Greetings, fellow wanderers and couch travellers! If your Instagram is anywhere close to mine, then it is already overflowing with inspiring travel pictures. Recently, I have also been noticing a new filter on my travel dreams and aspirations, but it’s not Valencia or X-Pro II. The new filter is “sustainability”; sustainability is elevating our travel experiences to be richer, deeper, and kinder to our blue planet.
We have all heard the buzz words: environmentally friendly, responsible tourism, and conscious travel. But what do they really mean when we are booking our much-needed escape? Is it just remembering to opt out of the daily towel wash (albeit, gold stars in effort) or meticulously pulling our inflight snacks apart? Yes, these practices are helpful, but there is a much larger movement happening, and spoiler alert – oftentimes those on the lesser end – the boutique hotel options are oftentimes the ones quietly or not so quietly on the sustainable arm of travel.
Sustainable Travel: Not Just a Granola-Powered Dream Anymore
To put it simply, sustainable travel is visiting our beautiful world in ways that support and respect local people, culture, and environment and enhance our experience as travelers. It’s also about allowing future generations to enjoy the same beautiful views, cultures, and ecosystems as today. It’s about leaving a place a bit better (or at least, no worse) than it was. Sustainable is not only for the fervent environmentalists anymore; it is becoming rapidly mainstream. The concept has become mainstream because this world is not an infinite backdrop for our Instagram photos and mindful travelers are becoming more aware of their footprint.
Enter the Boutique Hotel: Small Scale, Mighty Impact
So, why are boutique hotels stepping up (or maybe being stepped-into) as the heroes of sustainable travel? Unlike massive chain-hotels that cost tens of thousands per room-nights, and a slow speed-to-action as their dividends live out the turning of an oil tanker, boutique hotels are nimble and inherently linked to the places and people they impinge upon. Here’s how they’re doing it:
- Eco-Conscious Operations: More Than Just a Leafy Logo
Boutique hotels often have the benefit of owners who are passionate about their hotel, and actively oversee operations. This passion translates into actionable eco-efforts. Consider Savista Retreat, a boutique eco-retreat on the outskirts of Jaipur, India. It harvests rainwater, uses solar energy, and uses food waste by composting to operate its beautiful organic gardens—an example of just how deep sustainability can be integrated into the daily operations of a hospitality business.
- Waste Warriors: Putting food waste from the kitchen straight into composting bins to feed their gardens, reducing single-use plastics from shampoo bottles and moving onto more serious recycling programs.
- Water Wizards: Many have rainwater harvesting systems, will recycle greywater for irrigation, and encourage guests to be mindful of consumption without guilt trip rationing like you’re in an apocalypse.
- Energy Efficiency Experts: Solar panels are more common, energy efficient appliances, LED lighting, smart architecture maximising natural light and ventilation instead of fan-style climate control.
- Actionable Tip for Travelers: Look for certifications or mentions of these practices on their websites. Just ask!
- Food, Glorious (Locally Sourced) Food!
Many boutique hotels offer truly incredible dining experiences that prioritize experiences over fuel.
- Farm-to-Fork Freshness: Several boutique hotels – especially more rural and semi-rural boutique hotels – have their own organic kitchen gardens. Savista Retreat, for example, serves vegetarian meals made from seasonal produce grown directly on its estate—encouraging guests to taste produce that was picked a few hours earlier.
- Hyper-Local Sourcing: Oftentimes, if they do not have all the ingredients in-house – they will prioritize using local farmers, fishers, and food producers to source the ingredients. This allows visitors to partake in the local economy, and affords them an appropriate flavor of the region.
- Seasonal Sensibility: Travel menus change with the season since they celebrate what is fresh and available and avoid shipping exotic ingredients from around the globe. It’s an experiential food adventure, designed and dictated by nature.
- An Actionable Recommend for Travelers: Ask your hotel staff about the source of their ingredients. The hotel staff who are proud of their local connections will be happy to tell you!
