Quick Answer: Sustainable Hotels in the USA
The best sustainable hotels and eco friendly stays in the United States, hand picked from LEED Platinum hotels to net zero retreats.
The best sustainable hotels in the USA prove that comfort and a conscience go together. With a quick flight or an easy road trip you can sink into a net zero retreat in a New England mill town, sip Napa wine among the vines, wander the pastel squares of the Deep South, or watch the Pacific roll in from a Big Sur cliff. From LEED hotels in the USA to all electric city stays, every eco friendly stay in the United States on this list is genuinely low impact, so you can book an eco hotel in the USA with confidence.
The best sustainable stays in the United States, from LEED Platinum city hotels to net zero and all electric retreats, run by people who put genuine effort into the planet, with the wholesome, thoughtful touches you respect and the comfort you come back for. Here is where to stay, from Proximity Hotel to Hotel Marcel.
These are the sustainable stays we rate most in the United States. Each one is hand picked and checked for how it actually runs, its energy, water, food and who owns it, so every stay on this list is the real thing.
Exploring more of the region? See our guides to sustainable stays in Canada and sustainable stays in Mexico, or browse the whole Caribbean eco stays directory. This page is part of our growing North America collection.
How we decide the best place to stay in the United States
The 15 best places to stay in the United States are genuinely sustainable, chosen for real credentials such as LEED Platinum certification, net zero Passive House design, EarthCheck and B Corp values rather than green marketing. We look at how each one is powered, how it handles water and waste, where its food comes from and who owns and benefits from it, so your money supports places that tread lightly. Where a property makes bold eco claims we could not verify, we left it off.
At a glance
| Stay | Why it stands out |
|---|---|
| Bardessono Hotel and Spa | Bardessono Hotel and Spa is a LEED Platinum certified luxury hotel and spa in Yountville, Napa Valley, California, powered by geothermal wells and rooftop solar. |
| Alila Ventana Big Sur | Alila Ventana Big Sur is an EarthCheck Silver certified, adults only luxury resort spread across 160 acres of Californian coastline above the Pacific. |
| 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge | 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is a LEED Gold certified, nature led luxury hotel in Dumbo, Brooklyn, overlooking the East River and Manhattan skyline. |
| Hotel Marcel New Haven | Hotel Marcel is a net zero, Passive House certified hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, widely reported as the first net zero hotel in the United States. |
| Hotel Vermont | Hotel Vermont is an independent, LEED certified and locally owned hotel on the shores of Lake Champlain in downtown Burlington, Vermont. |
| Proximity Hotel | Proximity Hotel is a 147 room boutique hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, and was the first hotel in the United States to earn LEED Platinum certification. |
| Limelight Boulder | Limelight Boulder is an all electric hotel built to LEED Gold standards on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, billed as the largest all electric hotel in the US. |
| 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay | 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is a LEED certified wellness resort on Kauai North Shore in Princeville, Hawaii, overlooking Hanalei Bay. |
| The Charleston Place | The Charleston Place is a luxury downtown hotel on Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, with a strong sustainability programme. |
| The Spectator Hotel | The Spectator Hotel is a Charleston French Quarter boutique hotel in South Carolina with an on site food digester that turns food waste into compost. |
| Hotel Emeline | Hotel Emeline is a Charleston French Quarter boutique hotel in South Carolina with a sustainability focus and local sourcing. |
| The Ryder Hotel | The Ryder Hotel is a downtown Charleston hotel in South Carolina with a rooftop and a local, low impact ethos. |
Top Picks, Where To Stay in the United States
- Bardessono Hotel and Spa
- Alila Ventana Big Sur
- 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
- Yountville, California
Bardessono Hotel and Spa
Bardessono Hotel and Spa is a LEED Platinum certified luxury hotel and spa in Yountville, Napa Valley, California, powered by geothermal wells and rooftop solar.
Bardessono Hotel and Spa is a low slung, 62 room luxury retreat in the heart of Yountville, California. This LEED Platinum certified property runs on geothermal wells and rooftop solar, uses reclaimed and locally sourced materials throughout, and grows produce in its own kitchen gardens. With a rooftop pool and in room spa treatments, it suits couples and food and wine travellers who want quiet, grown up luxury with genuine environmental credentials.
- Big Sur, California
Alila Ventana Big Sur
Alila Ventana Big Sur is an EarthCheck Silver certified, adults only luxury resort spread across 160 acres of Californian coastline above the Pacific.
Alila Ventana Big Sur is an adults only luxury resort set across 160 acres of Californian coastline above the Pacific. EarthCheck Silver certified, it recycles all of its wastewater for irrigation, keeps an organic kitchen garden and native landscaping, sources sustainable seafood and houses staff on site to cut commuting emissions. With glamping tents, redwood views and a wild spa, it suits couples and nature lovers seeking remote, low impact seclusion.
- Brooklyn, New York
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is a LEED Gold certified, nature led luxury hotel in Dumbo, Brooklyn, overlooking the East River and Manhattan skyline.
1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is a LEED Gold certified luxury hotel in Dumbo, New York, overlooking the East River. More than half of it is built from regional and reclaimed materials, including heart pine beams salvaged from the old Domino Sugar Factory, and it runs rainwater reclamation, in room water filtration and carbon offsetting. With a rooftop pool and waterfront park, it suits design conscious city travellers who want green credentials without losing polish.
- New Haven, Connecticut
Hotel Marcel New Haven
Hotel Marcel is a net zero, Passive House certified hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, widely reported as the first net zero hotel in the United States.
