Eco-friendly Hotels

This hotel blends seamlessly with the forests and lakes of Puerto Varas which is one of South America’s most treasured landscapes. Local wood was used to construct the wooden fences that protect the outer walls. The interior walls are constructed from wooden bricks and other paneling was done by local …

This could be the first structure ever built from the top-down. The two-floor room-and-observation-deck is suspended from a tree using nylon ropes, nylon stripes. Not one screw or nail was used in its construction. Water for the bathroom comes from rainfall and electricity comes from solar panels. Located on the …

Domes are all the rage in eco-tourism these days. Where old-style hotels needed deep foundations, roads, pipes, and cables to be laid down – eco domes are made from special vinyl that is warm, durable, and light. They are built using the “leave no trace” philosophy and the hotel’s designers …

Set in the small fishing town of ‘Kaikoura’ (which means ‘to eat crayfish’ in Maori) the Hapuku Lodge is the place to stay if you love eco tourism, beautiful scenery, and sea air. The area has been home to the Maori for over 1000 years and is an excellent example …

Built in the heart of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia the experience hotel is staffed by Mongolians who offer traditional hospitality to visitors. You stay in a “Ger” which is the traditional tent of Mongolia’s nomadic herders. They are heated by a wood burner and supported by beautifully painted wooden …

Eco cottages on the mysterious Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, are a fine way to visit this small island also known as the “bellybutton of the world”. The special cottages are assembled off-site and placed carefully in the landscape so as not to disturb the fragile ecosystem. Special …

Northern Peru - the sun sets like an Orange half disappearing behind the blue punch of the ocean. It’s a popular beach but you have privacy because you are staying in the Eco Lodge Mancora. This small but perfectly formed hotel is part of the eco-lodge movement. Therefore it is …

Well known to discerning free spirits, the Yurt is the traditional accommodation of the native peoples of Afghanistan and Mongolia. They are canvass constructions with wooden floors and colored lattice wooden supports. Inside it is a cozy and intimate experience. Opening the painted wooden door directly into the stunning scenery …

‘El Silencio Lodge & Spa is the friendliest, most soul-soothing sanctuary where Costa Rica’s visitors can fully attune to a natural state of bliss’ says owner Karin Zurcher. Her brother, Ronald happens to be one of Costa Rica’s most prominent architects and he built the hotel using wood, bamboo, and …

It holds the world record for ‘smallest hotel in the world’, and when you arrive at Punta Grande, you will be forgiven for thinking you have arrived at the home of an insane fisherman with love for very exposed locations. Situated on a rocky outcrop on the island of El …

This baroque chateau was built in the 17th Century. Originally intended as a hunting lodge, the chateau became the country residence of a succession of aristocratic families. The house hosted great ballets and balls until the communists took over in the 1940s and pooped the party. The chateau fell into …

Famous for its ‘mood rooms’ – this is Stockholm’s foremost design hotel. Its rooms are fitted with lighting designed to inspire moods and create atmospheres – like lighting a candle and dimming the lights - only more awesome. You can choose ‘relaxing blue’, ‘refreshing green’ or ‘pulsing red’ and adjust …

Like the Fortress of Solitude in Superman minus the crystal-powered computer, the ICEHotel is built every winter in Swedish Lapland. It melts every summer and rises again the following year. An open call to artists, architects, and designers is always available, and the hotel pushes creativity forward with a selection …

This hotel bills itself as ‘Hotel & Motel, Love & Sex, Business & Relax all become One’. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a terrifically messy evening. But then, maybe I’m not Italian enough. You can choose whether to stay in the Hotel building or the Motel …

A veteran hotelier’s wife gives birth to a child on a starry night. And when the proud father looks past the waving arms and feet into that child’s eyes, he was forever changed. This is roughly what happened to make the Dutch duo, Marco and Sam open a hotel aiming …

Shaped like a huge boat, the brave architecture of Hotel Unique is making waves in the trendy city of Sao Paolo. Architect Ruh Ohtake has used the wedge shape of his building to create floors that get progressively wider the higher you go. Every evening, the rooftop Skye bar collects …

The Tree Hotel offers you the chance to return to childhood fantasies of the ultimate treehouse. All rooms are situated 4-6 meters above the ground among the treetops. Each room is a unique design with hand-picked furniture from local artisans. The Mirrorcube Room is invisible to the human eye but, …

If you are going to stay at the STF Eco Lodge, I suggest you wrap up warm and practice swinging an axe because you will be chopping your own firewood – that’s one way of keeping warm and getting your daily work-out done. Sorted. And you will be rewarded with …

URBN is China’s first carbon-neutral hotel combining modern architecture and Chinese aesthetics. Using recycled materials and uber-efficient design, its energy usage is so much more efficient than equivalent establishments. The hotel is situated next to the historic French Concession area of the city known for its delights and high-class restaurants, …

This hut, owned by the Swiss Alpine Authority, was designed by professors and students of architecture and eco-design from Lucerne University and ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). The crystal-shaped building is designed to make sunlight spiral inside while redistributing thermal body heat from occupants to heat the lodge …