This past August I wrote a column highlighting what I consider to be the best book yet about green hotels. The name of that book: “World’s LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development.” (Click here for that column.) I highly recommend getting that book. Another book has come along that I also strongly encourage anyone with an interest in green lodging to read. “Authentic Ecolodges,” released earlier this month by Collins Design, features what ecolodge pioneer, architect and author Hitesh Mehta considers to be the 36 most authentic ecolodges in the world.
In his quest to write about the world’s most cutting edge ecolodges, Mehta spent three years traveling 46 countries on six continents. He visited 44 ecolodges—destinations he had learned about through his many years of research. Some of the ecolodges not included in the book may be included in a second book, Mehta told me. The ecolodges in the book are located in countries from China to Eqypt to Brazil. The book is divided into 13 sections; three ecolodges appear in each one. Sections include: Sustainable Building Materials, Creative Design, Community Owned and Operated, Holistic Wellness Programs, Indigenous Construction Techniques, Biodiversity Conservation, Culinary Experiences, Innovative Technology, Art as Architecture, Interpretation Programs, Recycle and Reuse, Unique Experiences, and On the Drawing Boards.
In order to make his final list, ecolodges had to embody three main principles of ecotourism: 1) nature must be protected and conserved; 2) through community outreach and education programs, local community must benefit; and 3) interpretive programs must be offered to educate both tourists and employees about the surrounding natural and cultural environments. Ecolodges also had to satisfy at least two additional criteria from a list of eight. One, for example, is meeting energy needs through passive design and renewable resources.
Butterfly Rating System
Each ecolodge in the book has been awarded a score, indicated by butterfly symbols, in a rating system that, Mehta says, “directly correlates to a lodge’s individual metamorphosis toward total sustainability.” Mehta told me he is currently working on a certification program for ecolodges that will incorporate the criteria he has developed. There are too many “ecolodges” that should not be considered such, he says. Also, some of the existing green hotel certification programs are “one size fits all” and not specific enough for ecolodges.
Mehta’s book offers a colorful, fascinating look at ecolodge design. Each ecolodge profile includes photographs, illustrations and site plans and provides an overview of the ecolodge’s personality and features. Areas notably absent from the book are the United States and Europe—areas where Mehta says developers have “historically destroyed everything around them.” “Americans make the best ecotourists but not the best ecolodge developers,” he says. Unfortunately, Mehta is mostly right. Perhaps his book will act as a challenge for anyone wishing to build an authentic ecolodge in the United States or Europe.
The book wraps up with a chapter on future ecolodges—projects with which Mehta and his company, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based HM Design, are involved. The projects are located in the Commonwealth of Dominica, Colombia, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Gabon, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya.
Authentic Ecolodges is truly a labor of love and a worthwhile read for any lodging developer, not just those developing ecolodges. Thankfully, our industry has pioneers like Hitesh Mehta pushing us all to expand the definition of sustainability and how it can be accomplished through creative, smart architectural design.
See You in Portland, Oregon?
I will be attending and exhibiting at the Green Meeting Industry Council’s 2011 Sustainable Meetings Conference in Portland, Oregon from February 20 to 23, 2011. The event will take place at the Portland Doubletree Hotel. To register for the conference, go to www.sustainablemeetingsconference.com.
Advertising Opportunities
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots in 2011. Several new slots have opened up on the Green Lodging News website—two skyscraper ad spots on the right hand side of the site, the home page bottom banner ad spot, and the Featured Product ad spot in the lower center area of the home page. Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com if you are interested in these ad spots. There are also many Green Supplier Spotlight dates available, and other spots on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. The 2010 and 2011 media kits are available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
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