Swiss Hotel Palafitte sees the green light
NEUCHATEL - Switzerland is famous in part for its stunning lakes. If you want to enjoy swimming in one of them in style, five star Hotel Palafitte is the perfect hotel for you. An electric buggy parked in the hotel’s foyer ferries guests and their luggage to roomy private suites – quite an experience indeed! 24 out of the hotel’s 40 luxury lodges stand on stilts above the beautiful Lake Neuchatel. You can simply open your balcony doors, slide down private ladder and dive into the refreshing waters of the lake.
Green and zen in Briar Rose Bed & Breakfast
COLORADO - If there’s one city in the United States that’s ahead of everyone else in terms of sustainability it’s Boulder, Colorado. Situated in the midst of mountains and forests and home to Colorado University, the city lives and breathes sustainability. Briar Rose Bed & Breakfast is on one of the main roads in Boulder, Arapahoe Avenue. From the outside Briar Rose seems like any ordinary (albeit beautiful) Boulder house, but inside it’s far from that.
Far View Lodge: not green enough (yet)
COLORADO – The setting of the Far View Lodge promises a lot. It’s located in the beautiful Mesa Verde (green table) area in southwestern Colorado. The same area where the ‘Ancient Puebloan’ Native American Indians lived for over a thousand years until they disappeared leaving their stunning cliff dwellings behind. Sadly, the untouched natural surroundings are one of few green aspects of the Far View Lodge.
Hotel Andaluz sets the standard in eco consciousness
ALBUQUERQUE - What I am doing in Albuquerque in the first place? Wedding. One of the effects of globalization is that you gain friendships all over the world. And if you are someone’s real friend you should at least try and visit the very important and ‘yes, I do!’ moment. Flying over to the States is already quite a dilemma if you want to live an environmentally conscious life. I decided to go anyways, but promised myself to only stay in eco-friendly hotels during the 14-day trip, and give an overview of the possibilities for ‘green lodging’ in New Mexico and Colorado.
Living the HI life
The inventors of the concept of joie de vivre, the French, still have to get their heads around the joy of organic food and green living. En masse, that is, because here and there small ventures are popping up that are putting France on the sustainability map. One of these is HI Hotel. Located in the elegant but slightly stuck-in-its-ways town of Nice, this edgy 4-star newcomer is signalling a different direction in luxury hotels on the Cote d’Azur.
L’Aubier - every inch a Swiss eco hotel
NEUCHATEL – Don’t be fooled by L’Aubier’s dawn-of-the-internet style website (we’re told they’re working on a new one), this retreat is every inch a quality Swiss eco hotel. From its setting in the hills, outrageously tasty organic food, on site farm and store selling delicious local produce, the hotel ticks all the boxes.
