With its striking landscapes and expansive, untouched wilderness regions, New Zealand is a preferred destination choice for many eco-minded and sustainable stays for the savvy tourists.
Stemming from values in Māori culture, New Zealanders believe they are guardians of their land and it is their duty to protect it for future generations. Travellers are encouraged to participate in the Tiaki Promise during their stay, pledging to travel with an open heart and mind, show respect to the culture, and care for the land, sea and nature.
With a wide choice of luxury lodges, hotels and boutique accommodations throughout the country, New Zealand makes sustainable travel easy. Here are five eco-accommodations leading the charge.
AUCKLAND – THE HOTEL BRITOMART
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Opening mid-2020, Hotel Britomart will be New Zealand’s first 5-star Green Hotel. The rigorous commitment to sustainability extends to the features and operations of the 99-room/5-suite hotel that occupies a heritage site and is constructed from handmade bricks. Amenities include custom guides to running and cycling routes, art and architecture walks, dining and more.
A cornerstone development in Auckland’s prestigious downtown Britomart precinct, guests can expect vibrant hospitality, high-end boutiques, Sunday markets and gentle walks to Auckland’s main attractions.
TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK – NIGHT SKY COTTAGE
The new Nightsky Cottage gives guests a perfect combination of luxury, isolation and wilderness, with a wide range of exciting activities on the doorstep that provide the perfect place for a holiday adventure.
Set on a hectare of private land at the edge of Tongariro National Park, this luxury eco-retreat is committed to creating a sustainable experience for guests. Adopting a zero-waste policy, the Cottage uses 100% natural and sustainable products throughout and collects their own water on site. Bathroom amenities and cleaning material are sourced for their zero waste/sustainability ethos, including: recyclable (non-plastic), and compostable packaging.
With skylights cut into the cottage’s ceiling, guests are able to stargaze from inside at the expansive New Zealand night sky.
FRANZ JOSEF – TE WAONUI FOREST RETREAT
Located on the South Island’s West Coast village of Franz Josef, Te Waonui Forest Retreat operates with measures that greatly reduce its environmental impact. This ecologically superior hotel was designed with both comfort and environmental preservation top of mind – offering the extravagant comforts of a luxury hotel, whilst complimenting and blending in with its stunning world heritage environment.
The design of the Rain Forest Courtyard allows each room to have an aspect of the preserved native bush – giving the retreat a treehouse feel.
As a Qualmark Enviro-Gold operator (New Zealand’s official quality assurance organization), five dollars from every guest room is donated to the Kiwis for Kiwi programme, a national charity that supports community-led and Māori-led Kiwi conservation projects.
KAIKOURA – HAPUKU LODGE + TREEHOUSES
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Many of New Zealand’s luxury lodges are as green as their bush-clad surrounds – ecologically sound, exclusive and unspoiled. The family built and designed Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses are no different, as every detail has been lovingly crafted.
Ten metres high, in a canopy of manuka trees, the treehouses have breath taking views of Kaikoura’s dramatic mountains and Pacific coastline. Clad in native woods and copper shingles, guests get feeling they’re sleeping in the treetops, nestled into the environment.
This contemporary country inn holds a focus on nurturing the environment that surrounds them by planting native trees, re-introducing native birds, and being sustainable in all operations.
QUEENSTOWN – CAMP GLENORCHY
Camp Glenorchy set the sustainability bar extremely high when they first opened as a net-zero hotel and camping ground.
Using 50% less energy and water than similar accommodations, Camp Glenorchy relies on energy-efficient building design, a solar garden, smart lighting, and highly efficient heat systems to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for guests. Visitors are even able to keep track of their energy use with an in-room tablet.
Camp Glenorchy has won New Zealand’s top sustainability awards: the 2019100% Pure New Zealand Experience Award and the 2019 Tourism Industry Aotearoa Sustainability Innovation award.
New Zealand is fast becoming a world champion in environmentally friendly tourism, offering a wide choice of eco-retreats, sustainable and local dining experiences and environmentally conscious activities throughout the country. Check out the links below to learn more.
