7 luxurious hotels you can feel good about checking into

Travel trends come and go, but when it comes to sustainability, these hotels are all in.

“By choosing accommodation providers with strong sustainability practices, such as those supporting local conservation efforts or engaging in community initiatives, travelers can ensure their stays align with their personal values while positively impacting the environment and the communities they visit,” says Sally Davey, CEO of sustainable travel organization Travalyst.

Davey, who also works in collaboration with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), says travelers should be cautious of vague claims like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” without clear evidence to back them up. “Meaningful sustainability efforts go beyond small gestures and should be backed by real, measurable actions and credible data,” says Davey.

While the effort to develop greater transparency around sustainability in tourism is ongoing, travelers should continue doing their research to make sure the hotels’ sustainability claims are legitimate.

Best for families wanting an active eco-safari adventure

Conservation-focused safari lodges are common across South Africa; however, Few & Far Luvhondo’s new purpose-driven eco-lodge (opened in January 2025) is already standing out as one of the most sustainable safaris on the planet.

The brainchild of husband-and-wife team Sarah and Jacob Dusek, the lodge has six cliffside suites nestled among 386 square miles (100,000 hectares) of South Africa’s UNESCO’s Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. It is also powered by renewable energy. Hands-on initiatives like the Conservationist for the Day program allow guests of all ages to participate in a vet visit or join the carbon sequestration team to plant trees while learning about the region’s delicate ecosystem.

You can also participate in a solar-powered game-viewing experience across the Soutpansberg mountain range, with a chance to sleep out under the stars.

Few & Far Luvhondo is dedicated to regenerating the mountainside while creating an ecosystem that supports the local biodiversity. To help achieve that goal, the resort is also in collaboration with Terraset, an organization dedicated to reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases, and Verra Registered’s carbon project.

Best for groups looking for a relaxed beach retreat

Once a sleepy surf town on the Pacific side of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, Nosara is as renowned for its epic surf break at Playa Guiones as it is for being one of the world’s Blue Zones.

Opened in 2024, Silvestre Nosara is one of the sleekest places to stay. Ideal for families and groups of friends, the beachside boutique has nine residential-style accommodations and community spaces just steps from the water.

Nestled between the jungle and the beach, Silvestre partners with local nonprofit organizations like Costas Verdes to support coastal ecosystem restoration through reforestation projects. Sign up for surf lessons and be on the lookout for the monkey bridge, which was built to connect a wildlife refuge that abuts the property and allows monkeys to travel freely in their natural habitat.

Best for those seeking the ultimate gorilla-trekking adventure 

Ringed by lush rainforest in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, Wilderness Bisate Reserve, opened in 2024, is rooted in conservation and reforestation. This luxury eco-lodge’s commitment to habitat preservation is at the heart of every stay. Taking its name from a “place meant to be cherished and savored,” the property’s ambitious rehabilitation plan has overseen the planting of more than 100,000 trees. Its goal is to protect the natural habitat that sustains the endangered mountain gorillas that have made the park famous.

(Related: Learn how national parks are going green—and how travelers can help.)

The eco-lodge is a pioneer in eco-tourism and conservation-driven safaris, and has just four guest villas. Each villa offers panoramic views over all six of the park’s dormant volcanoes, and the design blends a mix of thatched roofs and hand-chipped volcanic rock, along with exposed brick and locally made basketry. Here, you can embark on a transformative gorilla trek directly from the camp, explore the scenic nature trails, and engage with local communities. 

4. Populus, Denver, Colorado

Best for a sustainable city break

Located in the heart of downtown Denver, Populus opened its eye-popping, ultra-climate conscious doors in October 2024, and has boldly laid its claim as the first carbon-positive hotel in the U.S. Simply put, the hotel is aiming to reduce more carbon than it creates. It aims to do this through both on-site and off-site sustainability initiatives and partnerships with organizations like Grassroots Carbon, One Tree Planted, and Terrapass.

With 265 guest rooms spread across 13 floors, you can find plenty of water stations and upcycled materials, as well as two zero-waste, nature-inspired restaurant concepts. The hotel’s One Night, One Tree program, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation, plants a tree in Colorado for every night stayed. 

(See 6 eco-conscious alpine resorts around the world.)

5. Rumi on Louth, Louth Island, South Australia

Best for a luxury island adventure 

Once a 19th-century sheep farm turned pioneering environmental restoration project, Rumi on Louth opened off South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula in 2024. Owner and operator Che Metcalfe acquired the island in 2022 with the vision of restoring its natural ecosystem. That vision has been realized in the form of a luxurious $50 million private island eco-haven, complete with solar power, comprehensive recycling, and composting systems.

Currently in its second phase of opening, this gorgeous private island eco-retreat offers four suites and one apartment, with plans to expand and include an additional 26 villas, day spa, and two fine dining restaurants in the near future. Guests can enjoy immersive island experiences like a wildlife photography tour (coming soon), birdwatching, catamaran sailing, kayaking, stargazing, beach picnics, and e-biking and buggy tours around the island.

The hotel’s Samphire Restaurant showcases modern Australian fare and a “paddock-to-plate” philosophy, which is a farm-to-table belief that local, sustainable ingredients are imperative.

Best for a relaxing, eco-friendly escape

Designed around a natural saltwater lagoon, Six Senses La Sagesse opened on the Caribbean island of Grenada in April 2024. Spread across 38 rolling acres overlooking the Caribbean Sea, from thatched-roof beachfront suites to 15 spacious villas, everything has been designed with natural, renewable, and repurposed materials.

Determined to help connect guests with the island’s rich cultural heritage, the property’s sustainability director Krisma McDonald is available to organize everything from beach clean-ups to a behind-the-scenes farming experience, where guests can meet Theresa Marryshow, the head of Grenrop, Grenada’s local women’s farming organization.

At the spa, treatments infuse age-old traditions and indigenous plants and herbs with high-touch, high-tech therapies that focus on sleep, movement, and longevity. The hotel’s eco-hike to Seven Sisters Waterfalls and Reggae Fields Journey to a local cocoa farm are two hyperlocal ways to immerse yourself in Grenada’s culture, as well.

Best for a mindful stay without the crowds

Set on the northwest coast of Crete, Télla Théra is set to open in summer 2025, with 20 subterranean villas and suites. The resort was designed to foster a sense of mindfulness and a deep connection to nature. So deep, in fact, that every room is tucked within the Earth’s surface. By placing the rooms underground, energy requirements are kept low, while simultaneously creating a calming and quiet sense of grounding.

Natural, sustainable materials, like wood, stone, and earth, are omnipresent here, and the top of every accommodation features a private outdoor rooftop terrace, replete with olive trees and native plants. These terraces create a microclimate that will keep things cool during the summer.

In addition to a wellness spa, private olive grove, and uninterrupted views over the Bay of Kissamos and the Aegean Sea, the hotel’s zero-waste, plant-forward kitchen plans to serve seasonally sourced cuisine that, in true Greek fashion, will offer family-style platters made to share with the people you love.

(From conservation to community, here’s how luxury safaris can make a difference.)