5 Key Factors to Consider in a Sustainable Hotel

As more hotels worldwide integrate sustainability and social responsibility into their operations, travelers seeking a responsible stay now have a wealth of options. However, with the prevalence of greenwashing—like a heavily advertised towel reuse initiative paired with minimal other efforts—and the absence of universal standards, finding a truly sustainable hotel can feel overwhelming.

To help with your search, here are five essential aspects to consider when selecting a hotel, from its effects on the local community to how it sources its food and building materials. While maintaining a sustainable hotel is a dynamic process that involves ongoing adjustments based on resources and technology, these insights will guide you in assessing whether your chosen property is genuinely committed to sustainability.

1. Your hotel supports the local economy and environment.

When considering hotel profits, it's important to note who the stakeholders are: Does the revenue benefit the local community, or does it primarily enrich a foreign investor? In Canada's historic Great Bear Rainforest, the Kitasoo/Xai’xais First Nations own the oceanfront Spirit Bear Lodge, employing nearly 10 percent of the local community—ensuring that your travel dollars have a lasting impact. In sub-Saharan Africa, Beks Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur, leads African Bush Camps, one of the few Black-owned lodge collections in the region, inspiring future hospitality leaders across the continent.

Ndlovu, who grew up in a village adjacent to Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park where he operates his flagship Somalisa Camp, has recently launched Khwai Leadwood, his 16th property in Botswana’s wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. All of his camps implement a $20 conservation levy, which funds community initiatives and conservation efforts through the African Bush Camps Foundation.

If a hotel is not locally owned, look for ways it positively impacts the community in meaningful, long-term ways. In Kenya, Maasai families own the conservancies surrounding the Maasai Mara National Reserve, and instead of solely using the land for cattle grazing, many lease portions to retreats like the luxurious, Richard Branson–owned Mahali Mzuri for photographic sMytouris. This 12-tent camp, located in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, hires staff from the local community and supports a nearby primary school through local businesses and guest donations.

2. Your hotel has a minimal environmental impact.

While a towel reuse program is a positive step, it should ideally be part of a broader eco-friendly initiative. Building rating systems like the U.S. Green Building Council’s multi-tiered LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) provide a benchmark for properties aiming for sustainability, incorporating features that enhance water efficiency and reduce energy usage.

Marriott International highlights its over 150 LEED-certified properties globally, organized by tier, from Mumbai to Miami. Additionally, the Preferred Hotel Group has launched the Beyond Green portfolio, showcasing 30 eco-friendly properties that meet a specific set of sustainability criteria aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

However, smaller hotels that are responsibly managed may not have an official certification. The newly opened 39-room Casa di Langa, nestled in Italy’s Piedmont wine region, currently lacks such a designation, yet it aims for carbon neutrality by employing practices like using 100 percent recycled water for irrigation and offering farm-to-table meals sourced within a few miles of the hotel.

3. The property ensures accountability for its practices.

In the absence of universal sustainability standards, many eco-conscious operations are taking initiative and assessing their own progress, often publishing reports to maintain transparency. An example of this is &Beyond, which operates camps and lodges in remote regions of sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Since 2017, the company has issued annual “Impact” reports detailing metrics on local employment and the relocation of endangered rhinos to safer habitats.

In Newfoundland, Canada, Fogo Island Inn was established by local native Zita Cobb to support her nonprofit Shorefast Foundation, which benefits local small businesses and cultural initiatives. Her organization provides annual public tracking of the inn’s financial contributions through an Economic Nutrition Label, similar to food product labels. For instance, 49 percent of revenue is allocated to labor, and 12 percent to supplies, with 65 percent of the overall economic benefits remaining in Fogo Island Inn (only 3 percent of profits leave Canada).

4. The hotel engages in broader conservation or social impact initiatives.

When hotels collaborate with larger conservation or community efforts, it enriches guest experiences while providing vital support and visibility to those organizations. Media magnate Ted Turner, the second largest private landowner in the U.S., has spent decades preserving North American wildlife habitats before incorporating hospitality into these areas. His collection of retreats, known as Ted Turner Reserves, features Vermejo, a luxurious lodge in northern New Mexico, set on over 550,000 protected acres where 1,200 wild bison roam freely.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the newly established Lovango Resort + Beach Club, a private island getaway powered by wind and solar energy, collaborates with the University of the Virgin Islands to aid in coral restoration at Lovango Cay. The resort provides educational snorkeling programs, allowing guests to witness the ongoing efforts. Similarly, on a lush mountain facing the ocean in Golfito, Costa Rica, the six-suite Cielo Lodge, which runs on solar and micro hydro energy, opened in January on 380 acres of primary and secondary rainforest. It participates in Fonafifo, a government initiative that compensates the lodge for preserving over 250 acres of rainforest on its premises. To date, the resort has planted more than 4,000 native fruit and hardwood trees on previously logged land. Cielo Lodge has also teamed up with NGOs like Osa Conservation, dedicated to protecting local biodiversity, to assist in research efforts, including monitoring resident jaguar populations.

5. Your hotel experience reveals the narrative of the destination.

The elements that contribute to a hotel's sustainability—such as locally employed staff or a restored historic building—often enhance your immersion in the locale. The Pig at Harlyn Bay, perched on England’s Cornish coast, is housed in a transformed 15th-century structure featuring rustic stone walls. At the retreat’s restaurant, all ingredients are sourced from within a 25-mile radius, reducing the menu’s carbon footprint while celebrating local produce, from whole dover sole caught along the coast to linguine enriched with nearby foraged mushrooms.

Nestled along the sandy beaches of southern Mozambique, the minimalist Sussurro is a stylish embodiment of local architecture and materials, featuring thatched-roof bungalows and hand-carved furniture crafted from native wood. Meanwhile, in Baja California, Mexico, the newly opened 35-suite Paradero Todos Santos, designed by Polen architects from Mexico City, is situated in a small agricultural community on former farmland. Its expansive 100,000-square-foot botanical garden boasts over 60 native plant species, including red sand verbena and Mojave yucca, all thriving in their natural climate, providing guests with an engaging experience of the region's unique flora.