From a historic hot springs resort in the desert, to urban oases, to beachfront getaways, these are the best eco-friendly hotels in Southern California, where the focus is on sustainability just as much as it is on style.
Whether they have a green seal, are part of the California Green Lodging program, tout green practices or use their green initiatives to educate about climate change, these eco-friendly accommodations are ones to bookmark. Looking for eco-friendly hotels in Southern California that don’t sacrifice comfort? These green stays prove sustainability and style can coexist beautifully.
Two Bunch Palms, Palm Springs
The adults-only Two Bunch Palms near Palm Springs is a wellness resort built around natural mineral hot springs that were used by Native Americans for healing and relaxation for hundreds of years.
Before the area around the springs was built up into a spa getaway in the 1940s, it’s said to have been a hideout for Al Capone back in the 1920s — you can even spend the night in a Capone Suite, with its own private mineral water tub.
While it might not be highlighted with other green hotels in Southern California, its history is impressive and the sprawling 77-acre resort is focusing on the future with its dedication to sustainable practices.
It’s carbon neutral, thanks in large part to their 3.5-acre farm of solar panels. To manage water, guests receive reusable water bottles upon arrival, all grey water is captured and they’ve removed non-native, water hungry trees from the property.
In addition, the bohemian desert resort is designed to maximize personal wellness with spa treatments that harness the benefits of on-site mineral waters in the swimming pool, meditation and sound bath workshops and healthy, seasonal dishes at the restaurants.
Laguna Surf Lodge, Laguna Beach – A Sustainable Hotel in Orange County
The Laguna Surf Lodge in Orange County is a Soul Community Planet (SCP) hotel, meaning it is part of a portfolio of properties that’s all about “personal wellness, social good, and the environment.” In other words, it’s very Southern California hotel with its commitment to green hotels.
Opened in early 2024, the hotel runs on solar power and like all SCP hotels, the Laguna Surf Lodge is plastic-free — the company has a net-zero waste goal. Their Every Stay Does Good program funds initiatives like beach cleanups, reforestation and youth empowerment.
As for design, the 41 guest rooms at this laidback oceanfront hotel are stocked with certified organic mattresses, a yoga mat, sound machine and a meditation pillow. Local company Coyote Woodworks was used to make some of the furnishings, using reclaimed wood whenever possible, and have artwork sourced from Sunday Arvo, an independent business owned by Janina Casanova that celebrates local surf culture. Also by SCP, is Seven4One, an additional boutique hotel in Laguna.
Another bonus is that it’s a quick 15-minute drive to the Ecology Center (of Southern California), where you can pick your own regenerative fruit or produce or settle in for chef-driven dinners.
Hotel Indigo, San Diego
Hotel Indigo in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter was the city’s first hotel to get LEED certification when it opened in 2009. The 12-story eco-friendly hotel has two massive green roofs with drought-resistant native plants, which cuts down on energy costs, and produce on-site (like herbs from the ninth-floor terrace garden) are used in the hotel bar.
There’s on-site recycling for guests and behind-the-scenes operations, and in the kitchen, leftovers and scraps are added to the composting program. The rooftop meditation deck was made from recycled wood and plastic, and the glass walls and windows on the rooftop terraces allow for natural ventilation and lighting, cutting down on light bulbs and energy use.
It’s in a prime location downtown, near Petco Park, one of the best hotels making it easy to check out the neighborhood’s boutiques, galleries, nightclubs and restaurants on foot. The hotel’s connection to the community is symbolized with the art installation on the western side of the hotel — “Indigo Waters.”
The 40-foot-tall sculpture by local artist Lisa Schirmer was designed to look like the shimmering waters of the Pacific Ocean, and other locally inspired and created art can be found throughout the hotel.
Inn at Moonlight Beach, Encinitas
Inn at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, San Diego, is small — it has just five suites — but mighty when it comes to authentic sustainability, making it one of our favorite eco-friendly hotels in Southern California (also great for a romantic getaway).
It’s the world’s first WELL Certified hotel — the WELL Building Standard recognizes buildings that are “developed with people’s health and wellness at the center of design.”
The Inn at Moonlight Beach has met an impressive 83 of the 105 different standards across categories like air and water quality and mental and physical health.
When they bought the property, the owners worked for months on soil regeneration to create biodynamic gardens around the property where guests can harvest their own fruits, veggies and herbs.
At the Wellness Lab, guests (and the local community)can attend workshops to get hands-on experience with things like candle and soap making, sustainable gardening, and honey herb infusions.
