Eco-consciousSleeps
Improving the world one hotel at a time
Long before sustainability and eco-friendly became buzzwords, these properties have been making sure their impact on the world – and local community – is a positive one.
Reviewed by
Jacqui Agate, Oliver Berry, Nicola Brady, Gareth Clark, Laura Field, Lyn Hughes, George Kipouros, James March, Chris Moss, Tebogo Pin-Pin and Qin Xie
Morocco
Kasbah Du Toubkal
The Kasbah du Toubkal had already stood sentinel over the village of Imlil in the High Atlas for many years before being restored and turned into a ‘Berber Hospitality Centre’ in 1995 in partnership with the local community.
Rooms from around £170 p/n
It won numerous accolades as a hotel and for its positive local impact, including funding secondary education for girls, before being badly damaged in the earthquake of September 2023. It has only now just fully reopened. The rebuilding gave the opportunity to remodel, and it now includes the addition of an infinity pool with mountain views.
The iconic roof terrace has been enlarged, while extra reception rooms with log-burning stoves have been created. The new three-storey tower is even more impressive than its predecessor.
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Oxfordshire, England
Le Manoir Aux Quat’saisons
The brainchild of acclaimed chef Raymond Blanc, this stately 15th-century manor house has been a 41-year experiment in making luxury more sustainable.
Rooms from around £975 p/n
All the food here is organic, free-range and artisanal – and this was the case long before it became fashionable. On the surface, this is sustainability without compromise, and yet every inch of this property celebrates pure indulgence, from the immaculate lawns to the decadent menu. Look harder and you can also see the effort that goes into it. A stroll of the manicured grounds reveals a kitchen garden growing 250 varieties of fruit and veg to feed the two-Michelin-starred restaurant and legendary cookery school. The hotel’s zero-landfill policy sees coffee grounds recycled to feed home-grown mushrooms, while a circular composting system turns food waste into feed for the garden and orchards.
This ethos extends beyond the kitchen, with old soaps, candles and even newspapers donated to the community for use as crafts, or bedding at an animal sanctuary. It’s a pioneering stay, yet it’s one that still feels utterly indulgent.
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South Africa
Noka Camp
Perched on the edge of a cliff within the Waterberg region’s Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, this is a futuristic, eco-friendly safari lodge.
Rooms from around £760 p/n
Low-impact tourism, conservation and human development are at the heart of Lepogo Lodges, which runs Noka Camp. The lodge has been built to minimise its footprint and all profit goes into protecting the reserve and the communities around it. It is off-grid, generating electricity from a solar walkway.
Lapalala’s 48,000 hectares are home to lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino, buffalo, cheetah, wild dog and pangolin, and wildlife spotting is available on game drives, bushwalks and river trips.
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Several Locations, Bhutan
Six Senses Bhutan
This is a bit different. It isn’t a single hotel but rather a ‘circuit’ of lodges scattering five valleys (Thimphu, Punakha, Gangtey, Bumthang and Paro).
Rooms from around £1,266 p/n
Their similarities lie in their low-impact designs, aping the sustainable Bhutanese building techniques of rammed-earth walls and timber framing. Their menus are all bolstered by links to local farmers and onsite organic gardens. Yet each stay is also unique. The glass-floored tea lounge in Punakha, for instance, harbours fine views over the rice terraces, while trees skewer the suites in Bumthang. Visitors are encouraged to overnight in different hotels on the circuit rather than make day trips, allowing them to spend more time (and money) in these far-flung communities. It’s a glorious way to explore the world’s only carbon-negative nation.
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Kauai, Hawai’i, USA
1Hotel Hanalei Bay
Combining luxury with sustainability, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay embraces Kauai’s Garden Isle nickname, with native plants such as kukui trees and pili grass growing everywhere from the entryway to the rooftops.
Rooms from around £600 p/n
Robust sustainability initiatives include coat hangers made with recycled milk bottles and restaurants championing Hawaiian producers. It’s design-forward, with neutral-washed rooms filled with reclaimed teak and live greenery. Sweeping panoramas of Hanalei Bay and its emerald mountains are most dramatic when lit by fiery sunsets.
This ethos is only encouraged by the wide variety of experiences on offer, many unique to their area, such as sharing lunch with a family, spending time with the monks of a local monastery or taking a painting class among the mountains of Gangtey. It’s a rare invitation to see Bhutan through the eyes of its people.
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Kangeroo Island, Australia
Southern Ocean Lodge
Heralded as Australia’s first true luxury lodge when it opened, there was a real sense of loss when Southern Ocean Lodge burnt to the ground during the devastating wildfires of 2020.
Rooms from around £600 p/n
Five years on, a phoenix has risen from the ashes, complete with solar panels and a wastewater treatment system. However, it’s the lodge’s setting that is still the key here. The 2.0 version has reclaimed the same clifftop spot overlooking the endless blue of the Southern Ocean, affording incredible views from its 25 suites. More importantly, it also lies on a wildlife corridor, and the owners have secured the land around it to protect against future development. The result is a boon for guests.
Many of the signature experiences included with stays make the most of its location, ranging from guided walks exploring the coastal flora and fauna to trips to spot nocturnal wildlife in the island’s conservation zones, all accompanied by a naturalist guide.
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