Six Sustainable Hotels Around Nature — The World’s Best Hotels for Restorative Escapes

Six Sustainable Hotels around Nature — The World’s Best Hotels for Restorative Escapes in the Wild

A list of sustainable hotels that blend naturally into their surroundings for a truly restorative stay.

Words Parc Jinmyoung

Steeped in the Traditions and Landscape of Northern Italy’s Langhe

Casa di Langa
📍Location: Langhe region, Piedmont, northern Italy
🛏Rooms: Doubles to quads; extra beds available on request
✔️Key points: Solar and geothermal energy as main power sources, 100 percent recycled irrigation water, architecture inspired by traditional Piedmontese buildings
🏷Why we recommend it: Surrounded by forests, hills, and vineyards, it immerses guests in the Italian countryside. Local cultural experiences include cooking classes using produce from the hotel garden, a wine academy built around some 6,000 bottles in the cellar, and white truffle hunting with hunting dogs.
💰Price: From 455 euros per night
🗓Booking: www.casadilanga.com

Glamping in the Heart of a European Forest

Nuchel Alsace
📍Location: Alsace, France, and the Ardennes, Belgium
🛏Rooms: About 30 cozy cabins sized for two to six guests
✔️Key points: Candles and oil lamps so guests can enjoy the falling stars and the Milky Way; a private jacuzzi or shared bathtub for guests; activities such as cycling through the forest villages.
🏷Why we recommend it: Old buildings were renovated using more than 3,000 tons of recycled materials.
💰Price: From 95 euros per night
🗓Booking: www.nutchel.be

A Digital Detox in the Real Wild

Three Camel Lodge
📍Location: Southern Gobi Desert, Mongolia
🛏️Rooms: 40 gers in total
✔️Key points: 100 percent solar power; an in-house program that composts paper, bottles, cans, and other waste in an organic greenhouse; more than 50 percent of the food used at the lodge sourced within 80 kilometers; 100 percent local staff; support for Mongolian paleontology; partnerships with organizations protecting Bankhar dogs, snow leopards, and golden eagles.
🏷️Why we recommend it: A Wi-Fi-free digital detox; a night in an eco-friendly ger built without nails, using natural stone and local materials; a taste of Mongolian cultural heritage through traditional furniture made by local artisans; and ancient Mongolian dishes reinterpreted for today.
💰Price: From $1,770 for two nights
🗓️Booking: www.threecamellodge.com

A Symbol of Sustainable Luxury

Gaia Hotel and Reserve
📍 Location: Quepos, Costa Rica
🛏️ Rooms: A variety of room types, including studios and villas
✔️ Key points: Buildings constructed with locally sourced materials; energy savings through solar panels and energy-efficient appliances; active contributions to ecosystem conservation and restoration through a reforestation project and waste-reduction programs; named a nominee for ‘World’s Leading Green Hotel’ at the 2022 World Travel Awards.
🏷️ Why we recommend it: A setting with stunning views of the rainforest; rooms designed to make the most of natural light and ventilation; an on-site restaurant that delivers farm-to-table dining with local organic ingredients; free guided tours of Manuel Antonio National Park, a nature reserve.
💰 Price: From about $248
🗓️ Booking: www.gaiahr.com

A Hotel for Learning Ubud’s Way of Life and Great Natural Surroundings

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape
📍Location: Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
🛏Rooms: Private villas with one of three views: riverside, valley, or forest
✔️Key points: A ‘no-walls, no-doors’ concept amid rice paddies and lush jungle north of Ubud; activities include a 20-kilometer bike ride on Mount Batur and Tri Hita Karana, a tour of the village in a vintage car to experience Bali’s local philosophy.
🏷Why we recommend it: A sustainable open kitchen built on zero-waste and farm-to-table concepts, using local ingredients from small regional producers or grown on the resort’s own farm.
💰Price: From about $909 per night
🗓Booking: https://escape.banyantree.com/

Melting into the African Wilderness

Singita Lebombo Lodge
📍Location: Kruger National Park, South Africa
🛏️Accommodations: 2 lodges and 23 villas
✔️Key points: Built with natural materials that would leave no trace on the land if the structures were removed; single-use items banned throughout the lodge; more than 70 percent of the energy used on the property comes from renewable energy generated by a solar power plant installed in Kruger National Park; more than 90 percent of all staff are hired locally, creating jobs for the community.
🏷️Why we recommend it: A building design inspired by an eagle’s nest; a cliffside setting facing the river, with a layout that maximizes natural light so sunlight reaches deep inside the lodge; encounters with wildlife living in the national park, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, and rhinos; an on-site restaurant serving traditional local dishes made with ingredients grown in the lodge’s herb garden.
💰Price: From $1,900
🗓️Booking link: singita.com