Usually falling near Easter, Earth Day (April 22) is an often-overlooked spring holiday that deserves its moment in the sun. To celebrate the green event, these high-end hotels around the globe are spotlighting sustainability with eco-friendly adventures and cool conservation-focused initiatives, with a luxe twist, of course.
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Where better to celebrate Earth Day than in one of the world’s most bio-diverse places? Perched on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, this Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hideaway recently debuted an exclusive Conservation Land and Sea Experience that gives you an inside look at the country’s rare and endangered wildlife.
During the two-day eco-adventure, you’ll enjoy a slew of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including a private plane ride over Central America’s biggest mangrove canal system, a yacht excursion where you’ll study hammerhead sharks with marine biologists, and a journey into the jungle where you’ll DNA-test rare butterflies alongside renowned conservationist Daniel Janzen.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
Not a fan of the great outdoors? You still can salute Earth Day at this Four-Star all-suite retreat on North Miami Beach with eco-friendly spa treatments from sustainable skincare brand emerginC.
From April 19 through 22, indulge in raw and natural services like a Kombucha Radiance Facial, a Ginger-Coconut-Argan Sugar Glow body treatment or a Raw Hydra-Boost Facial for a luxurious way to embrace the green-focused holiday. Not only will your skin feel amazing, you’ll also help the planet — $25 from every service goes toward emerginC’s Buy One, Plant One tree-planting program.
This Four-Star LEED Platinum certified hotel (one of only seven in the U.S.) is a luxe beacon of sustainability, boasting buildings constructed with 100,000 square feet of salvaged wood and solar-panel-covered roofs.
Thanks to a new initiative, you can leave an eco-friendly mark on the Napa property, too. For every guest who opts out of daily housekeeping, the resort will plant one herb in its certified organic garden.
Not only will reusing towels and sheets help the environment, you’ll also be making a tasty contribution to Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Lucy Restaurant & Bar, where the produce is put to good use in farm-fresh plates and refreshing cocktails.
Perched along scenic Lake Tahoe’s southern shore, this postcard-worthy property is a must-visit destination for golf lovers (with a George Fazio-designed course), nature seekers (built on 235 acres) and adventurers (skiing are kayaking are popular pursuits) alike.
But the eco-luxe lodge offers just as much behind the scenes: a lake-sourced cooling system, use of local building materials and participation in recycling initiatives like Clean the World (where partially used soaps and bottled amenities are donated to people living in poverty) have earned this gorgeous resort LEED Silver certification.
Get out and enjoy the vistas on the property’s miles of bike and pedestrian-friendly paths, from the comfort of a fishing boat or on a stand-up paddleboard — simply ask the concierge to help you book it.
Sustainability gets a stylish upgrade at this Forbes Travel Guide Recommended retreat at the foot of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.
Among the many eco-friendly policies (site-wide recycling, a mountain-spring-fed water system) practiced by the Robert Redford-owned resort is a unique process of glass recycling. The property has its own glass-works kiln, where wine and other glass bottles are turned into decorative pieces and housewares used around the hotel.
While dining at the elegant Four-Star Tree Room, check out the plate beneath your foraged mushroom pasta — it’s likely a one-of-a-kind piece made onsite.
Note: Sundance Mountain Resort is closed until April 19.
One look at 1 Hotel South Beach’s reclaimed wood decor and green wall and it should come as no surprise that the eco-friendly Miami stay has an action-packed roster of Earth Day events. Try a grounding CBD yoga experience, help build a 1 Earth for All Mural with local artist Davel or enjoy an evening Blessing of Mother Earth and Cacao Ceremony on the property’s private beach.
All month long, the Four-Star hotel also offers a Give Green, Get Green Room Special, where you’ll receive a $30 credit to spend on beachfront dining or sumptuous spa treatments — though if you save the cash, it will be donated to the Natural Resources Defense Council to protect those gorgeous ocean views.
Designed to blend into its stunning natural surroundings, this Five-Star Big Island hotel is the epitome of Hawaiian elegance. Bungalows carved into the black lava rock provide picture-perfect ocean views, but to truly experience an eco-friendly adventure, you’ll have to dive beneath the waves.
Thanks to a partnership with Blue Ocean Mariculture (the island’s only producer of Hawaiian kanpachi), the resort recently introduced a sustainable fish farming experience, during which you’ll snorkel among local marine life and enjoy a private tour of the country’s only open-ocean fish farm.
Afterward, savor a five-course dinner showcasing the native fish in dishes like kanpachi crudo with green apple shiso vinaigrette, or sweet and savory misoyaki kanpachi with local Hamakua mushrooms and Kekela squash.
Between captivating sunsets and outdoor adventures, roll up your sleeves and volunteer at the Fiji resort this spring.
In keeping with Earth Day Network’s 2019 campaign, “Protect Our Species,” the eco-luxe escape crafted a full itinerary of hands-on activities on April 22 that will leave the island paradise a little healthier than you found it.
Partake in preservation initiatives like planting mangrove trees and coral, or shadow resort marine biologist Johnny Singh as he works to help repopulate Fiji’s four native species of giant clams.
See the fruits of your labor with a snorkeling excursion to nearby Namena Marine Reserve, a world-class and bio-diverse dive spot.
