Look for LEEDers With their relatively high water and energy usage, it's difficult for spas and resorts to be both luxurious and green. And because of all the hype out there, it's equally tough for travelers to find the properties that really are walking the walk. Hard, maybe, but not impossible.
One way to find an eco-friendly U.S. property is to look for a resort that's LEED certified. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council to help companies design, build, and operate structures more sustainably. Gradually improved upon since its launch in 2000, LEED now covers everything from lighting fixtures to local purchasing strategies. Certification is awarded according to points earned for such things as water and energy conservation. LEED Platinum is the highest designation, and to date only 118 buildings have received it.
It's important to remember, however, that LEED is currently used only in the United States (although other countries, including China and India, are looking into adopting it), and it only applies to the building itself, not its landscaping or day-to-day operation. Travelers looking for the greenest spa getaway should also find out what products the spa uses (see Find a Green Spa) and how the resort interacts with its natural surroundings (see Leave a Small Footprint).
Still, LEED remains the gold standard of green design in the United States, which is why these six LEED-certified properties deserve kudos.
Napa's Spa Gaia, which has an East-meets-West philosophy of healing, is certified LEED Gold.
CALIFORNIA Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa (American Canyon) Situated at the gateway to Napa Valley, this 132-room hotel was the country's first LEED Gold-certified lodging and has nifty features such as skylights shaped like magnifying glasses to help light interiors and a real-time display of the hotel's energy use in the lobby. The spa at this winery-hopping base camp offers locally sourced grapeseed scrubs, and its restaurant features seasonal, organic, local produce. From $99 per night
CALIFORNIA Montage Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills) The first LEED Gold-certified luxury resort in Southern California, this brand-new property features a 28, 500 square-foot public garden, super energy-efficient elevators, and an advanced irrigation management system that reduces the amount of water used in its landscaping. The resort also uses no chlorine in its pools and is one of few hotels in the country with a Director of Sustainability on staff. In the spa, programs geared toward recycling, energy efficiency, and water-resource management keep the environmental impact of treatments to a minimum. From $495 per night
A treatment room at the LEED Silver-certified Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida.
FLORIDA Sandpearl Resort (Clearwater Beach) The first new resort built on Clearwater Beach since the 1990s, Sandpearl recently achieved LEED Silver certification thanks to its innovative heating and cooling systems, in-room energy management systems, and geothermal pool-heating system. The resort also uses ozone instead of chlorine to keep its pools clean and has installed low-flow water fixtures that it predicts will reduce water use by up to 20 percent. From $320 per night
GEORGIA The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens (Pine Mountain) A nonprofit dedicated to environmental education, Callaway consists of a 13,000-acre preserve with gardens, hiking trails, and a butterfly center—so it's fitting that this resort would be built with recycled materials and super-efficient plumbing, lighting, and air-filtration systems. Most of the treatments in the 13-room spa are infused with all-natural ingredients inspired by their gardens. From $199 per night
A view of the 40-foot rock-climbing wall at the Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino's Canyon Ranch SpaClub.
NEVADA The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino (Las Vegas) The country's largest LEED-certified building, this all-suite high-rise on the Las Vegas Strip opened in 2008 with novel features such as valet bicycle parking and motion sensors that turn on lights and air conditioning only when people enter the room. Proving that eco-friendly needn't mean plain, the hotel's Canyon Ranch SpaClub offers an assortment of innovative services and amenities, from treatments that incorporate organic products to a 40-foot rock-climbing wall and water-efficient showers. The SpaClub's fitness center has also eliminated bottled water distribution. From $199 per night
NEW YORK Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness (Albany) At New York's first and only LEED Gold certified spa, guests can choose from a wide and varied menu of treatments that includes everything from Ayurveda and Chinese herbs to body bronzing and high-tech facials. The super energy-efficient spa also stocks its retail counter with eco-friendly and organic skincare lines, including Ytsara, YonKa, and Kneipp. From $77 for a 60-minute massage
OREGON Avalon Hotel & Spa (Portland) Its wine bar, complimentary breakfast, and spa with more than 30 treatments have helped make this boutique hotel on the Willamette River a go-to for hip Portlanders, and now there's a new reason to visit: the conservation, recycling, and ethical purchasing efforts Avalon implemented to garner Oregon's first LEED Silver certification last August. From $139 per night
Nusta Spa in Washington, D.C. was the first LEED-certified spa in the country.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Nusta Spa The first LEED-certified urban day spa in the country, Nusta is a pioneer in the green spa world. Thanks to its energy- and water-saving features and waste-reduction strategies, the spa earned LEED Gold. Even better, it has gone on to operate its spa as responsibly as possible, using only organic products, including its own line of organic skincare with sustainably sourced ingredients. From $95 for a 50-minute massage
WYOMING Hotel Terra Jackson Hole (Teton Village) The LEED Silver-certified Hotel Terra boasts nontoxic paints and cleaning supplies, energy-saving fixtures, and an advanced system that purifies wastewater and releases it back into the surrounding land. In addition to its green structure, the hotel's Chill Spa features organic cotton robes, handmade organic treatment ingredients, and reusable water bottles for guests. From $229 per night
GOOD & GREEN To spot an eco-friendly spa without the help of LEED, Hitesh Mehta, primary editor of the International Ecolodge Guidelines, suggests looking for properties that help preserve the local ecology and contribute to the community. Another telltale sign? Energy conservation. "If a property is not using alternative technologies like solar or wind power and water and energy conservation techniques, it is probably not really an 'eco' property," he says.
With their relatively high water and energy usage, it's difficult for spas and resorts to be both luxurious and green. And because of all the hype out there, it's equally tough for travelers to find the properties that really are walking the walk. Hard, maybe, but not impossible. 
