Rosalie Bay Resort on the Caribbean island of Dominica is a colonial-style paradise with an eco-conscience.

When you’ve been to the Caribbean, you’ve probably stayed on one of the bigger, more famous islands: Antigua, Martinique or Barbados. Tiny Dominica is just 18 miles wide and 29 miles long, so it may have been off your radar, especially since its hotels aren’t much to shout about being neither super-stylish nor particularly green. Until now.

Rosalie Bay Resort, which opened just one year ago, sits on the Atlantic coast, in a secluded spot on the southeast of the island, with a perfect sunrise view over the sea. Although the rocky, black sand beach is too rough for swimming, the staff are delighted to drive you to other locales more suited to frolicking in the surf.

Or you can just lounge by the pool drinking cocktails from the bar. Well, you are on holiday in the Caribbean, after all.

Accommodation is in 28 rooms and suites, housed in picturesque wooden cottages with verandas some with swings, looking onto the beach, the Rosalie river, a garden or hills behind. Decor is classic colonial, without being stuffy: locally-built, four poster beds and comfortable armchairs, plus exotic flowers and plants; the grounds are rich with fragrant tropical flora including frangipani, ginger lily and hibiscus. Some rooms have vaulted ceilings and old-fashioned fans.

In the spa, which is elevated above the surf, you can enjoy treatments such as massages using local organic products. The new wellness program promises lots of innovative health-focused activities.

Rosalie Bay is self-sustaining in terms of energy with a wind turbine (the island’s first) and solar panels, as well as a water filtration system. The local environment in the 22-acre estate is carefully protected – the resort has its own turtle monitoring program, which guests can help with. Many locals are employed as staff, some after working on the construction of the property, an eight-year labor of love by the owners, Bev and Oscar.

The restaurant offers highly-rated, original dishes, featuring organic fruit and vegetables grown in the resort’s own kitchen garden with a Caribbean twist: conch ravioli, guava-glazed pork ribs and duck with coconut rice are a few specialties on the menu.

Rates start at $125/night plus tax, including cocktails without umbrellas and baby turtle-minding.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Rosalie Bay Resort appeared first on EcoSalon.

Spend your days by the sea in the treetops, and playing with nature at Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge in Nicaragua.

Imagine if you could reset your day to the sunrises and the sunsets without the hassle of agendas, cell phones and meetings. For many of us, this would mean a complete readjustment of our clocks but for the owners of Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge outside of San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, this is the norm and they invite all of their guests to “play with time” as well.

Located 15 miles north of the Costa Rican border, Morgan’s Rock is located within a 4,400-acre nature preserve and sustainable tree farm, which 1.5 million trees have been planted in over the past 10 years. The resort is said to be one of the country’s oldest high-end eco-resorts, and the land is rich with history as well.

The 15 well-appointed bungalows are set into the hillside of the jungle and outdoor queen-sized hanging beds allow for breathtaking views of the water (13 of which are accessible only by a 100-meter pedestrian suspension bridge). Inside, each of them are open and have fully screened walls so you can hear the sound of the ocean and nature at all times.

If you go: Morgan’s Rock has its own private beach (equipped with hammocks and loungers) and a hatchery for giant sea turtles. Rates start at $322 per night and are all-inclusive.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge, Nicaragua appeared first on EcoSalon.

The CityFlatsHotel in downtown Holland, Michigan offers guests an eco-friendly experience without compromising style or luxury.

As the first hotel in the Midwest to receive LEED Gold Certification, the CityFlatsHotel in Holland, Michigan boasts sweeping views of downtown and Lake Macatawa, a small body of water that leads to the magnificent beaches of Lake Michigan. No two rooms are alike at CityFlatsHotel, making each of the 56 eco-friendly suites a unique experience.

The CityFlatsHotel was designed and manufactured with carefully selected green materials and technologies. For example, to save energy, curtains are lined with a black-out fabric, the countertops are made from recycled glass and concrete, and instead of carpeting, cork flooring tiles are used. Additionally, large windows throughout the hotel maximize natural lighting, while master switches turn off all lighting when a guest leaves the guestroom. Occupancy sensors power down the heating and cooling system when it is not needed.

CityVū Bistro on the fifth floor keeps it local, as it’s considered among the best among foodies here. Fresh locally-sourced ingredients contribute to a creative and healthy menu (fryers and frozen foods won’t be found anywhere near their kitchen).

If you go: Take note of the locally made CityDrem mattresses as well as the sheets, blankets, towels and duvet covers. They’ve been so popular that guests can now buy them for their own homes. Rates start at $149USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: CityFlatsHotel in Holland, Michigan appeared first on EcoSalon.

Surrounded by natural beauty, the Inn by the Sea on Crescent Beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine offers luxurious accommodations.

