With Earth Day upon us, Expedia has released a new study on the top eco-friendly stays around the world. Expedia based its rankings on its database of over eight million traveler reviews, analyzing global sentiment to determine the most eco-friendly stays.
The top 10 eco-friendly stays are:
- Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, Mexico
- Nomad Hotel Roissy CDG, Paris, France
- Siloso Beach Resort, Sentosa, Singapore
- Habitat Suites, Austin, Texas
- Pakasai Resort, Krabi, Thailand
- PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore
- The Green House, Bournemouth, UK
- Listel Hotel, Vancouver, Canada
- Hotel Verde, Cape Town, South Africa
- Sherwood Queenstown, Queenstown, New Zealand
The Rainforest Alliance-certified Sandos Caracol Eco Resort on Mexico’s Playa del Carmen wins top marks for its extensive waste management policies, commitment to the local community and opportunities for guests to engage in sustainable eco-tours, cruelty-free animal interactions and beach meditations.
In France, the Nomad Hotel Roissy CDG, which is only five minutes by car from the Charles de Gaulle Airport, has stringent standards for the creation and loss of head and low energy consumption enabled by living exterior cladding, solar panels and air handling units. The property also minimizes its water impact through rainwater collectors and incorporates sustainable materials throughout its design.
Siloso Beach Resort, Sentosa, on Singapore’s Sentosa Island, has preserved 20 original trees throughout the property and planted 450 more. Seventy-two percent of the resort is open air, and it emphasizes the use of locally sourced foods, limited plastics and reduced energy consumption.
Habitat Suites in Austin, Texas, has been a charter member of the Green Hotels Association since 1991; just last year, it also won an Austin Green Business Leader Gold Award. The hotel makes widespread use of alternative energy, and its on-premises organic fruit and herb gardens provide sustainable food options.
The tropical Pakasai Resort in Krabi, Thailand, was the first in the area to win an ASEAN Green Hotel Award, in 2014. Its conservation efforts include rainwater capture and greywater recycling, energy efficient lighting, biogas production and reduction of plastic use, and guests can make their stay even greener by joining the #GreeningPakasai campaign, which incentivizes visitors to make low-carbon choices around food, transportation, linen services and local activities.
Also in Singapore, the LEED-certified PARKROYAL on Pickering incorporates almost 161,500 square feet of greenery into its design, saving 32.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools’ worth of water annually. The hotel could also reportedly power an estimated 680 households with the energy saved by its conservation efforts.
Guests at The Green House in the UK can enjoy Forest Stewardship-certified, UK-crafted furnishings, as well as locally sourced food that maintains high animal welfare standards. The hotel also uses earth-friendly cleaning products, and the grounds offer a number of spaces for local wildlife, ranging from bird and bat boxes to rooftop beehives that produce honey.
The Listel Hotel in Vancouver is a member of the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise sustainable seafood program, and it also conserves energy with 20 solar panels and a heat capture program. The hotel has also adhered to a 100 percent zero waste policy since August 2011.
In Cape Town, the Hotel Verde is the first hotel in Africa to offer 100 percent carbon-neutral accommodation and conferencing, which has won it a LEED Platinum certification and a six-star rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa.
Finally, the Sherwood Queenstown supplies its award-winning restaurant from an on-site orchard and kitchen garden, while accommodations employ upcycled fixtures, fittings and furnishings. The hotel is also one of the largest private solar installs in New Zealand, and it currently generates enough electricity to return surplus to the grid.
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