HYATT REGENCY MISSION BAY’s Eco Travel Spa
San Diego, CA
This is Hyatt’s very first eco travel-friendly spa situated in San Diego and surrounded by the natural beauty of Mission Bay. We love the name—taken from “The Blue Marble” image of the earth that was shot from outer space during the Apollo 17 mission—and the spa’s contemporary design, as well as its very green sensibility. The spa’s treatment menu is in digital format; skin care products are natural and organic; organic fruits and food options are on hand; low-flow shower heads are used; and even the spa linens are dyed using eco-friendly processes—to name just a few green details. Guests can reconnect with nature via one of the 21/2- to 4-hour Blue Marble Journeys of their choosing (the four offered are Earth, Water, Air, and Fire), or spend some quiet time in the outdoor Earth Garden. www.missionbay.hyatt.com
Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte
North Carolina
Welcome to the first LEED- built hotel for this luxury group (and the first for greater Charlotte, too). This isn’t your grandmother’s Ritz—this 146-room hotel boasts a warm, contemporary vibe that’s younger than what you’d traditionally find, but thankfully, not trendy. There’s a 13,000-square-foot Wellness Center where you can opt for treatments like the Green Your Body Eco-Treatment or the Techno-Stress Relief. Other eco-friendly details include: A green roof vegetated with 18,000 plants that insulates the building, slows rain runoff, and cools the air through evaporation of water from leaves; employee uniforms made of fabric derived from regenerated plastic bottles; an impressive in-house water purification and container system; a state-of-the-art air transfer system which circulates outside air into guest rooms at 60 cubic-feet per minute; a hotel Bike Valet, featuring 150 bicycle parking spaces and complimentary Trek bikes for guests to use, as well as complimentary parking for hybrid vehicles. www.ritzcarlton.com