Best Eco-Friendly Hotels In Los Angeles

Think green digs in the city are hard to come by? Los Angeles and the surrounding area is a hodgepodge of eco-friendly respites, from intimate, boutique-y bungalows decorated with upcycled, flea market-esque interiors to expansive chains with organically stocked mini bars and in-room recycling bins. Make sure these 10 spots are on your list of where to check into next.

Venice Beach Eco Cottages

447 Grand Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
(866) 802-3110
www.venicebeachecocottages.com

Green-ovations are at the forefront of this trio of rental properties at Venice Beach Eco Cottages. Each of the 450-square-foot bungalows—Le Bébé Cottage, Aunt Zoe's Place and Papa Hemingway Cottage—feature a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, and are just a four-block trek from the ocean. Eco designer Kelly LaPlante offered her design hand to restore the 1922's bungalows, from installing Trex decking, made from recycled sawdust and plastic, a hot tub made from recycled plastic milk jugs, to refurbishing the original 1920s Douglas Fir floor. Other eco-amenities include FSC-certified, reclaimed wood, low VOC paint, local artwork and a sofa built from recycled polyester and organic lumber. Plus, VBEC donates three percent of proceeds to charity.

Los Feliz Lodge

1509 North Hoover Street
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 660-4150
www.losfelizlodge.com

The Los Feliz Lodge is a mid-century eco-modern find with 13 casitas offering green luxuries like 100 percent organic cotton sheets, bamboo fiber towels, robes and drought-resistant native plants. Whether you choose one of their 500-square-foot bungalows or 900-square-foot vista villas, your space will be cleaned with eco-friendly, non toxic products. Nearby, is Sunset Junction where you'll uncover myriad eateries such as Intelligentisa Coffee, Casbah Café and Cru Vegan.

Ambrose Hotel

1255 20th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 315-1555
www.ambrosehotel.com

Just a five-minute jaunt from the Santa Monica Pier is the idyllic Ambrose Hotel, an award-winning sustainable stay and the first in the nation to receive the United States Green Building Council's LEED Silver Certification. Not surprising when you have low-flow toilets, water-saving faucets, drought-tolerant native species, hybrid car rentals and 15 percent of guestrooms being powered by Clean and Green Wind Power. Eco inside and out, the hotel's sprinklers are adjusted to the seasons, while 75 percent of waste is recycled or composted. Enjoy organic Urth Caffé before taking your cruiser out from Ambrose's complimentary bicycle storage and to the beach.

Hotel Palomar

10740 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90024
(310) 475-8711
www.hotelpalomar-lawestwood.com

Get eco-conscious at the Hotel Palomar where the hotel's green practices have been winning awards since the hotel opened in 2008. The parent company, Kimpton, has also received numerous awards for its EarthCare Program. Situated next to UCLA, Palomar "greenifies" your visits with eco- extravagances like: water-efficient fixtures, in-room recycling bins and a mini bar stocked with organic goods.

The Westin Bonaventure

404 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles CA
(213) 624-1000
www.starwoodhotels.com

Committed waste reduction efforts and energy conservation (not to mention saving $1 million in energy costs) led to this hotel being awarded the city's first Green Seal Silver Certification. Conservation is key at the Westin Bonaventure, where guests experience fluorescent lighting to reusable dishware. Over the next few years, the hotel is even aiming to install water-conserving fixtures, from waterless urinals to aerators—an effort that will curb up to 10 million gallons of water, annually. For now, take advantage of their rooms' light sensors.

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Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalow

101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-7777
www.fairmont.com

The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, a Santa Monica respite for its peace-inducing seascape, is famous for its environmental stewardship and for employing such eco-upgrades as composting the hotel's organic kitchen waste, local conservation, purchasing green power and retrofitting the space with energy efficient lighting. Don't forget to nosh at their Fig restaurant, where ingredients are seasonal.

Seven4One

741 So Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach CA 92651
(949) 494-6200
www.seven4one.com

Indulge in this small, coastal town (there's only 7.8 miles of coast), which was famous among surfers, artists and the Hollywood elite long before its namesake show. Seven4One employs green amenities such as Milgard energy efficient windows, LED lighting, native, low-water landscaping, low-flow shower heads,no plastic bottled water, bamboo towels and organic vodkas, beers and tequilas. Like Seven4one general manager Julia Cattaneo says, "It's not that difficult to think green, plan green, and operate green." Be aware: Seven4One customarily books for large groups or events, rather than individual guests.

La Casa Del Camino

1289 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach CA 92651
(888) 367-5232
www.casacamino.com

This historic Laguna Beach hotel used to draw the Hollywood set when it opened in 1929 and these days, it adds an eco-friendly approach. La Casa Del Camino boasts 10 action-sports-themed Casa Surf Suites designed by Billabong -- Glaceau, Rip Curl, Etnies, Rivera Magazine, Roxy, Quiksilver, among others. Themed for the skate-surf culture as much as the eco-conscious, rooms utilize reclaimed concrete, stone and wood, like the original beams from the 80-year-old hotel that have been transformed into decorative ceiling wood. The rooms feature a dual-flush water conservation system, artwork made from factory scraps, a mini bar made from a used skateboard, barn wood-cum-headboards, recycled vintage chairs and blue bedding made from recycled plastic bottles.

Ace Hotel

701 East Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 325-9900
www.acehotel.com

Once a Howard Johnson hotel, Ace Hotel's kitschy, roadside-esque stop stands apart from most of its fellow Palm Springs sojourns. Try its seasonal, organic, local fare (including vegan beer) and sustainably raised meats at the hotel's bistro, King's Highway—an eatery that saw its first years as a Denny's restaurant. If indulgences are your means, treat yourself to some eco-well being comforts with Ace's earth-and-sea body scrub or facials mixed from raw botanicals.

Terranea

100 Terranea Way
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
(310) 265-2800
<a title="Terranea" href="http://www.terranea.com/" target="_blank"www.terranea.com

Locavores will find their go-to spot at Terranea on the Rancho Palos Verdes Peninsula, where local, seasonal, organic bites are the main ingredient to this "eco-fied" hotel. To boot, enjoy an oceanfront view. While there, sample their earth-friendly spa luxuries like hydrotherapy, a yoga terrace and retreat into one of the spa cabanas where the café serves natural foods and juices.

Sarah McClure is a freelance eco journalist and founding editor of EcoEtique, a guide to all aspects of environmental and social etiquette.