From urban transformations to remote sanctuaries, here are 10 amazing sustainable hotels

For travellers who are looking for eco-friendly accommodation, the news is excellent – you don’t have to go to the remotest corners of the earth to find hotels that take their responsibility to the planet seriously. While the inventory of gorgeous sustainable beach and wilderness resorts is increasing in leaps and bounds, what’s heartening is the number of urban hotels and hotel groups that are environmentally conscious, socially responsible, and centred in community life. From the restoration of a famously ugly office block to a once-in-a-lifetime sanctuary on one of the less-visited islands on Earth, here are ten hotels making a positive impact.

FORESTIS, DOLOMITES, ITALY

Forestis is located on Plose mountain in the Dolomites, 1800 metres above sea level.

Surrounded by the dense treetops and craggy mountain peaks of the South Tyrolean Alps, this pristine contemporary retreat sits on the former location of a sanitorium favoured by Austrian royalty. The minimalist interiors are as crisp as the mountain air, designed to highlight the swoon-worthy views of the UNESCO protected site. With its own spring and steam heating, the hotel runs on 100 per cent renewable energy. Menus in the hotel’s two restaurants are sourced from the forest and meadows of the Alps, as well as local farms and lemon groves. The spa, which opens out onto a spectacular pool terrace, taps into a Celtic theme, offering “wyda” (Celtic yoga) and druid-inspired guided meditation. Management plant one tree per housekeeping-free day of your stay to help conserve natural resources. From $799 slh.com/hotels/forestis

ARCTIC BATH, SWEDISH LAPLAND

Arctic Bath, Sweden: like a donut embellished with pickup sticks.

This spectacular circular hotel floats on a river in summer and sits on ice when it freezes over in winter. Looking like a donut embellished with pickup sticks, the lodge has only twelve suites, with a giant open-air ice bath in its centre and runs on 100 per cent renewable energy. The design, inspired by the logs of timber that would float downstream during the days of logging, was constructed with as minimal a footprint as possible, using local materials. The three exterior saunas and glass-fronted interiors, that capture views of the northern lights, are warmed by natural fireplaces using recycled pellets. The hotel works with a network of Sami guides, including a moose-whisperer. From $805 slh.com/hotels/arctic-bath

TERRESTRE, OAXACA, MEXICO

Hotel Terrestre is a collection of seven striking Brutalist buildings in southern Mexico.Credit:

Operating 100 per cent off the grid using solar power, this monumental addition to the forward-thinking Grupo Habita’s portfolio aims to disconnect guests from technology by synchronising their day to the sun. Brutalist in style, evoking pre-Hispanic history, Terrestre is constructed of brick, wood, clay and sand sourced from within one kilometre of the hotel or created on the property. Fourteen villas with rooftop terraces frame the mountain views and open on to private gardens and pools. There’s a hammam, bathing pool, Mexican restaurant and Mezcal bar. (And there is Wifi, if you must be connected.) From $687 per night. terrestrehotel.com

THE CHISWICK HOMETEL, LONDON

The Chiswick claims to be the world’s first fully net zero hotel.

Designed to be a blend between a hotel and an Airbnb, Room 2’s newest “hometel” in the villagy riverside neighbourhood of Chiswick claims to be the world’s first fully net zero hotel. The lifestyle hotel operates at 100 per cent net zero carbon, from construction, operation and eventual deconstruction of the building, drawing on solar and geothermal sources, and offsetting unavoidable emissions with its reforestation partner in Nicaragua. All loose furniture is manufactured within ten miles and rooms are filled with works from local artists and artisans. Guest can volunteer to stay in two lab rooms which tracks their energy and water use to learn from it. Rooms from $335 per night. room2.com/chiswick

HOXTON POBLENOU, BARCELONA

The Hoxton’s rooftop pool in Barcelona.

The rooftop cabanas have sensational views of La Sagrada Familia, which is in walking distance of this new European hotel from Hoxton, a brand which is rooted in culture, community and diversity. This part of the city was a hub for textile manufacturing and the hotel has a strong textile game, using bright palettes and geometric forms throughout, especially effective in the buzzy “open house” lobby. Cultural partnerships with the neighbourhood provide the rooms with handcrafted artworks and vintage items, and the hotel is actively involved in fundraising initiatives for local charities. Guests will appreciate the Hoxton’s Flexy Time, allowing them to check in and out when they choose. From $201. thehoxton.com/poblenou

EXPLORA EL CHALTÉN, ARGENTINA

Explora El Chalton is assembled on stilts to minimise its environmental impact.

