It’s been said that travel and sustainability are at odds. They don’t have to be.

Travel can provide the most thorough education about why sustainability is so important. Seeing the world encourages you to care for it. That’s why we’re taking action. As a trusted link between travelers and destinations, Tablet has a responsibility to prioritize socially conscious tourism — and we’re starting now.

Our first step is to champion hotels that are working to make a positive impact on the planet and in their community.

The best hotels benefit their surroundings, promoting engagement as much as escapism. They educate their guests, ensuring you leave with a better understanding of where you’ve been. They aren’t designed to protect you from the outside world; they’re designed to expose you to it. We’re shining a brighter spotlight on these places, and seeking to add more of them to the Tablet selection. 

Hotels in our selection have always been required to meet high standards of style, service, and personality. Now we’re paying similar attention to how they interact with local cultures and the environment. Every Tablet hotel is asked to detail their commitment to sustainable practices. These measures will be prominently displayed, along with any certifications that have been awarded, so that our clients can make more informed decisions about where they stay. 

Whether sustainability is foundational to a hotel’s operations or a journey just begun, each step is meaningful, and worth celebrating.

Sustainability is never accomplished. It’s a tug-of-war that requires continual effort. Today, our role is to support the hotels that are pulling in the right direction — and to inspire others to do the same. These actions might be a pebble in the ocean, but they’re only the beginning of our plans. As we launch more programs and broaden our impact, we’ll turn the ripples into waves.

Travel can be sustainable. We’ll do our best to help get it there. We hope you’ll join us.

Sustainability Pioneers

Many hotels in the Tablet selection are at the forefront of sustainable travel. These are just a few of the trailblazers who are leading the way through continual innovation and constant vigilance. 

Kura Boutique Hotel

Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica

The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Orange County, California

Six Senses Laamu

Laamu Atoll, Maldives

The Resort at Isla Palenque

San Lorenzo District, Panama

The Slate

Phuket, Thailand

Mykonos Riviera Hotel & Spa

Mykonos, Greece

Indrani Lodge

Genappe, Belgium

Tenuta le Tre Virtù

Florence, Italy

Wild Coast Tented Lodge

Yala, Sri Lanka

Hotel Greystone

Miami, Florida

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers

Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Michelberger Hotel

Berlin, Germany

Sustainability Icon

When you see the sustainability icon, you’ll know a hotel is moving in the right direction. Here’s what it means:

Every hotel in the Tablet selection is given a set of sustainability standards and asked to assess how they’re making a positive impact on the planet and in their community. The icon indicates that a hotel has completed the assessment, and their sustainability measures are available to view. 

The icon also appears when a hotel has been awarded a verified sustainability certification. You can learn more about each certification below.

Certifications and Sustainability Programs

We’ve chosen which certifications to display based on their influence in the hospitality industry and the comprehensiveness of their approach. We’ll continue to add certifications that meet those same standards.

 

GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council): There are hundreds of sustainability certifications. GSTC cuts through the clutter to provide a definitive global benchmark. When a hotel has a GSTC-recognized certification, it means community and environment are being cared for in a meaningful way. 

GSTC-recognized certifications include Green Key FEE, Green Key Global Eco-Rating, EarthCheck Certified, Green Growth 2050, and others, each confirmed to address local social and economic benefits, cultural heritage, and environmental impact.  

Tablet is proud to be a contributing member organization of the GSTC.

 

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): LEED sets the foundation for sustainable tourism — literally from the ground up. LEED certification lets you know that a building has been conceived, constructed, and operated using best practices for green building and energy efficiency. 

LEED utilizes a four-level rating system: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Projects are reviewed and awarded points that correspond to each level of certification.

 

Planet 21-Acting Here: This sustainability program from Accor leads the way among hotel groups, addressing environmental and social impacts at their 5,000 properties, requiring them to reach critical milestones, with a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Planet21 utilizes a four-level rating system: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level marks a hotel’s progress in achieving the program’s 65 points of action.

Questions?

If there’s anything more you’d like to know about sustainable travel, our program, or how you can help build a more sustainable future, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Change doesn’t come from standing still. If you want to make a difference, you’ve got to make waves.

Tablet is how you book the world’s most exciting hotels — places where you get a memorable experience, not just a room for the night. For over 20 years we’ve scoured the earth to find hotels that stand out for their style, service, and personality — regardless of price. Start your next adventure with Tablet, the hotel experts at the Michelin Guide.