Top Ten Green Hotels in the United States, 2007

Updated February 12, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

With the growing interest in adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, new businesses are popping up to meet the needs of those "going green." The sustainable tourism industry is one example, satisfying the high demand for eco-friendly hotels. Forbes Traveler compiled this list of hotels committed to environmentalism.

  1. The Fairmont
    Washington, D.C.
    The Fairmont features some wind-powered electricity, free parking for hybrid vehicles, and a hydrocarbon-powered dry-cleaning machine.

  2. Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge
    Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska
    All the power in Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge is generated through wind and hydro power. The lodge itself was built with scavenged driftwood.

  3. Hotel Triton
    San Francisco, California
    Most of the paper products at Hotel Triton are made from recycled materials. Energy efficiency, water conservation, and water filtration are also high priorities of Hotel Triton and all the other Kimpton hotels.

  4. Inn By The Sea
    Cape Elizabeth, Maine
    The Inn by the Sea plants only indigenous plants that provide shelter to local wildlife and do not require the extra water and chemical treatments of exotic varieties. A portion of their proceeds is donated to the Rainforest Network.

  5. Asheville Green Cottage
    Asheville, North Carolina
    Asheville Green Cottage is known for its use of organic materials from locally grown organic food to natural latex mattresses and organic cotton sheets. Rooms are cleaned with non-toxic products and bathrooms feature chlorine-filtering shower heads.

  6. El Monte Sagrado
    Taos, New Mexico
    Located in the desert, El Monte Sagrado takes water conservation seriously, collecting rain water to reuse for watering the lawn and recycling waste water through a filtration system that does not use chlorine.

  7. Las Manos Bed & Breakfast
    Buena Vista, Colorado
    Made from recycled materials, including local adobe and strawbale, Las Manos Bed and Breakfast was built facing the sun in the mountains to utilize solar and wind energy. The ceilings were insulated with cellulose from used newspapers and the floors were made with already dead pine trees.

  8. Habitat Suites
    Austin, Texas
    Habitat Suites conserves water and energy by using indigenous plants in its landscape that require little watering and plant shade trees that act as natural coolants.

  9. Orchard Garden Hotel
    San Francisco, California
    As one of the few LEED-certified hotels in the world, Orchard Garden Hotel is a leader in eco-friendly accommodations. Orchard Garden features rooms with lights and appliances that can only be used if a key card is in the wall slot, ensuring that energy is not wasted when guests are out. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and certification is granted by the U.S. Green Building Council.

  10. Journey Inn
    Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
    Heated by solar power and cooled by natural cross breeze, Journey Inn is set in a natural landscape with native plants maintained by composting.
Source: Forbes Traveler, 2007. Web: www.forbestraveler.com .

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