The most beautiful and sustainable hotels in the world
Daydream with these high design yet fully sustainable hotels
Text: Shannon T
It is not fresh news that everything we do has a carbon pricetag on it, and leisure travelling can bring on quite the guilt pang if you’re conscious about your impact on the environment. Luckily for our wanderlust yet Earth-loving souls, hotels and resorts around the world are recognizing their role in making the travel and hospitality industry more environmentally-conscious. Sustainable practices and biophilic design are two key pillars for hospitality players who are looking to truly engage in eco-tourism.
If you’re already planning for your next sustainable holiday once travel bans are lifted, here are 6 beautifully designed, sustainable hotels around the world that had us daydreaming about our next eco-friendly getaway.
1. Whitepod Eco-Luxury Resort, Switzerland
Nature itself is luxury for the Whitepod experience. Since its launch in 2004, Whitepod has been proving that hospitality and environmental conservation can coexist for a unique hotel experience. Their geodesic domes has a self-supporting triangular framework that requires less materials to construct and consumes 30% less energy than traditional building as well. They utilize a wood-pellet heating system, which produces minimal carbon dioxide while burning, water-saving devices on taps and timers on all water boilers as well as provide limited motorized transport on the grounds. Waste is recycled and all edibles are sourced locally first, sustainable imports second.
2. Thala Beach Nature Reserve, Australia
Located near the Great Barrier Reef, the Thala Beach Nature Reserve is not just an eco-hotel, but also an ecotourism paradise for nature lovers. A recipient of the highest possible Advanced Eco Certification for more than 10 years now, Thala Beach is also a member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World, which Nat Geo awarded the resort based on “four pillars of sustainable tourism: protection of natural heritage, protection of cultural heritage, support for local communities, and environmentally friendly practices”. They are one of only two lodges in Australia that meet Nat Geo’s strict criteria. In 2017, Thala was also awarded Green Travel Leader status (Ecotourism Australia) through responsible, sustainable practices and environmental sensitivity.
Thala’s sustainable property makes the most out of Mother Nature’s offerings, while giving back at the same time. Thala’s timber bungalows are built on stilts in the forest canopy to capture natural breeze. The elevated infrastructure, coupled with a revegetation program in the 1970s, allows for biodiversity to thrive on the ground. The eco-friendly hotel’s in-house restaurant Osprey’s also earns several green brownie points for featuring locally-sourced, seasonal produce and open-air architecture.
Picture Credit - ParkRoyal Collection Pickering
3. ParkRoyal Collection Pickering, Singapore
In the heart of Singapore’s concrete jungle, ParkRoyal Collection Pickering stands out as a biophilic work of art, with leafy-green facades, reflecting pools and man-made waterfalls. This eco-hotel features one of the world's first zero-energy sky gardens that runs completely on rainwater irrigation and solar energy. Guests are encouraged to sort their trash with the separate recycling bins for plastic, glass and paper that are equipped in their rooms. Energy-efficient illumination and water fittings are also a given for the whole building, which reduces the use of artificial energy. Lime, the hotel’s on-site restaurant, offers a seasonal plant-based menu where guests can reduce their carbon footprint by opting for vegetarian alternatives.
ParkRoyal Collection Pickering has bagged the ‘Green Hotel’ award for six consecutive years now at the annual World Travel Awards in 2020, while also earning a nomination for World’s Leading Green City Hotel.
4. Six Senses, Fiji
A summer paradise with endless sun, sea and sand, Six Senses, Fiji is a 100% solar-powered eco-resort with an on-site desalination plant that utilized water from the nearby ocean for irrigation and their swimming pools.
The hotel was awarded in the Climate Action Category at the 2018 Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific for its sustainable practices, which they have been keeping up for two decades now. There is little doubt that this boutique hotel and spa brand is a trailblazer when it comes to weaving sustainability into hotel operations, long before it was considered fashionable.
5. Keemala Resort, Thailand
Perched amongst the canopy in the hills of Phuket, Keemala is a luxurious resort inspired by Nature and Buddhism. Merging the two concepts, the eco-friendly resort was carefully designed to protect the ecosystem, leaving natural resources practically untouched and only building around what was already there.
Sustainability and the finest luxuries come hand in hand here, where you can get your own private pool and an ocean-view bathtub when you stay at the Bird’s Nest Pool Villa that is built with recycled materials. Unlike other resorts, Keemala refrains from using natural materials like wood, opting for environmentally friendly synthetic materials instead to prevent further deforestation and other environmental damage. Lots of glass is used in the buildings to introduce natural daylight for illumination, thus keeping energy consumption to a minimum. Every villa here comes equipped with its own water treatment system, ensuring that all water released back to the environment is up to government standards. Venturing out of your lovely suite and into the enchanted garden, you’ll find naturally grown fruit, vegetables and herbs used in their restaurant, cultivated with love, patience and no chemicals.
Picture Credit - Keemala Resort
6. TreeCasa Resort, San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
Treehouses are for kids? Not anymore. The TreeCasa Resort in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua is pretty much a series of luxurious treehouses meant for adults. With an ethos to build “in and with the land, not on top of it”, the business’ mission is to celebrate nature and the jungle’s ecosystem by committing to sustainable construction and operation.
These canopy treehouses rest upon two giant Ceiba trees inside Nicaragua’s El Encanto jungle, constructed with all-natural eco-friendly materials like bamboo, teak and palm leaves. Human and Nature reside harmoniously with wildlife-friendly structures like the naturalist pond, which helps with sustainable water management and also provides natural habitats for animals like iguanas and turtles. Organic agriculture provides fresh fruits for guests, without hurting the surrounding forest. The eco-conscious hotel also only uses all-natural, biodegradable cleaning products to reduce its waste production.