The Steward, Santa Barbara
The Steward in Santa Barbara opened in spring 2023 on land once owned by renowned horticulturist Joseph Sexton — the Sexton House on-site is a National Historic Site.
The all-suite boutique hotel has a bit of a secret garden feel to it, nestled among nearly five acres of verdant landscape, making it one of our favorite green boutique hotels in Santa Barbara. To get around, there are complimentary bicycles for guest use. Community groups are brought in to give talks on eco-friendly living, and local artwork adorns the rooms and public areas.
From solar-powered lights on the property to the sustainability of the employee uniforms, green practices are the norm. There are no single-use plastics, and they partnered with local farmers for the ingredients on the seasonally changing menu at Terra, the resort’s restaurant.
The Ambrose Hotel, Santa Monica
The Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica became the first U.S. hotel to get LEED for Existing Building (EB) certification in 2007. A portion of the hotel’s electricity comes from renewable sources, namely wind power, and 75% of all the hotel’s waste is either composted or recycled. They also use non-toxic biodegradable cleaning products, and the appliances are ENERGY STAR rated.
Employees are encouraged to use emission-free or public transportation whenever they can. As for guests, they can get a free ride with the hotel’s biodiesel-powered London style taxi to anywhere in Santa Monica, and they can rent bikes to explore on their own — the beach is about a 15-minute bike ride away.
The 77-room hotel in a Craftsman style building has a contemporary, peaceful feel to it with clean lines and minimalist decor. While there isn’t a restaurant on-site, there’s a free continental breakfast and healthy, local snacks in the minibars.
Shore Hotel, Santa Monica
One of the original leaders when it comes to eco-friendly hotels in Southern California is the Shore Hotel. The gold LEED certified property was previously a Travelodge, and when it was renovated for its 2011 opening, they they repurposed as much material as they could from the site, with an emphasis on sustainable building materials.
New materials used were chosen with an eye on energy efficiency. Each room has its own heating and air controls and lights are turned off automatically when a room isn’t occupied. Low-flow faucets diminish guest water usage and they use a recycled water system that drastically reduces its laundry water use.
In addition, they use local produce at the restaurant, all the takeout containers are biodegradable and Nespresso coffee and tea pods are recycled. Guests won’t find any single-use bathroom products in the rooms, and the pool is heated by solar energy. They have complimentary charging stations available for EVs,, and energy-efficient lighting throughout the property helps reduce their carbon footprint.
Many of the 164 rooms have a view of the beach with their own patio or balcony, and the hotel has a year-round summertime feel with vibrant turquoise and orange décor.
Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes
Terranea Resort, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Los Angeles, has been dedicated to eco friendly initiatives since it opened in June 2009. Of the property’s 102 acres, 75 are preserved as natural habitat — free nature hikes each day help guests learn about the area’s ecology and wildlife. The landscape is made up of native plants, and the resort’s ponds and wetland areas help with water conservation, treatment and irrigation, while also providing valuable bird habitat.
The 582-room Mediterranean-style luxury resort has four saltwater pools, which are gentler on the environment than chlorinated ones. At the nine restaurants, ingredients from the Chef’s Garden are used as much as possible, and at the golf course, the golf tees are biodegradable. They use locally foraged kelp and sea salt in some of their spa treatments and in the kitchen. Their beehives help produce honey for some of the spa treatments as well.
You won’t find any plastic bottles, single-use plastics or straws on the property and they’ve also banned balloons. Staff go on monthly beach cleanups, and on-site shuttles are hybrid or low emission.
The Ranch at Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach
Tucked away from the coastline, one of the most unique features at The Ranch at Laguna Beach may be the sand bunkers on their nine-hole golf course — they’re made from old glass bottles, crushed into sand on-site. They also use the bottle-made sand to filter the water at the pool.
There’s a half-acre biodynamic farm that provides veggies and eggs to the Harvest restaurant. Other ingredients are sourced locally, like the seafood caught by local fishermen. The gardens are nourished by the composted paper and waste from the kitchen, and used cooking oil is recycled into biodiesel. Non-compostable food scraps are used to feed their chickens.
When guests check into one of the 97 guest rooms at this boutique hotel, they get wooden and bamboo keys that biodegrade. The rooms have a bohemian beach cottage vibe, and many have stunning views of the surrounding wood canyons. After dark, guests get beautiful views of the night sky, thanks to the property’s commitment to reducing light pollution.
KRISTIN CONARD
