Take the opportunity to appreciate nature and the great outdoors.
“Green Cities” trend is on a massive rise. All the major online booking websites and travel related media are searching for top destinations that are changing the meaning of “Green City.”
After Tripadvisor and LonelyPlanet, the travel experts at Hotels.com have identified some of the top “green hotels” in cities that author Tim Beatley calls Biophilic Cities – urban areas that are abundant with nature. Travelers who want to see these top choices at their finest can explore cities ranging from Milwaukee, Wis. to Oslo, Norway while staying in hotels that are making great strides in offering a more environmentally friendly experience.
“Hotels are working together with their respective cities to engage the community and hotel guests in eco-friendly efforts,” said Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. “We’ve noticed that hotels are getting creative with the implementation of organic food and spa products, the use of recycled materials, and activities like bike-share programs which makes it easy and fun to go green.”
Hotels.com has highlighted five of Beatley’s Biophilic Cities:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This Midwestern city has a vision of green for the next 10 years. Published in 2013, “Refresh Milwaukee,” is a road map to a more sustainable community that includes a Green Team, restoration projects and massive ecological initiatives focused on its three rivers and Lake Michigan.
Oslo, Norway
“The Blue and the Green and the City in Between” is the motto of this Nordic city, where 94 percent of its residents live near a park or a green space. Two thirds of Oslo is in protected forest, encouraging residents to embrace the environment around them.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco is an eco-innovator with the goal to become waste free by 2030. “Renew, Reuse, Relax” is the motto used by the eco-friendly Good Hotel in San Francisco located in the heart of the stylish SoMa district. The hotel is constructed of almost all recyclable materials and is making going green trendy by maintaining its motto through fun activities for guests such as a digital photo booth in the lobby, in-room chalkboards and complimentary bicycles.
Phoenix, Arizona
Despite being a large metropolitan area, Phoenix, Arizona is home to an abundance of nature. Preservation efforts in and around the city allow residents and visitors to enjoy the regions’ beautiful deserts, mountains and parks. The Arizona Grand Resort is an official LEED certified hotel equipped with a Green Task Force that implements sustainable practices, along with a completely organic spa and beautiful golf course that was awarded “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest.
Singapore
Singapore has risen to the challenge of creating a natural space within a highly dense metropolitan area. With community gardens and rooftop greenery, Singapore has achieved the 47 percent green area mark. While Singapore is known as a “city in a garden,” the PARKROYAL on Pickering Hotel is known as the “hotel in a garden.” The hotel uses state-of-the-art methods to go green, including the installation of lush sky gardens, light, rain and motion sensors and other techniques to reduce the wasting of natural resources.
