In the ever-evolving world of sustainable travel, both guests and their hosts increasingly feel the need — and a deep sense of responsibility — to create meaningful travel experiences that also benefit the destinations they visit and the people who live there.
Savvy travelers know that earnest measures taken by hotels and resorts not only add value to their stay but enhance connections and deepen the sense of place.
Produce sourced from nearby farmers and traditional cooking techniques create the tastiest cuisine packed with local flavor; biophilic architecture emphasizes and protects the surrounding natural beauty; strong connections with the community offer travelers a front seat to the destination’s most authentic experiences.
It’s these elements and more that create incredibly authentic experiences at Beyond Green hotels, resorts, and lodges around the world. Only after passing rigorous inspection do hotels join this extraordinary portfolio of like-minded members who share a genuine commitment to nature, community, and culture, making travel a force for good. Here are some hotels putting this ethos in action to luxurious effect.
Edgewood Tahoe Resort
Set along the water’s edge of crystalline Lake Tahoe, the contemporary mountain lodge of Edgewood Tahoe Resort offers exquisite luxury at every turn, from its spa and salon, elevated shopping, renowned golf course, and award-winning dining to its incomparable rooms, suites, and villa suites.
Every elegant touch is carefully curated for an impeccable stay while never steering from its deep sense of responsibility as stewards and guardians of its cherished home. Its LEED silver certification owes to meaningful measures including the implementation of a lake-sourced cooling system, use of local materials in construction, and efficient construction and landscaping to reduce water usage.
Beyond the guest experience, Edgewood Tahoe Resort engages in meaningful initiatives like the realignment of a nearby spring to encourage native fish passage and spawning, hosting Clean Up the Lake, a 72-mile underwater cleanup, planting more than 130 trees, and much more.
SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge
Costa Rica is well known for its lush jungles and abundant wildlife, and few destinations rival SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge for immersing its guests in the stunning Costa Rican landscape.
Surrounded by 250,000 acres of national park and reserves and the Pacific Ocean and only accessible by boat, the Lodge puts adventure at guests’ fingertips, including wilderness tours, scuba diving, and even a whale monitoring tour. Stay in a luxury treehouse tucked away in the rainforest or retreat to an ocean-view bungalow to glimpse whales breaching from your balcony.
In addition to ongoing conscious efforts on site like eliminating single-use plastics and a zero-waste restaurant concept, the hotel’s “Every Stay Does Good” contributes to positive change through partnerships with NGOs including WE, a group focused on well-being for adolescent mental health, as well as One Tree Planted and Innoceana’s Pristine Playa program, dedicated to cleaning the Costa Rican coastline.
The Parkside Hotel & Spa
The Parkside Hotel & Spa, an all-suite urban retreat on the Western Canada coast, is a bright, refreshing oasis with rooftop gardens, a pool and hot tub, full-service spa, and even an intimate private movie theater in the heart of this charming capital city.
Built with sustainability at its core, the LEED platinum hotel is carbon neutral and biosphere-certified. It engages in sustainable practices from energy responsibility and water conservation to renewable and efficient energy sources to recycling, sustainable use of marine resources, and social and humanitarian projects — all while offering incredible service and proximity to beautiful downtown Victoria.
Three Camel Lodge
An unforgettable heritage exploration in the remote wilderness of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, Three Camel Lodge is an authentic taste of nomadic life.
The ecolodge consists of 40 traditional felt and canvas tents (gers) and a main lodge, all built and staffed by native Mongolians. Its restaurant, housed in a ger built to resemble those used by the Khans centuries ago, offers regional Mongolian cuisine, prepared with locally sourced organic produce and local dairy products pasteurized on site.
Among many opportunities to experience the singular beauty and culture in this remote, otherworldly destination are camel and horseback riding, explorations of the nearby petroglyphs, and engaging with local nomadic families. The lodge operations are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on environmental stewardship, community empowerment, and natural and cultural preservation.
Discover the world’s most sustainable hotels at staybeyondgreen.com/hotels.
