Everywhere you look companies are turning to green technology to increase sales, and hotels are no exception. And it's no surprise. A poll last year from Pulse Poll and AIG Travel found that most travelers rate traveling sustainably as important. However, 35 percent reported that sustainable travel wasn't always so easy. We found some of the most eco-friendly hotels in cities that are making a big impact.
Parkroyal on Pickering - Singapore
This hotel comes with an impressive list of awards including being named World Travel’s 2016 and 2017 Asia’s Leading Green Hotel, ASEAN Green Hotel Standards Award winner in 2016, and given the Singapore Green Hotel Award 2016 – 2018. The sky gardens, planted terraces, and green walls add up to 15,000 square meters of greenery and help to improve overall air quality in the building as well as reduce heating and cooling needs. The sky garden is powered with Singapore’s first zero-energy solar cells. Additionally, rainwater is collected and used to water the plants.
Rubens Hotel – London
The London-based hotel is going green from the outside in. The outer wall of the building is home to 350 square meters of plant life. The Living Wall at The Rubens at the Palace is made of up more than 10,000 ferns and herbaceous plants. And at almost 70 feet high, it covers the entire side of the building. The wall creates a wildlife habitat, insulation for the hotel (keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter) and even reduces air pollution in the neighborhood. The plants are a variety of native species and attract bees, butterflies and birds – which is crucial as the bee population is decreasing. Plants were chosen with seasonal colors in mind and range from blue, pink, yellow, purple, and white.
Humble House, Taipei
Located in the heart of the city, this hotel offers a green getaway. The fifth to seventh floors of the building are used as outdoor green space for guests, where they can sit outside and enjoy nature. The space also helps to reduce room temperature and energy consumption, according to the company. Towels and linens are changed according to patrons’ requests in order to reduce water and energy washing. Almost half of the building’s material is eco-friendly: for instance, large windows help to let in natural light, and at night energy saving lights are used, and the air conditioning system is also energy-saving. It has been certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as a “Diamond-rated Green Building.”
1 Hotels – New York, South Beach
The 1 Hotels brand, an offshoot of Starwood Capital Group, is built on sustainability. There are currently three locations; Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park in New York and South Beach, FL. The brand uses a range of energy and water saving initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. Also to reduce energy, guestrooms and public spaces were built with natural light in mind and many include retractable walls and open doors. It also works with local farms to offer fresh ingredients to guests. Reclaimed wood, organic cotton and natural materials were used throughout the hotels. Guests can take a complimentary ride in the Tesla electric cars or have their bicycles valeted.
Proximity Hotel - Greensboro, North Carolina
There are more than 70 sustainable practices at this hotel. It was the first LEED Platinum “green hotel” and it was built following LEED guidelines’ Green Building Rating System, the national benchmark for design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. According to the company, the building uses almost 40 percent less energy than a conventional hotel and restaurant by using efficient materials and the latest construction technology. There are also 100 solar panels covering the 4,000 square feet of rooftop that heats hot water.
W Hotel San Francisco - California
The LEED Platinum certified hotel has been recognized by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency for its rooftop beehive. In order to help essential pollinators, like bees, the hotel has its own rooftop beehive and resident beekeeper Roger Garrison. The honey produced is collected and used in dishes and cocktails served on the property. Additionally, the hotel offers 500 Preferred Guest Points that can be redeemed at any Starwood Hotel for each day guests opt out of housekeeping, saving water and energy.
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