7 hotels that are perfect for eco-travellers

Travel is so much more rewarding when you can experience a relaxing getaway while minimising your environmental impact. Today, some of the very best hotels are the ones that combine sustainable policies and practises with the highest level of comfort and quality of service.   

As part of our "Greener Together" initiative, we’re championing eco-friendly hotels that share our values and support for responsible travel. Check out some of our favourite ecohotels that you can book with Cathay Holidays for your next sustainable hotel stay.  

Need another reason to go green? From now until 15 September 2024, you can earn a bonus 2,000 when you register for our green challenge and book an eco-friendly stay at selected hotels before 31 December 2024.

Dhawa Yura Kyoto 

Nature, history and design ingenuity all come together at Dhawa Yura Kyoto, a charming boutique hotel in Japan’s ancient capital. You’ll find features that pay tribute to traditional Japanese culture throughout the property, including in the sleek, open-plan lobby, where bamboo trees spring from the ground and stretch up to a second-storey terrace.  

This indoor forest represents only a fraction of Dhawa Yura’s tree-planting efforts – as part of the Banyan Group, which funds various environmental initiatives, the hotel has helped to plant more than 500,000 trees worldwide since 2007. Forest bathers, this is the place for you.  

Hotel Cozzi Zhongshan Kaohsiung 

Contemporary meets calm at Hotel Cozzi Zhongshan Kaohsiung. While from the outside, this modern high-rise property looks at home amid the glamour and buzz of Sanduo shopping district, inside you’ll discover a sanctuary of tranquillity. Guestrooms are decorated in earthy, neutral tones and suffused with light, offering sweeping views of Kaohsiung Harbour.  

In keeping with this all-natural theme, as of July 2023, you won’t find disposable toiletries in your room. Single-use shower products have also been replaced with large refillable shampoo and shower gel dispensers, and water is provided upon request – small changes that make a big difference.  

Palais de Chine Hotel, Taipei

Proving you can have luxury without waste, Palais de Chine Hotel offers guests a sophisticated, sumptuous hotel stay while following environmentally friendly practises. 

Sleek, moodily lit rooms are kitted out with refillable containers of shower products, along with glass bottles which can be filled with cool sparkling water from a water dispenser. On the sixth floor, you’ll also find resources on sustainability and environmental conservation available to peruse. Guests even have the option to offset the emissions of their stay by purchasing a “Negative Carbon Emissions” add-on package when making their booking. All this plus a location in Taipei’s historical and cultural centre? The Palais De Chine has it all. 

Banyan Tree Phuket 

It’s no surprise that Banyan Tree Phuket takes environmental conservation seriously: this secluded resort is perched on the edge of a lagoon, with its Thai-inspired villas surrounded by lush tropical foliage.  

To preserve this natural beauty, Banyan Tree has partnered with neighbouring resorts to support local conservation initiatives. Since 1994, they’ve helped to rescue and re-release more than 2,000 sea turtles and raised more than THB7 million (HK$1,581,256) for local marine biology research. In addition, they've facilitated the planting of more than 7,000 native trees. These efforts will help to ensure Banyan Tree Phuket remains an unspoilt paradise.  

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo 

The Keio Plaza Hotel was Japan’s first skyscraper hotel when it opened in the 1970s, and this illustrious property has been championing innovation ever since. On the rooftop, you’ll find a lush green lawn which absorbs urban heat. This reduces the need for air-conditioning while providing a slice of serenity amid the buzz of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. Below ground, meanwhile, a recycling plant repurposes wastewater.  

The hotel’s dining destinations prioritise organic and locally sourced ingredients, and leftover cooking oil is even turned into hand soap to be used around the property. Truly, Keio Plaza Hotel has thought of everything.  

VIE Hotel Bangkok – MGallery

A trendy boutique hotel in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai district, VIE Hotel Bangkok – MGallery takes a creative approach to both design and sustainability. Accents of coral, cobalt and copper inject guestrooms with personality, while aquamarine tones draw guests up to the rooftop infinity pool. 

Eco-friendly innovations can be found throughout the property, from EV charging stations in the car park to reusable glass bottles in guestrooms, and LED lights throughout. Behind the scenes, waste is recycled and sold to a local waste management company, and profits are then invested in local community projects. A stay here goes a long way.  

Lotte Hotel Seoul 

In 2021, LOTTE Group made the bold pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040. And at Lotte Hotel Seoul, an opulent property in the lively shopping district of Myeongdong, innovations are underway. Inside its plush, lilac-accented and metallic-trimmed guestrooms, the hotel has forgone disposable toiletries such as toothbrushes or razors.  

While solar panels have not yet arrived at the hotel, they’ve already been installed at other LOTTE facilities in South Korea, supporting company-wide plans to double renewable energy generation by 2025. Indulgence and sustainability combine to create the perfect getaway.