The Coolest Eco-Friendly Hotels & Resorts For Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22, a day to celebrate this incredible world we all live in. This Earth Day, focus on making a positive impact on the world by considering a few of these incredible hotels and resorts, which do a lot to keep this Earth green and its wildlife happy and healthy. From waste management to green energy to wildlife sanctuaries, these hotels and resorts are paving the way for a brighter future.

Hotel Xcaret has some of the best all-inclusive experiences guests could need. Guests can choose from three distinct hotels: Hotel Xcaret Mexico, Hotel Xcaret Arte for adults and children over sixteen and the adults-only La Casa de la Playa, but no matter which accommodation they choose, guests have unlimited access to all of Xcaret's nine parks as well as all of its tours. From cultural tours of Tulum or Chichen Itza to swimming in a mysterious cenote with Xenotes, there is plenty to discover. Guests are immersed in local cultures and history as well as the local environment; Group Xcaret holds to a sustainability model to ensure conservation.

Maui's Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa has a history of sustainability. One of only two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold resorts in Hawaii. It also reduces its contribution to landfills by donating its 1,716 tons of everything from mattresses and bedding to mirrors and artwork to local charities. It is also the first large-scale resort in the world to be awarded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) TRUE Waste Precertification for its efforts at eliminating waste.

Located on the Okavango Delta in Botswana and near the Moremi Game Reserve, one of the best places for an African safari, the Xigera Safari Lodge is an incredible eco-friendly accommodation. Most of its energy comes from solar power, as well as much of its game park vehicles. Single-use plastics are banned from the property, while all food waste is composted and given to local communities to aid in farming. Wastewater is purified for irrigation purposes, too. The Xigera Safari Lodge also has a partnership with the TreadRight Foundation and is a founding member of Preferred Hotel Group's Beyond Green brand.

Atlantis Paradise Island, located in the Bahamas, has an on-site animal rehabilitation hospital and lab, which treats injured wild marine animals like sea turtles and manatees before setting them free. The center also helps with the release of hundreds of baby green sea turtles. Guests who come during hatching season can "adopt" a baby turtle and help release it into the wild. The resort also features Dolphin Cay, which comprises fourteen acres of habitat for ten sea lions and seventeen dolphins; the Cay opened in 2007 to shelter stranded marine mammals whose habitats were destroyed from Hurricane Katrina. Atlantis Paradise Island also has a non-profit, The Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, which aims to help ocean conservation efforts.

Located in the historic city of Brewster, Massachusetts, Ocean Edge Resort offers special Oyster Bed Tours, which informs guests on the importance of an East Coast food staple and its environment. The resort donates $25 to local oyster beds for each tour sold. Ocean Edge Resort has also taken measures to conserve water.

Opening May 10, 2021, Three Camel Lodge in Mongolia's Gobi Desert will provide an authentic cultural and environmental experience. The private and luxurious gers are handmade by locals. Eliminating single-use plastics, composting and using solar energy is just the beginning for this eco-lodge. All of its staff are local Mongolians, and its well provides water for thousands of animals that belong to nomadic herders. The lodge has helped to distribute over 1,000 pairs of glasses to local individuals, as well as sponsoring local schools' sports teams and English classes. Three Camel Lodge is also a founding member of Preferred Hotel Group's Beyond Green brand.

The newest resort in the Florida Keys in 21 years, Playa Largo Resort has done away with bathtubs in most of its rooms to save water. It also added a liquid knot fuel composter to combat food waste. Guests of the resort can purchase Eco Tours, which informs and showcases all the wonders of the Florida Bay, including manatees and dolphins.

St. Lucia's incredible Jade Mountain Resort offers an unforgettable experience: hunting and eating lionfish. Guests can join the "Eat Them to Beat Them" dinner, where they can enjoy a delicious lionfish dinner while learning about the impact these invasive species have on the local environment. Guests can also take a class in how to track, capture and eat these fish. Jade Mountain has long been a leader in sustainable tourism; it was the first resort in the Caribbean to be LEED certified in 2016.

Borgo Pignano is a luxury eco-resort in Tuscany, Italy. Framed by mountains and scenic countryside vineyards, this escape is one to remember. Borgo Pignano has a host of sustainable touchpoints, from a sustainable kitchen garden to beekeeping and solar-powered hot water, to olive orchards and vineyards which produce wine and olive oil. Those looking for a more authentic and organic Italian adventure can look no further. Borgo Pignano is also a founding member of Preferred Hotel Group's Beyond Green brand.

Aristi Mountain Resort & Villas, located in Aristi, Greece, has been featured in National Geographic's 21 most environmentally friendly places in the world. The resort is built from local materials, reduces plastic and paper waste and uses only local products and foods. Surrounded by picturesque mountains with ample trails and other outdoor activities, this eco-resort is a perfect, serene escape from the bustle of life. This resort is also a founding member of Preferred Hotel Group's Beyond Green brand.

San Juan, Puerto Rico's beautiful Caribe Hilton resort offers guests a family-friendly, fun experience in partnership with the local Manatee Conservation Center. Guests can become a "Manatee Caretaker for a Day," receiving a special tour of the facility and learn how to feed and care for manatees. The resort also features on-site snorkeling and scuba activities, so exploring the natural wildlife is never far away.

Marriott's Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa began a program to help protect the native and endangered Ridley Sea Turtles in 2005, and it continues to make a great impact on the species' population. From June to December, guests who stay at the resort can participate in turtle hatchings, naming the little sea turtles before setting them free into the ocean. The resort has created a permanent sea turtle nursery, patrols the sea turtle nests at night and helps educated guests and staff on the importance of these creatures.

Located in South Andros, Bahamas, Caerula Mar Club is located on a large, sleepy island that is perfect for exploration. Home to the third largest barrier reef and over two hundred blue hole underwater caves, scuba lovers and snorkeling novices alike will love exploring the ocean here. Caerula Mar Club offers excursions to the nearest Blue Hole, as well as guided hikes around the island. It's also eliminated plastics throughout the resort, choosing instead to use 100% recyclable packaging materials. It also uses solar energy.

Harbour Village, located in Bonaire, received the Good Travel Seal for its dedicationg to sustainability, and it's no wonder why. Home to its own coral nursery, which guests can learn about and help maintain, the entire ocean surrounding the resort is a protected marine park. The resort has also been a longtime partner of the Reef Renewal Foundation, which educates and engages the local community to participate in conserving the local reefs. Visitors to the island can enjoy a Discover Reef Renewal Dive and volunteer to help grow the coral in the coral nurseries.