Though Earth Day often seems overshadowed by Easter festivities and the haze of spring fever, we believe the holiday (taking place on April 22) deserves its moment in the sustainability spotlight. To honor the go-green celebration, these high-end hotels from around the globe are spotlighting sustainability with conservation-focused initiatives, guest adventures and more.
Photo Credit: Sandpearl.comBuilt entirely using low-emission materials, the Sandpearl Resort is Florida's first LEED-certified property and a member of the Florida Green Lodging Program. Among the hotel's innovations are an integrated water-conservation system that reduces water use by 20 percent, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, and geothermal pool heating. Complimentary bikes are available for guests who'd like to explore the local area, including the 700-foot-long stretch of white sand beach abutting the property.
Nestled along Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, this tropical oasis recently debuted an exclusive Conservation Land and Sea Experience that gives guests an inside look at the country’s diverse and endangered wildlife. During the two-day eco-adventure, participants enjoy a private plane ride over Central America’s biggest mangrove canal system and then go on a yacht excursion, during which they study hammerhead sharks with marine biologists and journey through the jungle to DNA-test rare butterflies alongside renowned conservationists.
Perched on 235 acres of Lake Tahoe's southern shoreline, the LEED-certified Edgewood uses local building materials, a lake-sourced cooling system and participates in recycling initiatives like Clean the World, under which partially used soaps and bottled amenities are donated to people living in poverty. Nature lovers will enjoy the vistas from the property’s miles of bike and pedestrian-friendly paths.
The buildings at Bardessono Hotel & Spa are comprised of 100,000 square feet of salvaged wood. Photo Credit: Bardessono Hotel & SpaThis Four-Star LEED Platinum-certified hotel -- one of just seven in the U.S. -- features lots of repurposed salvaged wood in its construction, all topped off by a solar-paneled roof. For each guest who opts out of daily housekeeping, the resort will plant one herb in its certified organic garden, to be used at the on-site Lucy Restaurant & Bar.
This resort features a community bike and walking path made entirely of recycled glass, has solar panels adorning the roof and in-room air conditioning units that work only when balcony doors are shut. The property's outdoor lights are angled downward so as not to shine on the beach and chase away turtles that have come ashore to lay their eggs during nesting season.
This Big Island resort features bungalows carved directly into surrounding black lava rock. Via a partnership with Blue Ocean Mariculture, the hotel recently introduced a sustainable fish-farming experience, during which guests snorkel among local marine life and enjoy a private tour of the country’s only open-ocean fish farm. Afterward, participants savor a five-course dinner showcasing the native and sustainably caught fish in dishes like sweet and savory misoyaki kanpachi with local Hamakua mushrooms and Kekela squash.
In keeping with Earth Day Network’s 2019 campaign, “Protect Our Species,” the Fiji resort has crafted an itinerary of hands-on activities on April 22. Guests will be able to help plant mangrove trees and coral, follow alongside marine biologists as they work to help repopulate Fiji’s four native species of giant clams, and got on a snorkeling excursion to nearby Namena Marine Reserve, a world-class and bio-diverse dive spot.
One main concern during construction of the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa was protecting the native fauna and flora, which required developers to build twin jetties to protect the surrounding reef from damage while shipping and moving materials. As a result, the reef was preserved and remains a home for sharks, turtles, barracuda, a vertiginous number of tropical fish species and coral. Today the resort features waste-management and rainwater-harvesting systems, and has replaced plastic for paper and glass wherever possible. They even use biodegradable coffee pods.
Flora surrounds the grounds at Habitat Suites in Austin. Photo Credit: Habitat SuitesLocated near culturally vibrant downtown Austin, Habitat Suites offers guests a green sanctuary within the property's organic gardens, kept fresh by ladybugs instead of pesticides. In addition, each guest room features living plants to help keep the air clean, and guests can request hypoallergenic room options. Solar panels are present on every building within the property, and the hotel offers electric-car charging for guests on-site.
One Aldwych has been hailed as one of the most sustainable hotels in the U.K. thanks to a no-bleach policy that bans the harsh chemical from the premises. In the kitchen, chefs work with local, seasonal and organic ingredients, while the swimming pool is chlorine-free, using a mineral-based cleaning system instead. The hotel also uses LED lighting; provides biodegradable packaging for in-room amenities; recycles all paper, cardboard, glass, most plastics, batteries, light bulbs and cooking oil; and has a special vacuum-drainage system that uses 80 percent less water than more standard flushing systems.