As we celebrate Earth Day, we look to these eco-friendly, sustainable resorts around the world for future travel inspiration. From farm-to-fork dining in Spain to the world’s first completely vegan suite in London, we invite you to visit these luxury resorts that highlight the importance of conservation and sustainability year-round.
Amante Ibiza
Spain
Set on a cliff overlooking the stunning Sol D’en Serra Bay, Amante Ibiza offers a unique farm-to-fork dining experience that connects conscious diners with their surroundings.
Amante Ibiza’s restaurant operates on a zero-waste policy ensuring everything is disposable, 100% organic and made from renewable or recycled materials. They source the majority of produce from their own organic vegetable garden. Meat and fish dishes are carefully selected from local fisherman and farmers.
Notable dishes include an organic beetroot and avocado tartar served with marinated turnip and aji dressing, and a sautéed ensemble of quinoa, mixed vegetables and goat cheese served over a bed of smoked aubergine.
After a morning yoga class, guests may re-nourish with a breakfast spread made up of locally grown fruits, freshly squeezed juices, and wholegrain pastries.
Looking to get away for the weekend? This eco-friendly resort is close to some of the best party hotels in Ibiza.
Bucuti & Tara
Aruba
Bucuti & Tara is the Caribbean’s first and only carbon-neutral hotel as of yet. On its way to being 100% paperless, Bucuti & Tara’s latest sustainability initiative is helping to propel the resort to carbon negative status.
Guests arrive to a completely paperless, touch-free check-in and depart with a digital receipt. Napkins are cloth, cleaning towels replace paper towels, menus are on tablets or via QR code on mobile devices, and there are no paper coffee cups or single-use place settings.
According to USA Today (2020), Bucuti & Tara’s on-site restaurant, Elements, is the Caribbean’s No. 1 Restaurant. Resort guests can start the day sipping fair-trade, safely procured coffee with a net-zero carbon footprint plus sourcing that follows a completely sustainable supply chain.
Elements also has an extensive vegan and vegetarian menu. Notable dishes include a Lime and Lemongrass soup, Ranch Free Steak (ground lentil patty), and an Agave and cardamom infused Pineapple Quinoa Margarita for dessert.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
The Maldives
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s coral conservation program offers the perfect eco-conscious activity for the family.
The in-house marine biologist will educate the family about corals in an interactive and fun way and highlight the importance of their conservation. It is a coral line project where corals of opportunity (broken coral fragments that are lying on the seafloor and would die if not moved) are selected prior to guest arrival.
With the help of the marine biologist, these coral pieces are fragmented by the guests into the ideal size for conservation. These coral ‘babies’ are then inserted into a rope and then measured by the guests. After the rope is complete with the coral babies and measured, guests walk to the house reef and then snorkel to the coral nursery.
After reaching the coral nursery which takes about 5 to 10 minutes the marine biologist will plant the coral line onto the nursery. Guests will be able to watch the marine biologist plant the corals on coral line and take photos. Correspondence will be sent out to the family to keep them informed of the coral’s growth over the next several months/years.
Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club
Florida
The Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Surfside, Florida close to Miami has curated several eco-friendly initiatives, creating a perfect getaway for families for Earth Day and year-round.
The hotel has partnered with Clean the World, a hospitality soap recycling organization. The hotel collects all leftover soaps and liquid amenities in the guest rooms. Then, CTW processes them in their plant as new, and sends them to countries and regions in need.
The Four Seasons has partnered with various local farms to include locally sourced ingredients and produce at the hotel’s Lido Restaurant and The Champagne Bar. With regards to food waste initiatives, the resort utilizes the Orca, a machine that processes food waste, turning it into water.
For families, there is a kid’s program that includes a variety of activities including learning about the ocean and ways to protect marine life and the beach. Families can also venture outside of the hotel just a couple blocks away to find Turtle Walk. Turtle Walk is a public art display that features 13 giant colorful sea turtle sculptures to teach visitors and residents about these fabulous creatures.
Hilton London Bankside
United Kingdom
Located in the heart of London’s lively Bankside district, Hilton London Bankside is passionate about sustainability and supporting the local community.
The hotel features a rooftop meadow, built to reintegrate greenery into the surrounding landscape, and home to several beehives, installed to help to re-energize the city’s diminishing bee population. The honey is served as part of its breakfast offering.
Conscious of the growing demand for plant-based living, the hotel also boasts the world’s first completely vegan suite, providing a unique experience for ethically conscious travelers.
For visitors looking to get out and explore the city of London, Hilton London Bankside encourages its guests to make use of the hotel’s complimentary ultra-sustainable volcanic bikes during their stay.
Ikos Aria
Greece
Ikos Aria, a luxury all-inclusive in Kos, offers eco-learning programs for kids to encourage a love for the environment. Two special programs have been developed in partnership with NGO Planet Agents, one for ages 4-11 and another for teenagers over 12. These programs encourage children to become marine explorers and learn about local produce. These are offered through the Kid’s Club and Just4Teens club.
Families can also take part in handpicked eco-adventures such as birdwatching, hiking and biking, all highlighting the local biodiversity and natural sights.
After a day of paddle boarding tor exploring the local area by bike, families can get together for a relaxing dinner at one of the resort’s à la carte restaurants. The restaurant menus are curated by Michelin starred chefs.
Guests may also dine out at a local restaurant on the island as part of Ikos Resorts’ innovative ‘Dine Out’ initiative. The Dine Out program gives guests the option to dine at local restaurants outside of the resort as part of their stay.
Nayara Tented Camp
Costa Rica
According to Costa Rica’s tourism board, over 60% of visitors cite nature as a reason for coming. The national parks and protected areas now cover over a quarter of the country’s land.
Nayara Tented Camp is one of the first luxury camps in Central America. The camp is inspired by the luxury canvas lodges of Africa and Asia.
The luxury camps are situated in the Arenal Volcano National Park. These 1,700 square-feet spacious tents are built at a higher altitude on the hillside. The purpose is to provide unobstructed views of the Arenal Volcano.
As a nod to Earth Day, Nayara Resorts recently expanded the property’s sloth sanctuary to over 1,000 Cecropia trees (the sloth’s main food source) to serve as a home to more than 15 sloths. Upon arrival, every visiting group is introduced to their dedicated naturalist, who accompanies them on experiences throughout their stay. These expert nature guides bring guests on sloth sanctuary tours, early morning bird-watching walks, and nighttime frog spotting tours on property.