The Knot's Top Eco Hotels and Resorts for 2024
With the global climate crisis making headlines regularly, more and more travelers are prioritizing eco hotels and resorts—and rightly so. In fact, one of the top honeymoon and travel trends of 2024 is intentionally sustainable stays and we're far from the only ones who are saying it. According to the Boston Consulting Group, "80% of consumers we surveyed say that they are concerned about the environment and that they considered aspects of sustainability when they last traveled.
The travel industry accounts for approximately 10% of global emissions, making it vital to reduce emission. But sustainability is about much more than just our carbon footprint. It's about preserving the natural environment and empowering local communities. These eco hotels and resorts are doing much more than just reducing their use of plastic. They're leading the way with a variety of sustainable initiatives and they're proving that being sustainable doesn't mean sacrificing quality. On the contrary, these eco hotels and resorts are some of the world's best hotels and resorts for a honeymoon, anniversary getaway, or couples trip.
In this article:
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Best Overall Eco Hotel: Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal
- Best for Luxury: NIHI Sumba, Indonesia
- Best Budget Friendly: Bambu Indah, Bali
- Best All-Inclusive Eco Resort: Nayara Bocas del Toro, Panama
- Best Eco Beach Resort: JOALI Maldives
- Best Rural Eco Hotel: Casa di Langa, Piedmont
- Best Urban Eco Hotel: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
- Best Glamping Eco Resort: Singita Sabora Tented Camp, Tanzania
- Best Eco Safari Lodge: Chobe Game Lodge, Botswana
- Best Eco Resort for Spiritual Seekers: Habitas Bacalar, Quintana Roo
Best Overall Eco Hotel: Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal
Thai brand Six Senses—now under the umbrella of IHG Hotels & Resorts—is a leader when it comes to creating sustainable hotels. Far from just eliminating plastic, Six Senses works to improve the environment and social fabric of each destination where they have a hotel or resort. In Portugal's famed wine region, the Six Senses Douro Valley occupies a restored 19th-century farmhouse with a sleek, modern design, a renowned spa, and plenty of activities, from cooking classes and wine tastings to workshops designed to teach you how to make all natural skincare products. They grow fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs in the on-site organic garden, study ways of being sustainable at the Earth Lab, and even partner with a donkey sanctuary to protect these animals that live in the countryside surrounding the hotel.
Quinta de Vale Abraão, Samodães, 5100-758 Lamego, Portugal
5.0 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best for Luxury: NIHI Sumba, Indonesia
A member of the Leading Hotels of the World on the idyllic island of Sumba in the Indonesian archipelago, NIHI Sumba offers understated luxury for guests while improving the lives of the islanders. A collection of 27 thatched roof villas and treehouses is spread out over 500 acres of tropical jungles, mountains, and pristine beaches where horses wander freely. (There are also equine therapy retreats offered.) Notably, the resort partners with the Sumba Foundation, which has helped over 45,000 islanders gain access to clean water and reduced malaria on the island by up to 93%. Guests who are interested in learning more can take a Sumba Foundation tour.
Hoba Wawi, Wanokaka, West Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia 87272
5.0 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Budget Friendly: Bambu Indah, Bali
Deep in the jungle of Ubud, Bali's capital, Bambu Indah rises like a dreamscape out of The Jungle Book. Created by Canadian jewelry designer John Hardy, who moved to Bali in the 1970s, and his wife Cynthia, the property is a collection of antique Javanese bridal huts and bamboo treehouse-style suites set along the Ayung River and designed by Elora Hardy, John's daughter and a visionary architect known for her work with bamboo. The entire resort was constructed using natural materials, without any plastic, and all of the bath products are organic. The signature restaurant serves farm-to-table Balinese cuisine sourced from the property's gardens and the surrounding area. Bambu Indah is part of the Green Family, a collection of sustainably-minded initiatives that includes Green Village and Green School.
Jl. Baung, Sayan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
4.5 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best All-Inclusive Eco Resort: Nayara Bocas del Toro, Panama
A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, Nayara Bocas del Toro is the only resort on Frangipani Island in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. This adults-only resort is a favorite among couples and honeymooners looking for the right balance of relaxation, romance, and adventure, with activities like kayaking and guided night swims on the bioluminescent bay. The resort comprises 16 overwater villas crafted by Balinese artisans and two fifty-foot tree houses designed by Elora Hardy's firm IBUKU and made with locally sourced bamboo and reclaimed wood from the Panama Canal. The resort operates completely off the grid, with solar energy and rainwater treatment. Nayara also supports the community by hiring locally and providing English classes, seminars on environmental and sustainability practices, and covering some of the costs of career development courses.
