Travel Sustainably at These 5 Hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America

To be a responsible traveler, it’s not enough to be informed about your holiday destination. Nowadays, travelers should also be committed to generating a minimum impact on the environments they visit and contribute to their social development.

And although it sounds complicated, these five hotels prove that the future of luxury tourism is green.

As always, check for travel restrictions or closures before planning your trip.

Punta Islita, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Punta Islita is involved in conservation efforts to preserve the surrounding dry forests. (Photo: Al Argueta-Marriott International)

Costa Rica is internationally recognized for its environmental policies and its commitment to ecotourism as a source of economic wealth. Punta Islita, Autograph Collection, located on the country’s Pacific Coast, is a clear example of this.

Aware of the importance of conserving the dry forests that surround it, this hotel has partnered with several organizations dedicated to the rescue of wildlife, such as land and resource donations to the Macaw Recovery Network, an association intent on rescuing the Guacamaya Roja (Red Macaw).

They also collaborate with the Camaronal Foundation to protect sea turtles that lay eggs on its beaches. On the social front, this hotel houses the Islita Creative Center, a space where children from surrounding communities can learn about ecology and nutrition.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, Puerto Rico

Founded in 1958, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has hosted many famous personalities over the years including Elizabeth Taylor and Amelia Earhart. However, the hotel has maintained a close collaboration with the Cousteau family.

Dorado Beach is home to the Ambassadors of the Environment, a Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Future Society program that invites its guests to become involved with their natural environment.

For example, little ones can participate in educational activities on Puerto Rico’s history and teenagers can cook with ingredients from the chef’s garden or take a night tour in search of animals. For adults, there are diving excursions, underwater photography classes or hikes in the tropical forest.

At this hotel, they’re convinced that in order to love nature, you must first experience it.

Tambo del Inka Valle Sagrado, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa

Few Latin American hotels can boast their own train station or a LEED Certification. Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Valle Sagrado has both; trains to guarantee comfortable access to Machu Picchu and a certification in recognition of its sustainable tourism practices.

A temperature and lighting control system that makes energy consumption more efficient is among its green policies.

The hotel has also implemented recycling dynamics throughout and a water treatment system that, at the same time, feeds the garden from where all the kitchen vegetables originate.

Renaissance Santiago Hotel, Santiago, Chile

Renaissance Santiago Hotel uses solar energy for its water heating systems. (Photo: Macarena Achurra-Marriott International)

Large cities also feature hotels at the forefront of sustainable tourism, and the Renaissance Santiago Hotel offers the best example of this, as the first in the region to receive a LEED Gold level certification.

Among the practices that have earned the Renaissance Santiago endorsements are its solar-powered water heating systems, the recycling of water for garden irrigation, the installation of charging stations for electric cars and bike rentals.

Even the hotel’s construction was sustainable; 22% of its materials are recycled and 30% are of local origin, reducing the carbon footprint. The panoramic views of the Andes, visible from its suites, only increase guests admiration for nature.