee, which roasts organic coffee in small batches in nearby Cannon Beach.
The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami: Eco-friendly Practices
A Green Globe Certified hotel, The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami has ditched Styrofoam and single-use plastic items.
Instead they make use of aluminum water bottles, reusable acrylic glasses and metal cutlery at the pool, bioplastics and wood cutlery for the beach, and refillable, Bee Kind toiletries.
Bathrooms have low-flow showers, while there is LED lighting throughout the hotel. Sustainable measures are led by the Green Team and the hotel hosts beach clean-ups that involve guests and surrounding communities.
You can even grab a bucket to take along any time you hit the beach, so you can do your own clean-up. Recycling bins are also available throughout the hotel. Cleaning products are biodegradable and non-toxic to aquatic life.
The Ranch at Rock Creek: Sustainably Enjoying Nature
Committed to sustainability since it opened, The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana has implemented many eco-friendly measures.
They have eliminated single-use plastic; reduced emissions through biking and walking, with shuttles and on-site housing available for staff; and organized river clean-ups, highway clean-ups, and tree plantings.
They have eliminated single-use plastic; reduced emissions through biking and walking, with shuttles and on-site housing available for staff; and organized river clean-ups, highway clean-ups, and tree plantings.
Seventy-five percent of their dining is sourced from local farms, with most of their meat, summer produce, grains, and dairy coming from Western Montana. They have a bee program and use the honey for restaurant dishes and cocktails.
Walkways feature solar-powered lights, and LED lighting is used throughout the resort. They are closing the loop on their cattle program, raising their own beef to serve in their restaurant.
You can learn more about nature through their Master Naturalist Program, while the ranch has also contributed to the University of Montana’s bird ecology program.
Hopefully this guide has helped you learn what sustainable practices to look for when searching for a place to stay!
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Emily Waddell is the founder of The Honest Consumer. She has always been passionate about business for good and has a Bachelor degree in Social Entrepreneurship. She currently lives in Seattle where she practices imperfect sustainability. When she’s not writing, Emily enjoys supporting small businesses, clean eating, & practicing slow living. Learn more about Emily’s journey starting The Honest Consumer.
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