This handsome dark timber adventure lodge lies within the 14,000-acre Los Huemules Conservation Reserve in the resort town of El Chaltén, in Argentina’s Glacieres National Park. That means glaciers aplenty for hiking, and to get you inspired, the lodge offers sparkling vistas of the Marconi Glacier out every window. Assembled on stilts to minimise its environmental impact, the lodge was constructed of materials sourced locally, including stones from Tierra del Fuego. The restaurant, conceived with the talents behind Don Julio, one of the world’s top 100 restaurants, sources its produce from small farmers and wild harvesting. The lodge offers choice of over thirty day and half-day excursions, guided by a mostly female expedition team. From $US1370 ($A1968) per night explora.com/el-chalten-lodge

HOTEL MARCEL, CONNECTICUT

The Hotel Marcel is housed in the building designed by Hungarian born Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer, and left abandoned for decades.

Once considered Connecticut’s ugliest building, the Brutalist Armstrong Tire Company headquarters, built in 1970 from designs by Hungarian born Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer, and abandoned for two decades, has new life as an innovative 165-room waterfront hotel in the lively town that’s home to Yale college. Now, heritage-listed, the Marcel aims to be America’s first net-zero hotel, with solar power generating electricity for heating, cooling, lighting and hot water. Lovers of Modernist design will enjoy original details such as the polished granite reception desk and the placement throughout the hotel of the iconic Breuer Cesca chair, which the architect named after his daughter. Larger rooms in the former executive suites feature kitchenettes and soaking tubs. Rooms from $239 hotelmarcel.com

AZUMI SETODA, JAPAN

Azumi Japan: A modern take on a traditional ryokan.

This modern take on a traditional ryokan is the first hotel in the Azumi brand from Aman founder Adrian Zecha. The 140-year-old estate once belonged to a prominent family and sits on an island in the Seto Inland Sea region, one of many small islands in the archipelago. Powered 100 per cent by renewable energy, the hotel has been restored with exquisite detail, using traditional Japanese artisanship and natural materials. Each of the 22 guestrooms has either an outdoor garden or balcony, shogi screens, granite floors and deep cypress bathtubs with views. One highlight is the restored community bathhouse, the Yubune, which is open to guests as well as locals, and offers an additional 14 simpler rooms. Meals are home-style and served communally at long tables, on antique dinner wear from the estate, sourcing ingredients from a 50km radius. From $791.

azumi.co/setoda

KISAWA SANCTUARY, MOZAMBIQUE

Kisawa Sanctuary, Mozambique.

Helicopter into this dreamy resort built around the white sand dunes of remote Banguerra Island, famed for its spectacular dive sites in one of the remotest subtropical ecosystems in the world. Designed to blend in with its surroundings, the resort architects used 3D printing technology to create sustainable building materials from sand and seawater. The environment-sensitive construction created one thousand jobs in surrounding communities, including artisans who worked on carpentry, textiles and thatched roofs. Twenty-two bungalows with gorgeous, undulating thatched roofs share the 300-hectare property; each has its own private beach, open air deck and horizon pool. Kisawa supports marine research thorough its sister property Bazaruto Centre for Scientific Studies. From $9167 per residence per night mrandrmssmith.com/luxury-hotels/kisawa-sanctuary

CAP KAROSO, INDONESIA

Cap Karoso has a staff that’s 80 per cent local.

Sumba’s newest resort on pristine Karoso beach is designed to connect with the living traditions of the local Maripu people, giving back to the community with a farm school that teaches permaculture and a staff that’s 80 per cent local, and giving a helping hand to underprivileged youths. On site artist’s residences form relationships between local artisans and international practitioners. The 47 beautiful rooms and 20 beach villas with lagoon pools are filled with indigenous art, highlighting traditional Sumbanese ikat weavings. The resort has been built to the highest green standards, with green roofs and a mostly solar operation. Even dining is community minded – Julang restaurant has communal tables; dishes are based on produce from the biological farm and surrounding waters. There’s a kid’s club and a spa drawing on shamanistic healing traditions. Rooms from $390. designhotels.com