6 Green Escapes — Hotels That Care for the Planet as Much as Travelers

6 Green Escapes — Six Hotels That Care for the Planet as Much as Travelers

The hotel industry accounts for about 1 percent of global carbon emissions. According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), to meet the goals set by the Paris Agreement, carbon emissions per guest room must fall by at least 66 percent by 2030 and by 90 percent by 2050. Many hotels, including global chains, are making renewable energy, wastewater recycling and on-site farming standard practice. Here are sustainable stays that let the planet rest as well as the traveler, from a hotel built from upcycled train cars to others constructed with reclaimed and sustainable materials.

Compiled by Parc Jinmyoung

A Luxurious Train Journey in Upcycled Railcars

InterContinental Khao Yai Resort
📍 Location: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand (2 hours 30 minutes by car from Bangkok)
🛏 Rooms: Heritage Railcar Suites and villas
✔️ Key points: A railway-themed hotel built from upcycled train cars collected across Thailand, set in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where guests can enjoy the country’s nature.
🏷 Why we recommend it: Vintage interiors inspired by Khao Yai, which was the hub of rail travel to northeastern Thailand from the late 19th to early 20th century; architecture that blends time and nature, with railcars more than 50 years old and carriages wrapped in rubber tree roots used as they are; and a firsthand lesson in the importance of sustainable ingredients at the farm-to-table restaurant Somying’s Kitchen.
💰 Price: From US$294
🗓 Booking: khaoyai.intercontinental.com/ko/

The Epitome of ‘Conscious Luxury’

Villa Copenhagen
📍 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
🛏️ Rooms: 390 rooms
✔️ Key points: A sustainable hotel pursuing Conscious Luxury; a conversion of a Baroque-style post office built in 1912; bricks and timber reclaimed from the original building and reused; suite interiors designed in part by local company Earth Studio, which makes furniture and textiles from recycled plastic; and a suite made entirely of recycled materials.
🏷️ Why we recommend it: An architectural legacy where Denmark’s past, present and future coexist; just 16 minutes by train from the airport and across the street from Central Station; dishes made with locally sourced, organic, seasonal ingredients; and a rooftop pool heated by the warmth from the hotel’s cooling system.
💰 Price: From about $400
🗓️ Booking: villacopenhagen.com

Preparing for the Paris Olympics Starts With Booking a Sustainable Hotel

Hidden Hotel
📍 Location: 17th arrondissement, Paris, France
🛏️ Rooms: 35 rooms in total
✔️ Key points: A hotel inspired by nature that combines sustainable materials such as stone, wood, linen and slate with contemporary elements. Its energy-saving policies include vintage furniture in the guest rooms, water-saving taps and showerheads, LED lighting, and candlelight instead of electric lights in the common areas in the evening.
🏷️ Why we recommend it: Wooden bicycles and electric scooters for rent; a shared list of sights within walking distance of the hotel; an in-house restaurant that uses locally grown, organic, seasonal ingredients; and two free cocktails for long-stay guests who skip having their sheets changed.
💰 Price: From €376
🗓️ Booking: hidden-hotel.com

A Night in a Sustainable Wetland

Jetwing Vil Uyana
📍 Location: Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
🛏️ Rooms: 36 standalone villas in total
✔️ Key points: Designed around five ecosystems (garden, wetland, paddy field, water and forest); open-air architecture that needs no artificial lighting and ventilates naturally; traditional thatched roofs that cool naturally; a hotel kitchen that runs on biogas stoves and cinnamon-wood biomass stoves; and an artificial wetland created on abandoned farmland that provides habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna.
🏷️ Why we recommend it: Comfortable, elegant room interiors made with sustainable local materials such as reed and wisteria; traditional home-style meals made with fruit, vegetables and herbs from local farms; and partnership with the local community through hiring local people.
💰 Price: 57,000 Sri Lankan rupees
🗓️ Booking: www.jetwinghotels.com

A Zero-Energy “Hometel” Created by Brothers Who Spent 10 Years Traveling by Boat

Room2
📍 Location: Two locations in London, England, plus one each in Southampton and Belfast
🛏️ Room type: “Homtel”-style rooms that combine the best of an apartment and a hotel
✔️ Key points: 100 percent renewable energy; upcycling ideas woven into every corner, from carpets made of recycled fishing nets to lampshades made of orange waste and mycelium; all waste generated in the hotel is recycled or converted into renewable energy.
🏷️ Why we recommend it: An in-house café and bar that use local, seasonal ingredients; a service philosophy that prizes the comfort of home, with a choice of mattress to suit each guest’s taste and rooms equipped with cooking facilities; and a gallery and bar that host events such as regular performances by local musicians, giving guests a chance to experience the culture and art of the destination.
💰 Price: From £109
🗓️ Reservations: www.room2.com

For Those Curious About Hawaii’s Roots

Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort
📍 Location: Kahuwai Bay, Hawaii
🛏️ Room type: A wide range of options, from standard rooms (twin to suite) to bungalows and villas.
✔️ Key points: The resort stood on the same site for 50 years starting in the 1960s, closed after the tsunami of 2011, and reopened this August! More than 80 percent of the materials salvaged from the old, collapsed buildings were reused; rooms are themed around Hawaii’s landscapes, including lava, volcanoes, farmland, and coastline; every room has large windows and a lanai, offering open views from anywhere.
🏷️ Why we recommend it: It recreates the humble, friendly atmosphere of a small local village while delivering the luxury and convenience of a resort; Native Hawaiian art collections can be found throughout the grounds; and the on-site restaurants serve traditional Hawaiian dishes made with fresh local ingredients.
💰 Price: From $2,900.
🗓️ Reservation link: rosewoodhotels.com