As the responsible travel movement continues to gain momentum, the UN has appointed 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism. So 10Best set out to find the best eco-friendly hotels in the country, hotels that go above and beyond to protect this planet we call home. Each of these 10 winners has earned certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the U.S. Green Building Council, Energy Star or GreenLeaders status from TripAdvisor, and have earned rave reviews from our expert panelists and guests.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Eco-Friendly Hotel are as follows:
- Hotel Skyler - Syracuse, N.Y.
- Hotel Felix Chicago - Chicago
- The Hike Inn - Dawsonville, Ga.
- Berkshires Shirakaba - New Ashford, Mass.
- The Gardens Hotel - Key West
- The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte - Charlotte
- Virgin Hotels Chicago - Chicago
- Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas - Las Vegas
- Bardessono Hotel and Spa - Yountville, Calif.
- Inn by the Sea - Cape Elizabeth, Maine
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Claire Endean-Cance (Luxury Travel Diary), Eric Grossman, Gerrish Lopez, Christopher Parr (Pursuitist) and Nancy Trejos (USA TODAY) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of the hotel scene across the nation.
Congratulations to all these winning hotels!
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The Experts
Claire Endean-Cance
Claire Endean-Cance is the co-founder of Luxury... Read More
Claire Endean-Cance is the co-founder of Luxury Travel Diary– a blog about the best luxury accommodation and the most exclusive transport for your travels. Additional features hi-light essential style & fashion items required for luxury travel. The site also hosts their own online auctions, allowing users to bid on a dream holiday or luxury items.
Claire Endean-Cance

Claire Endean-Cance is the co-founder of Luxury Travel Diary– a blog about the best luxury accommodation and the most exclusive transport for your travels. Additional features hi-light essential style & fashion items required for luxury travel. The site also hosts their own online auctions, allowing users to bid on a dream holiday or luxury items.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food writer who has... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food writer who has visited more than 50 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman

Eric Grossman is a travel and food writer who has visited more than 50 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez

Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Christopher Parr
Christopher Parr is the Founder and... Read More
Christopher Parr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Pursuitist, the leading luxury travel and leisure website. An award-winning travel writer, Parr is also a luxury marketing veteran, a frequent speaker at luxury and interactive marketing conferences and a pioneer in web publishing. He launched Pursuitist in 2010 as a curated list of the good things in life, with guest contributors from Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch, Glamour, Saveur and more sharing their favorite luxuries. Follow along on Twitter.
Christopher Parr

Christopher Parr is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Pursuitist, the leading luxury travel and leisure website. An award-winning travel writer, Parr is also a luxury marketing veteran, a frequent speaker at luxury and interactive marketing conferences and a pioneer in web publishing. He launched Pursuitist in 2010 as a curated list of the good things in life, with guest contributors from Forbes, Mashable, TechCrunch, Glamour, Saveur and more sharing their favorite luxuries. Follow along on Twitter.
Nancy Trejos
Nancy Trejos is the travel and hotels reporter for... Read More
Nancy Trejos is the travel and hotels reporter for USA TODAY, where she writes about her favorite hobby: Traveling. She's been all over, from Chicago to Colombia, Nevada to Nairobi, Boston to Beirut. She's also covered education, Iraq, and personal finance.
Nancy Trejos

Nancy Trejos is the travel and hotels reporter for USA TODAY, where she writes about her favorite hobby: Traveling. She's been all over, from Chicago to Colombia, Nevada to Nairobi, Boston to Beirut. She's also covered education, Iraq, and personal finance.