With eco tourism on the rise, there has been an incessant demand for the green hotels around the globe. To capitalize on the same, many hotels from different parts of the world are employing green practices to lure travellers. The best thing about modern eco friendly hotels is that the eco conscious travellers do not have to sacrifice on comfort and luxury while going green. By staying in a green hotel, you can remain close to nature and do your bit indirectly to save the planet. For those who love to travel and are determined to follow their travel pursuits without leaving a negative impact on the environment, now have all it takes to go the green way.
The Whitepod Eco-Retreat, Switzerland
The rooms of the Whitepod Eco Retreat might appear to some as igloos at the first glance. This private ski resort is located at a height of over 1700 metres above sea level in the village of Les Cerniers in the Swiss Alps. Fifteen geodesic dome pods in the resort offer ultimate eco luxury to its visitors. Complete privacy and peaceful environment is proffered to the guests who may tour the retreat by skis, dog sleds, snowboards or snowshoes. The ski lifts is the only motorized system in the resort and this too is powered by renewable source of energy. During the winters, the visitors enjoy downhill skiing or snowboarding, cross-country skiing, dog sledding and guided hikes. To keep the domes warm, they simply use wood burning stoves. During summer, the guest can entertain themselves with warm weather eco activities like mountain biking, hiking, etc. The pods of the eco resort are equipped with all basic facilities required for a comfortable living.
Q Hotel and Spa
The Q Hotel and Spa located at the Kansas City is made by refurbishing the historic Quarterage Hotel. The Q hotel is the city’s first green hotel and it has been renovated using environmental friendly materials. The Q resort is equipped with lighting and heating systems that require lesser energy for their operations. Environmentally friendly fluorescent bulbs and digital guestroom thermostats are used in the hotel for comforting the guests. Green Seal approved cleaning chemicals are used for laundry and other cleaning purposes. Bio-friendly chemicals used for pest control too. The toilet paper, paper towels, coffee cups, napkins, tissues etc. are made from 100 percent recycled and post consumable paper. Water is also conserved at the hotel by installing aerators, low head showers and special devices are installed in the laundry that consumes 30%less water. Organic food, wine and coffee are served to the guests.
Chumbe Island Coral Park
The spectacular eco resort is located on a coral reef ecosystem called the Chumbe, which is 12 km south of the Zanzibar town in Tanzania, Africa. There are 7 eco lodges in the resort. Each lodge is equipped with eco friendly modern amenities. The bungalows are provided with clean solar power for lights, water heating, phone & camera chargers, freezers etc. since the island has no supply of fresh water, therefore advanced rainwater catchment systems are built on all roofs with large water storage tanks under all buildings. The grey water is also further used for irrigation purposes. Dry composting toilets are used in the lodges to avoid use of water for flushing. Waste is disposed in a proper way by the municipality of Zanzibar. Local community people are employed in the company. Only local food suppliers are appointed for the supply of all organic food stuff. Developed in 1991, Chumbe Island Coral Park has won many awards for the conservation and sustainable management of the coral reef sanctuary and the forest reserve that inhabits extremely rare and endangered animals.
Spice Island Beach Resort
The Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, South America is a luxurious eco-resort. The resort is equipped with various eco-friendly tools. The swimming pools have salt instead of chlorine, natural composting toilets and gardens with locally grown herbs. To conserve energy, photovoltaic panels have been installed to generate green electricity. The beachfront trees are replanted and garbage containers are placed at small intervals along the beach. An Environmental Officer is appointed who educates the staff about conservation practices and closely monitors all such activities.
Tiamo Resort
The Tiamo resort located at South Andros Island of the Bahamas, is one of the best eco resort for environmentally conscious travel freaks. The beach resort is accessible only by a boat or seaplane. The resort includes only 10 cottages for the visitors. The electricity for the entire resort is generated by using solar panels. The hot water used in the resort is heated by direct sunlight. The use of wind power is being currently explored at the eco resort as another sustainable source of energy. The plastic and paper waste and other trash is recycled on a regular basis. The grey water undergoes a natural treatment process and is used for low flow composting toilets. The luxury eco resort is an idyllic place for nature loving travellers.