- Community at its Core: It Takes a Village (Hotel)
Sustainable travel doesn’t only mean sustainable trees; sustainable travel means sustainable people. Boutique hotels have a deeper and more positive impact on local communities than regular hotels.
- Local Jobs : Boutique hotels attract their staff from nearby areas, which creates real local jobs and real local hospitality. At Savista Retreat, many of its staff members come from the surrounding villages, providing its guests with an excellent experience and helping to sustain livelihood in the local area.
- Supporting Local Artisans: Boutique hotels nearly always hang local art on their walls and have local textiles in the room. Savista uses locally woven textiles, local artisanship décor that support craft tradition and heritage skills.
- Authentic Cultural Exchange: Boutique hotels help you navigate more authentic cultural exchanges: a cooking class with a local chef, a trip to a village, insight into local traditions more than a “tourist show.”
- Simple Traveler Tip: Ask your hotel about any community projects they support, or local artisans. Participate respectfully with them.
- Heritage Huggers: Preserving the Past for the Future
Often, boutique hotels are represented in lovingly restored historical places – an old ranch, a city-center apartment, or even an old fort.
- Architectural Angels: Rather than demolishing and starting anew, they reanimate old structures that have stories to tell. They respect architectural heritage and have a lower environment impact than new buildings. When you spend the night at some of best boutique hotels in Jaipur, for instance, you are walking on generations of history being preserved by owners who see themselves as custodians of a place rather than simply a place to sleep. They are offering more than a room to sleep; they are offering you into the beating heart of a city. Savista Retreat is located in a repurposed 19th-century haveli (or manor house) that respects the heritage architecture yet is modified for comfort and sustainability.
- Cultural Custodians: By opening a business in these spaces, they are often informal custodians of local history and traditions while they share these stories with guests.
- Actionable Tip for Travelers: Stay at hotels that advocate for and preserve local heritage. Know the story and history of the hotel you are sleeping in.
- Guest as a Conscious Voyager, Not Just a Tourist
With a sense of personal service that connects guests to the sustainability journey, boutique hotels are in a unique position to introduce guests to sustainability without sounding preachy or virtuous.
- Subtle Nudges: Types of information regarding local wildlife, reminders about reducing water use and options to participate in eco-activities allow guests to choose to engage.
- Creating Ambassadors: It’s a lot easier to get folks talking about responsible travel when they have had an awesome and real sustainable experience. After the guided nature walks, engagement opportunities with the community, and cultural immersion, guests often left Savista as advocacy travelers.
- Actionable tip for travelers: Take advantage! Learn, engage and take your sustainable habits home!
It’s Not Always Easy Being Green (But Boutique Hotels Are Trying Harder!)
Let’s face it. To implement genuinely sustainable practices takes commitment, investment, and to navigate against the path of “easier” or “cheaper”. Boutique hotels may struggle on various levels for some initiatives in comparison to some corporate giants, but their heart, agility, and relationships with their impacts almost always will take them there.
So, What’s the Punchline? (Hint: It’s You!)
The rising phenomenon which is known as sustainable travel is much more than a trend; it’s a complete transformation in how we see, experience and engage with the world. And more often than not, boutique hotels like them, leading by example, are showing luxury and responsibility don’t have to be mutually exclusive, they can coexist. Properties like Savista Retreat are changing how we think about travelling in a way that is luxurious and also conscious—providing authenticity and heart along with a better way to experience India.
So, the next time you go away, do some research. Look past thread count and infinity pools (as nice as they may be!). Look for the places that are investing in their community, their environment and your experience that is going to be worthwhile. When you choose to support these forward-thinking properties, you’re not just booking a room; you’re effectively voting for a sustainable, fairer and more beautiful future for travel for all of us. And who knows, you may find your most interesting travel stories come from the places that care the most.
Enjoy the (sustainable) travel!