Isla Frangipani, 6QQH+7J Punta Laurel, Panamá
5.0 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Eco Beach Resort: JOALI Maldives
Occupying a private island in the Maldives, JOALI was conceived according to the principles of biophilic design, a scientific system of integrating architecture with nature, and comprises a variety of dreamy overwater villas and beach villas. The resort is silver certified by EarthCheck and is especially focused on preserving the marine environment that makes the Maldives such a unique and magical place. JOALI and its sister resort, JOALI BEING, partner with the Olive Ridley Project to protect sea turtles and guests at JOALI can join the resort's marine biologist in a coral regeneration project, snorkeling out to the coral farm to plant new coral and see the project's progress. As a woman-owned resort, JOALI also supports women's empowerment through the arts with initiatives like JOALI Art Week and by donating to Zero Waste Maldives, which empowers local seamstresses to create bags and other items using upcycled fabrics.
Muravandhoo Island, Raa Atoll, Maldives
5.0 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Rural Eco Hotel: Casa di Langa, Piedmont
Nestled in the rolling hills of Piedmont, the northern Italian region famous for fine wines, Casa di Langa is a member of Beyond Green, a portfolio of sustainable hotels, lodges, and resorts within the Preferred Hotels & Resorts collection. Overlooking 40 hectares of vineyards and countryside, the property was designed to be carbon neutral, with geothermal heating, solar panels, and recycled water for irrigation. The chefs at the hotel's gourmet restaurant Faulà use fresh ingredients from the property's garden and greenhouse and spa treatments incorporate local ingredients like honey and olive oil. Guests are encouraged to embrace the destination with activities like truffle hunting, wine tastings, and cooking classes.
Località Talloria 1, 12050 Ceretto Langhe (CN), Italy
4.5 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Urban Eco Hotel: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
Located on the DUMBO waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge sets a shining example for sustainability at urban hotels. The hotel is LEED Gold certified, which means it meets stringent sustainability requirements. Aside from being plastic-free, it has energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, LED lighting, and occupancy-based thermostat controls. The rooftop, which boasts a pool with fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline, is planted with garden beds, shrubs, and trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the hotel offsets its inevitable carbon emissions through carbon offset projects. So go ahead, indulge in a zero-waste cocktail at the Osprey and admire the living green wall in the lobby lounge.
60 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
4.5 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Glamping Eco Resort: Singita Sabora Tented Camp, Tanzania
One of Africa's leading safari operators, Singita is also one of the continent's sustainability leaders. The recently renovated Singita Sabora Tented Camp is set on the Grumeti Reserve, a 350,000-acre reserve near the Serengeti that represents an inspiring success story for African conservation. Years of hunting had decimated the wildlife population in the area, which the Tanzanian government turned into a protected reserve in 1994 and in 2002, the reserve's management was turned over to the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund, which succeeded in bringing the animals back. Aside from caring for the wildlife, Singita cares for the natural environment and the local community by adhering to Bioregional's One Planet Living framework. Guests staying at Singita Sabora Tented Camp can not only see the wildlife on game drives but also see the anti-poaching canine unit to learn more about wildlife conservation and visit a local school to learn how Singita supports the local community.
Grumeti Game Reserve, 31623, Tanzania
5.0 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Eco Safari Lodge: Chobe Game Lodge, Botswana
The only permanent lodge set within Chobe National Park in Botswana, Chobe Game Lodge was one of the first ten properties to be awarded the highest Ecotourism level by the Botswana Tourism Organisation. The distinction is especially impressive because the property is also the oldest five-star lodge in Botswana. In recent years, the lodge has converted the majority of its fleet to electric vehicles and solar-powered boats that ply the Chobe River. Behind the scenes, the lodge processes over 100 kilos of biodegradable waste and recycles 60,000 liters of gray water everyday, and around 95% of the lodge's waste gets sorted and recycled. Perhaps most inspiring, Chobe Game Lodge employs an all-female guiding team known as the Chobe Angels in an effort to empower women to work in the traditionally male-dominated safari industry.
Chobe National Park, Serondela, Botswana
4.5 Star Rating | Read Reviews
Best Eco Resort for Spiritual Seekers: Habitas Bacalar, Quintana Roo
Direction: Please source a photo of the property from the website if available
Guests checking into Habitas Bacalar, an eco-wellness resort set on Lake Bacalar—known as the Lagoon of Seven Colors—in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, are invited to begin their trip with a short intention-setting meditation session. That pretty much sets the tone at the property, where the roster of on-site activities includes sunrise paddleboarding on the lagoon, aerial yoga, sound meditations, and temazcal ceremonies. As a brand, Habitas is all about sustainability and has pledged its commitment to fulfilling the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals for 2030. All their resorts are created using modular building techniques that leave a light footprint on the landscape and other sustainability measures include a single-use plastic-free policy, waste management, and carbon offsetting.
Carretera Federal 307 Xul Ha, 77963 Bacalar, Mexico
4.5 Star Rating | Read Reviews