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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Gatherings
These 25 Hotels are Leading the Way in Mindful Tourism
Today, more and more travelers are wanting to vacation with a purpose, whether it be giving back the community or leaving a minimal carbon footprint on the environment. Combining hospitality and humanitarian practices is anything but...
photo by
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Today, more and more travelers are wanting to vacation with a purpose, whether it be giving back the community or leaving a minimal carbon footprint on the environment. Combining hospitality and humanitarian practices is anything but impossible, thanks to these eco-friendly and community-conscious escapes that provide more than just beautiful views.
Reporter: Nicole Bradley | Location: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Reporter: Nicole Bradley | Location: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
With locations in Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge and South Beach, 1 Hotels CEO Barry Sternlight’s main goal is to capture the beauty of nature inside a city hotel. Each hotel room is designed with natural, pure elements – from hemp-made mattresses to reclaimed wooden furniture to eco-friendly cleaning products. Each recycled fixture of this hotel has a story to tell.
We’re pod-sitive that you’ll love this Switzerland hideaway. Food is locally sourced, air, heat and water is conserved and waste is recycled. Dome-shaped pods make it easier to maintain temperatures, circulate air and less energy is required for the building. Enjoy your favorite snow sports too: skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and even husky rides are available at the Whitepod!
Soneva Kiri in Thailand vows to minimize its impact on its beautiful surrounding landscape by using locally-sourced materials like bamboo, teak and acacia to construct the hotel. The island of Soneva holds a reservoir that collects rainwater, which the island then purifies and bottles to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles. The resort also has full-time marine biologists on staff to monitor the reef and give tips to guests when snorkeling to keep themselves and the reef safe.
At the Southern tip of the Andes is Ecocamp Patagonia, where travelers can relax and explore without harming the environment in any aspect. Guests are one with nature and stay in domes, which use “green energy,” equating to utilization of micro-hydro turbines.
Playa Viva, an all-inclusive resort on the Pacific coast of Mexico, sits on a private nature reserve that the owners hold to the highest standard. From the farm-to-table menus to the towels and soaps in your room, everything is made organically to a tee. Not to mention, the resort supports local wildlife and has it’s own sea turtle sanctuary run by volunteers!
When the Song Saa island of Cambodia was founded, the surrounding reefs and ocean wildlife were in a state of despair, and something had to be done about it. Upon building rentable villas, the island owners created the Song Saa Foundation whose mission is to protect the marine life and ocean habitats of the coast. Thanks to the foundation, there will always be more fish in the sea.
The Lefay resort property is located on a protected nature park, which lends itself to the resort being completely integrated with the surrounding landscape - the roofs of guest houses are even covered in vegetation! Not to mention, the resort was purposely built on terraced hillsides, which allows for reduced energy and heat dispersion throughout the venue.
Photo by Aman Resorts
Amankila in Bali is apart of the Aman brand that specializes in luxurious getaways that keep the ecosystem in mind. Aman openly supports the Begawan Foundation, which is committed to saving Indonesian birds and breeding them out of extinction. Amankila also offers spa and dining services using local ingredients and materials, improving the health of the environment one delicious meal and peaceful massage at a time.
Photo by Six Senses Con Dao
It’s evident that the sixth sense of the Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam is its commitment to sustainability. The resort holds onto it's traditional fishing village roots and each room is designed to have natural ventilation with auto-sensored lights. Protection of endangered dugongs (i.e. one of the most adorable sea creatures you will ever see) in the surrounding sea is also at the forefront of the resort’s mind - as if the white sand and teal-blue water alone wasn’t reason enough to visit.
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Photo by UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa
The UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa is a traffic-free Brazilian paradise renovated to please community-minded travelers. The rentable casas are simply restored fisherman’s huts dating back to 500 years ago. UXUA Casa gives back to the traditional fisherman community by providing meals, tools and materials for boat repairs.
On the Nihi Island of Indonesia sits the pristine Nihiwatu, where resort villas pay homage to ancient Sumbanese styles and carvings. Nihiwatu strongly believes in giving back to native people of the Nihi Island and the resort is actually Nihi’s biggest employer. Not only that, but the resort has set up medical clinics and water wells along the island, along with creating a program that provides lunches to school children.
Glamping has never felt so good, thanks to Paperbark Camp in Australia. This resort is eco-friendly in and of itself, consisting simply of outdoor tents among native gum trees. These glamorous tents use natural ventilation, rainwater whenever possible and solar-powered lighting. So pack your bags - let’s go eco-camping!
