Our Guide To Green Hotels of New England

No longer just a Costa Rican delicacy, ecotourism has now taken over the globe. And in the years since green and environmentally friendly products and initiatives have entered the mainstream, the hotel industry has been at the helm of this new movement towards careful, conscious consumption. While many of the green hotel lists you’ve seen on the internet feature ranches in Argentina, jungle tents in Palau, and Cabins in Norway, this list shows off eco hotels that are close to your home right here in New England. In researching this post we looked for green hotels of New England who were reducing their impacts in innovative ways. Each one has its own approach to environmental stewardship. From solar power to locally-sourced seafood, these green hotels of New England are keeping us on our toes with their sustainable sides. Plus, greenwashing doesn’t have a place here — the following properties really walk the walk when it comes to being green.

Connecticut

Saybrook Point Inn & Spa At Saybrook Point Inn & Spa, their energy efficient utilities steal the show. A co-generation system (that produces both heat and electric at once, greatly reducing waste) heats all of their hot water, some of the guest rooms, and keeps their salt water swimming pools at a comfortable temp even in the winter. In every guestroom, highly sensitive thermostats adjust the heating or cooling whenever you open the slider to your balcony. Say hello to breezes right off the marina, and goodbye to overheating or a room that feels like a refrigerator.

Maine

Beachmere Inn Innkeeper of the Beachmere Inn Sarah Diment has been operating on the green side long before it was cool. The Beachmere’s environmental policies hang in the details: grass clippings are mulched, food scraps go to feed local pigs, the linens are laundered using ozone, and the hot water rolling down your back in the shower was heated by the magnificent Maine sun. An example of a place that takes a holistic approach to green practice, The Beachmere Inn is frequently winning awards for its outstanding placement among green hotels of New England. Inn by the Sea Another long-running green hotel all-star in Maine, Inn by the Sea is LEED Silver certified for their green design features like electric vehicle docks, dual flush toilets, and solar power. Meadowmere Resort With two solar fields in total and a “Family Serving Family” credo that encourages green practices in every element of guest service, the Meadowmere Resort is spreading eco-hotel values far beyond their grounds.

The Dunes on the Waterfront     After adopting totally clean and neutral landscaping and cleaning products, the Dunes, like many other green hotels of New England, discovered that what’s good for the planet is also good for people. Whether it's your toes in the grass or your head on the pillow, you can rest easy that everything is free of harmful chemicals. Nonantum Resort A stroll around the Nonantum Resort’s grounds might remind you of Portland, Oregon, where eco hacks like rain barrels, edible flowers, and living landscape plots are common. Nonantum loves these tricks because they are practical, physically attractive, and phenomenally waste-reducing. Captain Lord Mansion Complimentary bikes from the Captain Lord Mansion take guests around their picturesque Maine setting and keep their feets off the gas pedals. For guests whose cars eschew gas too, they provide electric charging stations. Sebasco Harbor Resort When the state of Maine named Sebasco Harbor Resort an Environmental Leader within the Hospitality sector, they were pleased but not phased — green operations from landscaping to solar have been second nature to them all along.

Massachusetts

The Lord Jeffery Inn A real double-whammy when it comes to the green hotels of New England, the Jeff (as it’s known) is both an environmentally friendly hotel and a well-restored historic building. However, while the Inn wears its elegant history right on its sleeve, its green practices are much harder to see. High efficiency boilers, robust insulation, and a thermal heating and cooling system — all invisible to guests — contributed to the Inn’s notching a prestigious LEED silver certification. The Woods Hole Inn Staying in a green hotel in New England will seriously brighten your day when visiting the Woods Hole Inn. On the third floor, “solatubes” lighting fixtures use natural daylight to illuminate the hallway and boost guest’s moods with an extra pop of Vitamin D. The Colonnade Hotel You may know it as the only hotel in Boston with a rooftop pool, but The Colonnade Hotel was also one of the earliest adopters of the Smart Car. Hotel staff use these mini vehicles painted in the brand’s characteristic blue to run errands and see to overall hotel function.

Sage Inn Located in the cultured and compact town of Provincetown, Sage Inn is a supreme hotel destination for guests who are looking to get some walking in. With ample mass transit options around them (including the ultra-convenient Boston to Provincetown fast ferry), and a spot in the middle of the Ptown action, a visit to the Sage Inn will save you fossil fuels and keep some unneeded carbon out of the atmosphere.

New Hampshire

Christmas Farm Inn With 12 different lodging buildings spread out across their lusciously wooded property, the Christmas Farm Inn is an all-star in green grounds management. When they do have to cut, they make sure that every last splinter of every tree goes to good use as firewood, mulch, and hand-harvested building materials. They also make good on the lively stream running through their land –– its gravity is used to fill their 90,000 gallon water system.

The White Mountain Hotel and Resort The golf course here might be the White Mountain Hotel and Resort's greatest green accomplishment. All 3,025 yards are maintained with green products and methods, an example for other green hotels of New England struggling to get their courses cleaner. Eastern Slope Inn Another sun-loving green hotel, Eastern Slope makes good on their sunny sloped home to heat all the water in the largest building with an on-site solar array. The Hotel Portsmouth No measure is too small at The Hotel Portsmouth. Their small property gets trimmed by push mower (all elbow grease and no dirty fuel), and their free parking allows guests to walk Portsmouth without worrying about catching the meter. The Common Man Inn & Spa Pellets! Those compressed wood bits are the key factor in The Common Man’s green ways. A pellet stove keeps common spaces warm and 90% more efficient in the winter. Glynn House Inn To go green, the Glynn House Inn gave up on grass. A large rock garden has taken over a significant part of the property and the artful design is as calming as the technique is efficient. Jack Daniels Motor Inn Walking the walk of being environmentally friendly happens, funnily enough, through talking at the Jack Daniels Motor Inn. At each and every staff meeting, the team discusses the current green policies and how to improve them.

Vermont

The Inn at Weathersfield Here, the green is in the grub. The Inn at Weathersfield makes itself a seriously attractive example on the list of green hotels of New England with its true farm-to-table restaurant and cooking school. All of their proteins (whether you count that as beans or beef) come from within a 25-mile radius. And during the growing season, 100% of every food item served comes from within a 20-mile radius. West Hill House B&B Another hotel that wants to take your foot off the gas pedal, West Hill House B&B runs a door-to-door shuttle bus to the Sugarbush ski resort when the snow is falling. Avoiding fossil fuels once again, their small property is also 100% solar powered. The Shire Woodstock On top of a stately array of solar panels, The Shire Woodstock has been designated a Green Hotel by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

Not seeing Rhode Island? Write in your vote for the best green hotel in Rhode Island in the comments!