The best sustainable hotels you can book with points

Despite the many benefits of travel, there’s no denying it has adverse impacts as well, including on the environment. From the greenhouse gases emitted by heating and cooling hundreds of rooms to the countless tiny plastic shampoo bottles that end up in landfills, hotels are a major player in the travel industry’s environmental footprint.

But just as travelers are becoming increasingly aware of their adverse impacts, so are hotels. Many properties have taken small steps to reduce their impact, like installing smart thermostats or switching to large, refillable shampoo bottles. Every little bit counts, of course, but some properties are going even further.

Here are 15 hotels leading the way in eco-consciousness — and the best part? You can book a stay at one of these fantastic properties using points.

The Capra, Switzerland

Named after a local species of mountain goat, this ski hotel is nestled in the car-free, sustainability-minded village of Saas-Fee in the Swiss Alps. It shrinks its carbon footprint by participating in Saas-Fee’s local geothermal heating network and sourcing over 85% of its food and wine from nearby producers.

The Capra is bookable with points through World of Hyatt’s partnership with Mr & Mrs Smith. Nightly rates start at $507 or 40,000 Hyatt points and typically include shuttle transfers from the bus station or the parking lot at the village entrance.

JW Marriott Washington D.C.

Centrally located on Pennsylvania Avenue across from Freedom Plaza, JW Marriott Washington D.C. is equipped with solar panels that generate roughly 20% of its annual energy needs — saving 800,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, 10,000 therms of natural gas and 750 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Plus, its in-house restaurant practices “menu engineering” to reduce carbon emissions and food waste, composts its scraps and recycles 100% of its cooking oil into biofuel.

Rates start around $200 or 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, or you could redeem a 50,000-point free night certificate.

Tabacon Thermal Resort, Costa Rica

This luxurious retreat is perfect for nature lovers, and not just because it’s in the heart of Costa Rica’s rainforest. Tabacon Thermal Resort also holds a prestigious five-leaf sustainability rating from the Costa Rican Tourism Board.

The property uses hydroelectric and solar power to supply 75% of its electricity needs. It also contributes to reforestation programs and wildlife monitoring to safeguard its nearly 600 acres of land, and the many rare species that live there.

Rates start around $400 per night; a standard room reward will set you back 105,000 Hilton Honors points.

Fairmont Golden Prague

Fifty years after this brutalist building was designed by Czech architect Karel Filsak, it was turned into a hotel and retrofitted with enough eco-friendly features to earn it a Michelin Green Key. Upgrades include green roofs and vertical gardens (irrigated by a rainwater-capture system) as well as rooftop beehives, joining citywide initiatives to reduce heat by cultivating a microclimate.

Between geothermal boreholes and heat recovered from hotel operations, such as kitchen appliances and air conditioning, Fairmont Golden Prague boasts 98% sustainable cooling and 47% sustainable heating.

This ALL Accor property is bookable starting from $337 or about 16,000 points per night.

Nayara Bocas del Toro, Panama

Before laying the first stilt, this overwater bungalow resort commissioned five independent environmental assessments to minimize its impact on the surrounding land and water.

Now, the off-grid, 100% solar-powered resort is taking it a step further by installing new coral habitat and planting coral frags from heat-resistant strains — and guests can actively participate through guided snorkel and dive excursions. The project’s final phase, planned for 2027, will introduce “the world’s first net nature positive floating villas” designed to “leave the surrounding ocean healthier, more biodiverse, and more resilient than before.”

Nayara Bocas del Toro is a member of the new (and surprisingly valuable) Amex transfer partner Leading Hotels of the World. You can book an overwater villa for $2,432 or 26,188 Leaders Club points (105,000 Amex points) per night for a stellar value of 2.3 cents apiece.

Waldorf Astoria Osaka

Opened in 2025 inside the new LEED-certified Umekita Park, Waldorf Astoria Osaka has all the opulence guests have come to expect from Hilton’s flagship luxury brand, plus some green touches.

At the in-house teppanyaki restaurant, Michelin-starred Chef Junichi Yoshida sources ingredients from local producers, including sustainably harvested salmon and prawns from a network of Japanese fishermen. You’ll find no single-use plastics on the property; in lieu of plastic bags, staffers wrap guest laundry in traditional (and compostable) unryu paper, made from mulberry fibers.

Rates start around $510 or 120,000 Honors points per night, making this a great place to redeem your Hilton free night certificates.

Como Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands

The 72-room Como Parrot Cay sits on a private island, much of it a nature preserve. The hotel’s Marine Conservation Trust helps steward this with projects like tracking whitetip sharks (guests can “adopt” one to follow their movements) and mapping the undersea acoustic landscape.

On land, a state-of-the-art compost machine turns the resort’s food scraps into high-quality mulch, which goes back to the onsite gardens to nourish produce destined for the kitchen. The resort uses glass bottles instead of plastic, then recycles all of its glass waste into products like paving stones. It also aims to shrink its shipping footprint — a natural challenge for island locales — by buying local first and, for things that must be imported, prioritizing suppliers that adhere to its sustainable purchasing policy.

Como Parrot Cay is a member of Chase’s The Edit and Points Boost, so eligible cardholders can stretch their Chase Ultimate Rewards further here. For example, you could redeem points for this two-night stay for a solid value of 1.65 cent apiece.