Photo by Tri Lanka
The Tri Lanka in Sri Lanka is more than just a pretty face and a fun name. The luxury hotel serves as an immersion between land and nature and is fully devoted to reversing habitat deforestation and increasing the diversity of plants and animals on the property; this is done by planting indigenous trees and shrubs around the landscape and protecting the animals at all costs.
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Finolhu is a retro getaway smack-dab in the middle of the beautiful Maldives lagoons. Andy Warhol-style art is displayed around the resort and guest huts are painted bright pastel colors. On a boutique island like this, the last thing you’d expect to see is 67,000 square feet of solar panels that run the ENTIRE resort. Finolhu isn’t afraid to brag about their solar energy assets, and we dig it.
Photo by El Nido Resorts
The El Nido Resorts on four islands of the Philippines observe Eco-Hour, where all energy in the resorts is shut down for an hour during every full moon in the summer months. The proceeds of the saved energy go to Island Transvoyager’s Carbon Offsetting Program to purchase seedlings for the property. It’s a win-win situation!
Photo by Belle Mont Farm
At Belle Mont Farm, guests are encouraged to literally eat the landscape around the hotel. The staff makes the vegetation around the property a number-one priority, banning the use of chemicals so produce can be enjoyed right here, right now. A few of the delicious crops that Caribbean island St. Kitts has to offer include bananas, pineapples, passion fruit and mangos.
Photo by The Brando
Coconut oil serves a purpose beyond moisturizer at The Brando in the French Polynesian islands – locally-produced coconut oil, along with solar energy, are both used to fuel the resort. The resort has a goal of zero carbon impact, and they’re taking eco-smart steps to get there. The Brando also uses a system called Sea Water Air Conditioning, which uses the cold water from the ocean depths to efficiently cool all buildings.
Nestled within the jungle canopy of Belize is a hiker’s getaway with sustainable concepts. Any electricity not used in the guest rooms is transferred to other parts of the lodge, like the kitchen and the spa’s hot pool. All waste from the hotel is also turned into compost to feed their 3.5-acre organic garden.
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Photo by Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
On the island of Wailea is an eco-conscious, minimal hotel that provides energy efficiency by using motion sensor lights and an automatic temperature system. A whopping 98% of the hotel’s structure and fixtures are made from repurposed materials – from reclaimed wood walls to glassware made out of recycled wine bottles to bamboo cutlery.
Photo by Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
The Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa sits on an atoll, which is a formed ring of coral that circles a lagoon. Because the resort knows that it sits on fragile territory, it’s designers took extra precaution to monitor the resort’s performance with the environment. The construction and design of the villas on the atoll are monitored and designed by EarthCheck, so guests don’t have to feel guilty about being so entwined with nature. Also, don’t miss out on the Cross the Equator trip that the resort offers!
Coles Bay in Australia has nearly 300 rain-free days a year, which sounds pretty ideal, right? Well, this can unfortunately lead to water shortage on the land which Saffire Freycinet resort is fighting against. The resort has essentially drought-proofed the property and built a water catchment area that filters and supplies water to the resort. Coles Bay is also Australia’s first plastic bag-free town - take notes, rest of the world!
Photo by Alila Villas Soori
The Alila Villas Soori is a hotel in Bali designed with an eco-friendly mind. Use of local materials and sensitive site planning were taken into effect when building this exotic resort, as the location is surrounded by UNESCO’s protected rice fields.
You wouldn’t believe it upon first glance, but the h2hotel in Sonoma Wine Country used to be a gas station! It has since been restored and builders have removed all contaminated debris and soil. The hotel is now acknowledged as one rooted in nature, which speaks to the succulent-filled “green roof.” h2hotel also uses low-flow faucets and toilets, and all artwork in the venue has been created by local artists, so you know you’re doing good by staying here.
In Big Sky, Montana there's a remote escape known for its collective retreats. Guests stay in canvas tents, but this doesn’t mean they’ll be smoking brats over a bonfire for food. Delicious meals are prepared from locally-sourced ingredients every day, supporting local farmers and butchers in Big Sky.
Photo by Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat
Among lush vegetation in the Cederberg Mountains of Africa lives Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat. Relax, reset and feel good about knowing that getting your zen on is also giving back to the community. The retreat site strongly supports community involvement with the native people and all staff members live on property, reducing the need for transportation.
Do you know someone who owns a beautiful barn, gorgeous getaway, or rad rental home? Share this roundup and tell them to request information on membership and media opportunities with The Venue Report.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
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