Fall in New England marks leaf-peeping season and beautiful sunsets, making it a perfect time to visit and enjoy the cool weather. Located just outside Portland, Maine is Inn by the Sea, a coastal destination where “luxury comes naturally.” Renovated extensively just a few years ago, it’s now nationally recognized for its eco-friendly practices.

Because Inn by the Sea is adjacent to a wildlife sanctuary, it is a designated wildlife habitat, making it one of the first hotels certified as “Green Lodging” by Maine’s DEP. It seems that the Inn is leading the hospitality industry in Maine through other aspects as well. It was the first to heat with biofuel, the first to be carbon neutral, and the first to have dual flush toilets as well. Other cool eco-features include solar heating for the pool, recycled rubber floors in the fitness room, recycled cork floors in the spa, and the inn even assists eco-conscience couples in planning green weddings.

Perhaps one of the aspects of Inn by the Sea that we love so much is that it goes beyond the corporate level by engaging guests with educational classes that are offered to pass on the environmental messages. Weekly seminars and garden tours are offered on the Inn’s five acres of seaside gardens, teaching guests how to plant for wildlife, while children learn about bug ecosystems during the summer’s “Bug’s Life” series.

If you go: Check out Sea Glass, the Inn by the Sea’s restaurant featuring local ingredients from produce to cheese to sea salt. Rates start at $189USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, Maine appeared first on EcoSalon.

Just 30 miles southwest from downtown Los Angeles, Terreana Resort aims to complement its greatest natural asset – the Pacific Ocean.

Inspired by the Spanish explorers who discovered the Southern California coastline in the 1500s, Terreanea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California sits on 102 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The architecture and design complement the natural asset of its location by seamlessly transitioning between indoor and outdoor spaces to take full advantage of the climate and unobstructed views.

Terreanea Resort is located just 30 miles southwest from downtown LA. It’s owned by Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fourth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. Through the company’s Destination Earth program, they are committed to creating a new benchmark for each hotel and resort through a series of environmental initiatives.

While Terreanea has many eco-friendly features, the landscaping is what really makes an impression. Because the resort sits partially on restored native habitat areas, strict attention has been paid specifically to the planting of native plant species and trees. The resort’s eco friendly golf course also plays a large role in the landscaping. Irrigation water is treated in vegetated channels called Bioswales, created wetlands which “contain plant species known for their ability to remediate polluted water and soil through sedimentation, filtration, absorption, and vegetative uptake.” Not only does this mean that it enhances the water quality, but it also provides habitat for many avian and aquatic species.

It’s been said that every family member will be entertained at Terreanea, including your pooch. With tons of activities, a spa, and its several restaurants, kids and adults alike will not be disappointed.

If you go: Dolphins and whales can be spotted right from your room. Rates start at approximately $350.00USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces:Terreanea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, California appeared first on EcoSalon.

Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Vancouver provides guests with luxurious “tented” accommodations and five-star dining.

Tucked in the middle of nowhere on the west coast of Vancouver Island is an eco-safari retreat called Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, which can only be reached by boat or seaplane. While the accommodations at this resort are comprised of 20 tents, each offers every bit of the luxury you are seeking. This remote Canadian getaway has dining tents that offer five-star cuisine, massage and treatment tents, lounge tents and guest tents with fluffy duvets and antiques, all inspired by late 19th century Great Camps.

But behind the luxury there is a deep and meaningful commitment to restoring the land. Located on the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve Area on the banks of the remote Bedwell River, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is committed to running in an environmentally sustainable manner with as low-impact operations as technology allows.

We love that every evening the Activities Director meets with guests personally to design their adventures for the next day, which depends on weather, tidal charts and animal sightings. The resort offers tons of activities so guests will never have a shortage of things to do in the wilderness.

If you go: While Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is only open May through September and guests are encouraged to make reservations in advance. Rates start at $4,650.00USD for three nights, and include return airfare from Vancouver to the Resort, deluxe tented accommodation, all meals, snacks and beverages (including alcohol), massage treatments and a wide array of guided adventure activities including instruction.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Vancouver, Canada appeared first on EcoSalon.

Instants d’Absolu in Auvergne, France was designed as an escape for those who want to get away from it all.

Perched high on a 3,760 foot plateau is Instants d’Absolu, an eco-lodge in a preserved sanctuary in Auvergne, France. Nestled in the heart of the Natural Reserve of the Auvergne Volcanoes, it’s wedged between Lac du Pêcher (a lake), the Puy Muy volcano, and the edge of the Pinatelle Forest. In other words, Instants d’Absolu is an “escape” in the truest sense of the word.

