People are increasingly looking for vacations that they can enjoy without feeling guilty about harming the environment. Several hotels are implementing socially and ecologically responsible ways to address this. Here are four hotels set in stunning surroundings with low carbon footprints and a strong commitment to giving back.
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, USA
This waterfront hotel features panoramic vistas of the East River and the Manhattan skyline, as well as interiors that feature native vegetation and salvaged materials. They are continually seeking new methods to contribute to environmental protection, from its "Save Our Shores" campaign to its plastic reduction policy. The hotel has employed "greenscaping" throughout, from a 25-foot green wall in the lobby to towering plants and trees in the bar to moss 'beds' in the restrooms. They try to help the local community by selling goods from local farmers and businesses on a regular basis. The food is locally grown and organic. The furniture is made from salvaged wood, and even closet hangers are constructed entirely of post-consumer recycled materials. Shower timers are available to alert you about water wastage. Instead of paper pads, they take notes on a reclaimed blackboard. The key cards are made of five different kinds of repurposed wood. The hotel incorporates reclaimed woods, bricks, marble, stone, and locally sourced glass throughout&ndashin fact, it uses a 54 per cent ratio of regional and reclaimed materials, including original heart pine beams from the former Domino Sugar Factory, walnut from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and pine flooring from the Old Crow Distillery in Kentucky. Find more information here.
Fogo Island Inn, Canada
The hotel, located on Newfoundland and Labrador's largest offshore island, is surrounded by brightly coloured traditional clapboard structures, sea-cliff walkways, dense woodland, and a gorgeous coastline. This award-winning property's 29 guest rooms and suites all have magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel is inspired by Atlantic Canadian outport architecture, which arose from a 400-year-old vernacular practice of producing transient and light constructions. The impermanent character of these original structures is still a part of Newfoundland's vernacular building traditions, and the architecture of the inn reflects this. The inn uses traditional and long-forgotten arts that were at risk of fading out, thus giving them new life. You can find that in the structure, as well as the traditional outport furniture, homemade quilts, and woven rugs. These are all locally made. The plan was to create a lodge owned by the locals, a social enterprise that would reinvest all earnings back into Fogo Island. Find more information here.
Sussurro, Mozambique
Sussurro rests on a tropical lagoon in Southern Mozambique. The residence is situated on the interior of a remote peninsula known as Nhamabue. The mindfully created setting works with nature. They incorporate local architecture into the furniture, which is handcrafted and carved on-site. They employ solar electricity, with more than 90% of the homes built using renewable energy. To preserve heritage craft skills, the hotel uses exclusively natural and endemic materials local to their ecosystem. All materials are sourced and manufactured in Africa. They have a regenerative mangrove reforestation scheme in which they grow carbon-rich mangrove seeds in their nursery to re-afforest a historic salt pan with native mangroves that have been extensively damaged. Find more information here.
Lanserhof Lans, Austria
This spa, located in the village of Lans, just minutes from Innsbruck, is surrounded by meadows, woodlands, and stunning snow-capped mountains. The building offers a range of bright and airy modern suites decorated in a relaxing mineral-based palette and packed with sensory materials like wood, stone and linen. The foundation blocks of this health-promoting architecture are natural materials without synthetic finishes and harmonious and plain interiors. For example, the facade is made of red cedar wood. And they only chose materials that have been vetted for environmental and health concerns. The concept was to design a particularly sustainable and healthful building complex where guests could rest and reenergize in connection with nature. Find more information here.
Cover photo credit Depositphotos
