Happy Earth Day. On a day like today, we are supposed to reflect on what we can do to leave less of an individual footprint, how we can reduce our waste, make better choices in our day to day, and better connect with this beautiful planet, and honestly, the best way to do that is by connecting with nature.
Now while we can’t be in the middle of a jungle or climb up a mountain daily, we can get outside as much as possible, walk daily, garden when the season allows, and we can make sure every now and again to stay at resorts or hotels surrounded by nature or that have brought the beauty of the outdoors inside.
So, since I’ve become quite the expert at finding biophilic stays, I thought I’d share a few gems from IHG Hotels & Resorts, so if you’re so inclined to experience the wonders of earth and its natural bounties adjacent to properties or even within them, you can stay at some of these, or be inspired to find something similar.
For those of you that don’t know, IHG has more than 6,000 locations across the globe, with many dreamy spots where guests can enjoy a biophilic stay to commune with nature.
IHG Hotels with Biophilic Experiences
Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt (Vienna, Austria)
The garden oasis at Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt provides a botanic respite, reflected in the property’s design aesthetic with terraces, courtyards and a rooftop garden. A short walk from Vienna’s historic center, in the Margareten district, guests will find abundant flora and fauna.
Oxygen Jungle Villas (Uvita De Osa, Costa Rica)
Tree-shrouded Balinese-style villas perch above the sparkling Pacific waters at Oxygen Jungle Villas in Uvita, the perfect place for visiting the marine preserve that is a haven for humpback whales for seven months of the year. The minimalist estate is set on a large plot of protected rainforest, with plenty of nooks where guests can soak up Costa Rica’s natural splendour.
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay (Khánh Hòa, Vietnam)
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay celebrates the resort’s natural surroundings as an essential part of the stay experience. The hotel has a resident terrestrial biologist, offering travellers guided hiking trips that educate about forest life and conservation efforts towards the endangered langur monkey species.
InterContinental Miami (Miami, Florida)
Toro Toro, located inside InterContinental Miami, has brought back a special Viva Abejas menu available through April 23. Meaning “long live bees,” the Viva Abejas menu features vegetarian dishes incorporating bee pollen, honey, edible flowers and additional bee-centric ingredients.
Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora (Hakone, Japan)
Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora is located in Hakone, Japan, and is fitted with guest rooms featuring a modern Japanese-style tub filled with natural onsen water. Guests enjoy riverside or hillside views during this bath experience with mineral-rich water sourced directly from local hot springs.
Mr & Mrs Smith Joali Being (Bodufushi Island, Maldives)
Mr & Mrs Smith Joali Being in the Maldives was envisioned with biophilic design at its core, with the ocean as the centrepiece and can be booked via points through an exclusive partnership with IHG One Rewards. Alongside conservation awareness of the turtle sanctuaries on the island, hosting a coral nursery and helping to rebuild the lagoon’s reef, Joali Being is committed to nurturing nature.
El Silencio Lodge & Spa hotel (Valverde Vega, Costa Rica)
A 500-acre tropical forest, a river winding through the grounds, and three waterfalls cascading down the mountainside – if it’s back-to-nature you want, El Silencio Lodge & Spa hotel will give it to you in eco-friendly spades. Take in picture-perfect panoramas from an outdoor hot tub, greet the sunrise from the yoga deck, and feast on natural, organic food. It’s what nature intended, only better.
While the InterContinental here in my home city of Toronto isn’t immersed in nature, they have an interesting IHG-led initiative that just launched. They recently installed their first Urban Cultivator™ to grow, sprout and harvest a wide selection of fresh and aromatic microgreens and herbs. Now, guests can experience a wide array of delicious fresh greens all year round. By growing right on property, they are conserving water, energy and time, thus minimizing waste and emissions. Pretty cool, eh?
So, if you want to connect with the outdoors, find the perfect place to stay, or seek inspiration, I hope this helped ignite your inner biophilic nature this Earth Day.
markmunroe
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