Instants d’Absolu (meaning timeless and rare moments), is located on a renovated, eco-friendly lava stone farm. What we like about it is that it can be visited year-round with no shortage of activities. In warmer months, there is fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, and even a hot air balloon ride to explore the beautiful landscape from above. In the winter, guests can experience dog-sled rides, snowshoe excursions, cross country skiing, and even skiing on the slopes of volcanoes. But the activity most enjoy is the art of doing nothing. The Nordic inspired spa helps with that, an outdoor hot tub that looks out onto the raw French nature.

Restored with love and care, the land that Instants d’Absolu sits on is considered “sensitive natural space,” which means the owners have gone to great lengths to keep the property as natural as possible. Instants d’Absolu is a world in itself, to relax and get away from it all.

If you go: Expect to fall asleep listening to an evening concert of frogs and stag belling. Rates start at $180USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Instants d’Absolu, Auvergne, France appeared first on EcoSalon.

Merging perfectly with the environment, Adrere Amellal in Cairo, Egypt is a magical place for those seeking a quiet sanctuary.

To say that Adrère Amellal is “absolutely fascinating” seems, to us, a bit of an understatement. The truth is we were in complete awe when we came across this sandcastle-looking eco-lodge in Cairo, Egypt. It’s like stepping back in time, replete with breathtaking open views of a shimmering and pristine Siwa Lake and the Sahara Desert. Electricity has been banned, so guests must use oil lamps, candles, and the moonlight to guide them.

Each of the 40 hand-built rooms are unique, constructed with traditional techniques using palm roofing, mud, and rock salt, while the doors and furniture are made of olivewood. The spring-fed Roman pool is one of just a few found in the world. The food, which is mostly organic, is sourced locally and while lunch is served at the pool each day, dinner is served somewhere different every night, lit by the stars and beeswax candles.

Clearly, Adrère Amellal is not your traditional hotel. Relying completely on solar energy, it’s a magical place for those seeking a quiet (yet luxurious) sanctuary, while also being in a flexible environment. It’s been said that the night is so peaceful you can almost hear the stars.

If you go: Make sure to explore the community, which is full of ancient ruins and spectacular natural landscapes.  The local “Siwan” craftsmanship is celebrated for its exquisitely embroidered garments and stunning silver jewelry. Rates start at $605.00 USD.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Adrère Amellal, Cairo, Egypt appeared first on EcoSalon.

Guests at the Hotel Sezz in St. Tropez can indulge guilt-free while taking in warm, ocean breezes.

Known for its glamor, St. Tropez is a destination where the rich and famous play. And while luxurious yachts and private jets are many times the main transportation to and from this resort town in the French Riviera, the Hotel Sezz is one hotel that is making a difference.

Hotel Sezz was built with a mission of being an elegant structure while incorporating international ecological building practices. Incorporating the hotel into its natural surroundings was an important goal of its builders, and they saved nearly every tree on the site. The restaurant and bar (that’s, the Dom Pérignon bar), are constructed from local sandstone in pale grey, embossed cement and panels of aged, stained wood. The spa at Hotel Sezz incorporates materials that are typical of Provençal style and spa products are all derived from plants so guests can indulge guilt-free.

Built of “light and air,” the Hotel Sezz is said to be a unique yet most luxurious addition to St. Tropez, where guests can “smell and feel salt water and warm breezes from their beds and baths.”

If you go: St. Tropez is an amazing city so guests are encouraged to borrow bikes from the hotel to pedal to the beach and around town. Rates start at approximately $650.00 per night USD.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Hotel Sezz, St. Tropez, France appeared first on EcoSalon.

Set in the South Tyrolean Dolomite mountains of Italy, the Vigilus Mountain Resort is perfect place to rest year-round.

The Vigilus Mountain Resort is said to be like an island in the mountains, located in the South Tyrolean Dolomites of Italy. Each room has an organic feeling with elements such as clay, glass, stone and linen mixing with the pleasant aroma of wood and fresh air. The panoramic windows offer dramatic views for miles, giving guests the sensation of bunking out in a modern tree house. The resort is accessible only by foot or cable car, which means no traffic or noise, connecting guests that much more directly with the sounds of nature.

The main building was designed to resemble a fallen tree lying in the woods; the wooden lattice façade looks like bark. From a sustainability standpoint, local materials were used during its construction. Guests are invited to take advantage of the spring water pool, to indulge in fresh, local food, and to explore the property. At the Vigilus, “nature is the gym” and the resort offers mountain biking, Nordic walking, hiking, snowshoeing, and toboggan rides. If you are looking to relax, take a deep breath, and connect with nature, the Vigilus is the place for you.

If you go: take advantage of one of the many packages offered. Rates start at approximately $270.00USD per night.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: The Vigilus Mountain Resort in South Tyrol, Italy appeared first on EcoSalon.