Sustainability and luxury can coexist thanks to an expanding list of hotels and resorts in Europe that strive to respect the planet and traveler’s desire for sustainable, socially responsible and eco-friendly accommodations.
Click on the links below to learn more about each property’s sustainable initiatives and book directly for your next getaway outside suburbia!
ICELAND
ION ADVENTURE HOTEL
ION Adventure Hotel, South Iceland
Originally the barracks for geothermal power plant workers, the ION Adventure and Luxury Hotel was transformed into a concrete-and-glass Nordic-modern showpiece. This sustainable hotel in Iceland uses geothermal cooling for power and the rooms feature fair-trade organic linens. ION Hotel is committed to using local products, everything from the artwork to the bath products to the food is sourced from the area.
See our experience at the ION Adventure Hotel
ITALY
Monaci delle Terre Nere, Sicily, Italy
This Sicilian countryside 19th-century villa located on the slopes of Mount Etna is set amid 60 acres of farmland. It features rustic interiors of wooden beams and antique furnishings. The interiors are finished using chemical-free paints and plaster. Energy is sourced from solar panels. The best part is the hotel’s restaurant runs on a zero-kilometre requirement, meaning it is 100% local!
ENGLAND
Heckfield Place, Hampshire
Located in the beautiful Hampshire countryside on what looks like something like a palace, Heckfield Place is a family home that is redefining the idea of hotels. This 250-year-old Georgian property achieved 100 percent biodynamic certification making it the only hotel in the U.K. to have its onsite farm so accredited. The 438-acre hotel goes above and beyond organic to grow what they call herbal remedies, as well as its own natural skincare products. Everything about Heckfield Place, from plastic-free hotel rooms with locally sourced natural materials to homemade cheese and butter screams sustainability and luxury.
FINLAND
Naali Lodge, Lapland
In Southern Lapland, just below the arctic circle, surrounded by national parks, nature reserves, hills vast forests, lakes, and rivers with crystal-clear waters, The Naali Lodge is nestled in a pine forest and surrounded by a string of lakes. The region is wonderfully wild and nature reigns! You will see more reindeers than men. The name of the resort means Finnish name for the little polar fox and were among the first twenty companies in Finland to receive the label Sustainable Travel Finland awarded by Visit Finland.
Vasara Reindeer Ranch, Kilpisjärvi
If staying in a Glass Igloo while the Northern Lights dance above you is on your wishlist, plan a visit to Reindeer Ranch located in the Northwesternmost corner of Finland. Arctic Land Adventure at Vasara Reindeer Ranch is in the heart of Sámiland, where tending to reindeer is a Sámi way of life. Be mesmerized by the Northern Lights during the dark winter nights or experience the white Arctic nights during the summer months or just relax in the sauna and outdoor hot tub by the lakeside under the Arctic sky.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Ivalo
Nestled on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park, one of Finland’s largest natural conservation areas, the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean that you’re roughing it. The futuristic-looking glass igloos provide all the creature comfort and some of the best views in the world.
Back in 1973 when its founder, Jussi, was traveling down the lonely roads just south of Finland’s northernmost fishing village, his car broke down, and he made a camp near the isolated roadside woods. He fell in love with the spot and set up a permanent roadside stop-in for travellers on the way to North Cape. Then he built a chalet onsite that eventually grew up to be the current Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort.
GERMANY
Hotel ZOO, Berlin
What was a private residence in 1889 is a Green Globe-awarded hotel now. Renovated with contemporary touches and sustainable design the hotel in Berlin still has historical elements like soaring ceilings, exposed brick and steel work. Head to the rooftop terrace for views across Berlin’s skyline.
SWITZERLAND
Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel, Switzerland
Located on the Swiss Alps and designed to combine ecology and luxury, the white pod eco-luxury hotel is unique. The geodetic-shaped accommodations are called pods. The rooms or suites are connected to the water system and heated with a pellet stove. While they are spread over a large private domain, each pod provides the comfort of a traditional hotel.
NORWAY
Svart, Norway
Svart Hotel on the Svartisen glacier in Norway is to become the first self-sustainable bespoke resort, aspiring travellers to care for the protection of nature preservation and the importance of global environmental issues and education via the local community. The design of the building is inspired by local architecture in the form of the “fiskehjell” (A-shaped wooden structure for drying fish) and the “rorbue” (a traditional type of seasonal house used by fishermen). It is a symbol of an era, bound in time as the glacier itself.
Manshausen Island Resort, Norway
Manshausen is a 55 acres island just across the fjord from Lofoten. The cabins that seems to be hanging over the seas of northern Norway are sustainable, sleek and incredibly stylish. And the area around Manshausen is stunning – protected islands, islets, beaches, high mountains, where you can do activities like kayaking, diving, climbing, trekking, caving, sailing, fishing … The 55-acre private island is home to the continent’s largest colony of sea eagles, whilst the fjords are teaming with marine life. Specatuclar scenry, midnight sun in the summer and northern light in the winter are waiting for you at this sustainable resort in Europe!
*Photos belong to the properties listed
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