Casa di Langa, Italy

Deep in Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage-inscribed Piedmont wine hills lies a carbon-neutral resort with as much character as it has eco-friendly features.

Casa di Langa is built partly into the hillside so that the ground helps regulate indoor temperatures, while geothermal piping supplies the remainder of its heating and cooling needs. The all-electric resort (down to the last tractor) gets around 20% of its power from photovoltaic panels and the rest from certified renewable sources.

Casa di Langa is open seasonally from late March or early April to mid-January. Rates start from around $500 or 100,000 points per night.

Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador

Built from recycled steel by former Quito mayor Roque Sevilla, Mashpi Lodge filters its own water and makes its own hydroelectricity in the foothills of Ecuador’s Andes. It offsets its remaining carbon emissions with the plants growing on its 6,000-acre cloud forest, which is continually expanding as the hotel purchases and protects more land.

Rooms at this Mr & Mrs Smith property start at $1,469 or 117,000 World of Hyatt points per night based on double occupancy. Prices include meals, snacks and the services of a local guide.

1Hotel Melbourne

The 1Hotel brand is known for being green, and its Australian outpost is no exception. The building is LEED Silver certified and targeting LEED Gold, the second-highest level available (out of four).

The building’s construction prioritized recycled and reclaimed materials, such as restored steel trusses and window frames, timber sourced from abandoned wharfs and nearly 2,000 repurposed paving stones. It continues to mitigate waste in its day-to-day operations, with advanced heat recovery systems to curb energy use, elimination of single-use plastics and diversion of 90% of its food waste.

1Hotels offers an eco-minded Mission Membership program, and the property is a member of Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, so eligible cardmembers can access elitelike perks.

The Hotel Marcel New Haven, Connecticut

Named after the Hungarian-American Bauhaus architect who first designed the building in the 1960s, Hotel Marcel now retains its brutalist charm while operating completely free of fossil fuels. Upgrades like triple-glazed windows, energy recovery ventilation and European heat pump dryers help cut energy use; what’s left is powered by onsite solar panels. This helped the property earn a LEED Platinum certification, the highest level offered.

Of course, the country’s first net-zero-energy hotel wouldn’t be complete without an all-electric restaurant that donates all surplus food to a local non-profit. The hotel even offers guests a complimentary electric car service within five miles.

A member of Hilton’s Tapestry collection, Hotel Marcel is bookable from around $120 or 42,000 Hilton Honors points.

Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali

This all-villa cliffside resort is partially built from sustainable materials, like reclaimed native ulin wood and heat-absorbing lava rock, which helps minimize the need for air conditioning.

The zero-waste policy includes turning food scraps into compost for the onsite gardens, as well as eliminating single-use plastics on every inch of the property since 2021. Alila Villas Uluwatu even produces its own drinking water using an onsite purification system to help curb waste and cut its carbon footprint.

As a category 8 World of Hyatt property, award rates run the gamut from 35,000 points to 75,000 points per night. Basic one-bedroom pool villas start around $630 per night in the low season, giving you a solid value of 1.8 cents per point.

Royal Malewane, South Africa

On a continent known for its awe-inspiring nature, Royal Malewane’s collection of safari lodges in Greater Kruger National Park is taking steps to protect this precious resource.

For instance, the Waterside property has a state-of-the-art hydronics system that harnesses the region’s abundant sunshine and nearby Klaserie River’s naturally clean water for heating and cooling.

Meanwhile, Malewane Lodge actively works to protect vulnerable wildlife. Scientists at its Conservation & Research Centre dehorn rhinos to deter poaches and partner with various endangered species conservation programs — from the Big Five to wild dogs and hornbills.

Both are part of Leading Hotels of the World, so you can book a stay with Amex Membership Rewards points.

Copenhagen Marriott Hotel

Copenhagen — the eco-conscious capital that famously has more bikes than people — is trying to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2030 and the first carbon-positive one by 2035. This harbor-adjacent hotel follows that ethos, harnessing seawater to cool the property and thus conserve energy.

To really feel like a local, rent one of the hotel’s bikes for $38 and cycle to nearby attractions like Tivoli Gardens, Harbor Beach and Strøget Street. Or check out CopenHill, a waste-to-energy plant and recreation center that offers running, hiking, skiing and the world’s tallest climbing wall.

Rooms at Copenhagen Marriott Hotel start as low as $216 or 44,000 Bonvoy points per night.

Populus Denver

You can’t miss this 13-story hotel’s “biophilic” architecture, inspired by Colorado’s native aspen trees. The striking building became the country’s first carbon-positive hotel by offsetting and sequestering more carbon than it has emitted, both during day-to-day operations and the building’s construction.

Populus Denver also partners with regenerative farms to bring its seasonal menus to life and uses an onsite biodigester to compost 100% of its food waste. Plus, thanks to its One Night, One Tree initiative, a tree will be planted in Colorado’s national forests for every night you stay.

Populus Denver is bookable through Amex’s The Hotel Collection and Rove Miles. For example, you can earn 12 miles per dollar on a cash stay or redeem your Rove miles for an award stay at a rate of 1.5 cents apiece.

Bottom line

If you’re looking to shrink your footprint, these hotels are making a real impact by cutting their greenhouse gas emissions, recycling waste and even rehabilitating the surrounding ecosystems. Plus, they’re all bookable with points, so an eco-friendly stay doesn’t have to break the bank.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Source: thepointsguy.com