Hotel Marcel is a net zero, Passive House certified hotel in New Haven, Connecticut, set inside a restored Brutalist landmark designed by Marcel Breuer. Fully electric and fossil fuel free, it draws its power from more than a thousand rooftop and canopy solar panels that cover the building, its restaurant and its 165 rooms. It suits design and architecture enthusiasts, and any traveller who wants a genuinely zero emission stay.
- Burlington, Vermont
Hotel Vermont
Hotel Vermont is an independent, LEED certified and locally owned hotel on the shores of Lake Champlain in downtown Burlington, Vermont.
Hotel Vermont is an independent, LEED certified and locally owned hotel in downtown Burlington, Vermont, on the shores of Lake Champlain. It pairs energy saving room systems and refillable local bath products with serious local sourcing, from grass fed beef and pasture raised eggs to wild Alaskan salmon, and belongs to the Burlington 2030 District energy reduction pact. It suits travellers who value farm to table dining and homegrown, community rooted sustainability.
- Greensboro, North Carolina
Proximity Hotel
Proximity Hotel is a 147 room boutique hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, and was the first hotel in the United States to earn LEED Platinum certification.
Proximity Hotel is a 147 room boutique hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, and was the first hotel in the United States to earn LEED Platinum certification. It uses around 39 per cent less energy and 33 per cent less water than a conventional hotel, drawing on rooftop solar thermal panels, high efficiency systems and abundant daylight, without sacrificing comfort. With its acclaimed Print Works Bistro, it suits business and leisure travellers who want polished sustainability in the American South.
- Boulder, Colorado
Limelight Boulder
Limelight Boulder is an all electric hotel built to LEED Gold standards on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, billed as the largest all electric hotel in the US.
Limelight Boulder is an all electric hotel built to LEED Gold standards on the University of Colorado Boulder campus in Boulder, Colorado. Reportedly the largest all electric hotel in the country, it runs without on site fossil fuels and pairs 252 contemporary rooms with generous event space and easy access to the Flatirons. It suits active, outdoorsy travellers and campus visitors who want a modern, low carbon base in the Mountain West.
- Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is a LEED certified wellness resort on Kauai North Shore in Princeville, Hawaii, overlooking Hanalei Bay.
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is a LEED certified wellness resort perched above Puu Poa on Kauai North Shore in Princeville, Hawaii. A reimagining of an existing building rather than a new build, it saved tonnes of material from landfill, restored native habitat, sharply improved water efficiency and holds Ocean Friendly certification from the Surfrider Foundation. With spa, pools and rainforest surrounds, it suits couples and wellness travellers wanting sustainable island luxury.
- Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston Place
The Charleston Place is a luxury downtown hotel on Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, with a strong sustainability programme.
The Charleston Place is a luxury downtown hotel on Meeting Street in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina. It runs a strong sustainability programme alongside its refined rooms, spa and shopping arcade, bringing considered environmental practice to a grand city centre address. It suits couples and city travellers who want polished Lowcountry luxury with real green credentials at its core.
- Charleston, South Carolina
The Spectator Hotel
The Spectator Hotel is a Charleston French Quarter boutique hotel in South Carolina with an on site food digester that turns food waste into compost.
The Spectator Hotel is a boutique hotel in Charleston’s French Quarter in South Carolina. Its standout eco feature is an on site food digester that turns food waste into compost, cutting what would otherwise head to landfill. With butler service and a genteel, 1920s inspired style, it suits couples and design led travellers who want intimate Charleston charm with a genuine waste reduction ethos.
- Charleston, South Carolina
Hotel Emeline
Hotel Emeline is a Charleston French Quarter boutique hotel in South Carolina with a sustainability focus and local sourcing.
Hotel Emeline is a boutique hotel in Charleston’s French Quarter in South Carolina, built around a sustainability focus and local sourcing. It weaves regional makers, produce and craft through its rooms, cafe and communal spaces, keeping its footprint close to home. It suits creative, independent minded travellers who want characterful Charleston style with community rooted, low impact values.
- Charleston, South Carolina
The Ryder Hotel
The Ryder Hotel is a downtown Charleston hotel in South Carolina with a rooftop and a local, low impact ethos.
The Ryder Hotel is a relaxed downtown hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, with a breezy rooftop and a local, low impact ethos. It leans on regional sourcing and a laid back, coastal sensibility to keep its footprint light while staying firmly rooted in its neighbourhood. It suits younger, sociable travellers who want a fun Charleston base with sustainability woven quietly through it.
- Savannah, Georgia
AC Hotel Savannah Historic District
AC Hotel Savannah Historic District is a LEED Platinum certified hotel in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia.
AC Hotel Savannah Historic District is a LEED Platinum certified hotel set in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. Its top tier green building certification reflects efficient energy and water systems and a considered, low impact design, all within easy reach of Savannah’s squares and riverfront. It suits business and leisure travellers who want sleek, European inspired style with serious sustainability behind it.
- Savannah, Georgia
Perry Lane Hotel
Perry Lane Hotel is a historic district hotel in Savannah, Georgia, running a 100 per cent food waste to fertiliser programme.
Perry Lane Hotel is a stylish hotel in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. Its standout eco credential is a programme that turns 100 per cent of its food waste into fertiliser, closing the loop on kitchen scraps that would otherwise be wasted. With a rooftop bar, art filled interiors and a curated feel, it suits design led travellers who want luxury Savannah character with real environmental substance.
- Savannah, Georgia
The DeSoto Savannah
The DeSoto Savannah is a central historic district hotel in Savannah, Georgia, with the SoGreen sustainability programme.
The DeSoto Savannah is a landmark hotel in the central historic district of Savannah, Georgia. Its SoGreen sustainability programme drives the hotel’s environmental practice, from resource savings to greener day to day operations, in a classic address moments from Savannah’s squares. It suits travellers who want traditional Southern hospitality and a central base with a clear commitment to sustainability.