Marriott has a company-wide policy to cut energy consumption (not just costs) by 25 percent by 2017; they've also debuted “spudware,” biodegradable cutlery made from potato and soy, and turned golf courses into Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. So it’s little surprise that this year’s Sustained Excellence award winner from the Environmental Protection Agency went to New York City’s downtown Marriott. Yes, that Marriott in the sweltering asphalt jungle of Manhattan’s Financial District. The 497-room property is also the home of Roy’s, the eclectic Hawaiian-fusion restaurant.

For more information: New York Marriott Downtown

The ranch was founded by wildlife biologist Pamela Knowles after she realized how disconnected most people are from the natural world. You'll have your choice of tipi or log cabin on this private bison reserve. Since they only allow one group at a time on the ranch, you will have a customized western adventure with spa and organic bison stew options to boot. Completely wind and solar powered, there's even a compost bin for organic waste (kept out of camp "because of potential bear problems").

For more information: Bison Quest Sanctuary

From the solar-powered swimming pools to the biodegradable tiki bar, the Banyan Resort in Key West is an emerald green jewel. This restored historic 1800s estate is the first "Green Lodging Facility" in the Florida Keys. The deck is made out of recycled lumber and the grounds are xeriscaped—landscaped with water-conserving xeric plants—with native flora. Staff checks air conditioning levels four times a day.

For more information: Banyan Resort

The Seaport produces a kind of on-site ozone layer for its laundry system. The ozone cleans linens more efficiently with fewer chemicals and shorter cycles. Free bikes let you ride along the historic waterfront. Or if you insist on traveling by fossil fuel, fill up with some of the Seaport's own biodiesel—recycled from the kitchen's cooking oil. One of their buildings even has a green roof, covered in sedum plants to reduce heating and cooling costs and limit thermal pollution.

For more information: The Seaport

Just a few minutes from Honolulu, the Wyland Waikiki didn't have to be retrofitted to be sustainable. It was designed from the ground up based on marine artist Robert Wyland's vision of education and conservation. There's a 480-gallon aquarium teeming with yellow tang fish and a solitary blue damselfish (representing humanity overwhelming the fragile ocean ecosystem).

For more information: The Wyland Waikiki

Nothing is wasted at the Lookout Point Inn. Old sheets and towels are donated to charity. And even unused toilet paper is given to the staff. Having a natural hot spring to take a warm soak in also helps cut heating costs.

For more information: Lookout Point Inn

A cluster of 1920s bungalows makes up the Los Feliz Lodges in Los Angeles, just a few blocks from Sunset Boulevard by the hipster neighborhood of Silver Lake. Skylights and skytubes bring in the California sun, and a series of fans keep out the California heat. Waste food is composted to feed the gardens.

For more information: Los Feliz Lodges

Fairmont has been an industry leader in greening their hotels, making the process part of their corporate mission. Measures vary by hotel, but free parking for hybrids, for example, is offered in all of their California properties. In D.C., the hotel directs some of its electricity dollars to wind power and have installed a hydrocarbon-powered dry cleaning machine. They’ll soon be rolling out Eco Meet so businesses can hold green conferences, as well as a green wedding program.

For more information: The Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

At this getaway in Kachemak Bay State Park, the entire place is off the grid, generating its own electricity through wind and hydro power. The lodges are hand-built from scavenged driftwood and the hotel supplies its own kayaks and fishing gear to lodgers at no extra cost. It’s not only eco-friendly it’s relaxing: Groups of eight can have a lodge to themselves and watch bald eagles flock on the beach.

For more information: Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge

Kimpton Hotels was a pioneer in ecologically aware hotels in the U.S., a trend that started at this boutique hotel. Today, there’s an extensive recycling program and energy-efficient everything, and virtually every piece of paper—from your in-room napkins to your bill—are made from recycled material. And the eco-rooms have water-saving devices, water filtration systems and air purifiers. But whether you’re at a Kimpton in D.C., Denver, or any other of the chain’s other hotels, you’re not ruining the Earth—the entire company has adopted many of these eco-practices.

For more information: Hotel Triton

It’s hard to describe the Asheville Green Cottage, just outside of the arts-and-crafts heart of Asheville, N.C., without using the word ‘organic’ a lot. You’ll find organic local fruit, natural latex mattress with organic wool toppers and organic cotton sheets, along with organic towels and toiletries. It’s a good match with the B&B’s fair-trade coffees and teas, non-toxic cleaning products and chlorine-filtering showerheads.

For more information: Asheville Green Cottage

Water is a precious commodity out in the semi-arid desert, and this luxury hotel takes its conservation seriously. Not only do they collect rain for watering the lawn, but they reuse all the waste water (yes, you read that right) by pumping it through an extensive, innovative filtration system that involves hitting it with ultraviolet rays and other measures. In this way, the water can be cleaned without environmentally unfriendly chlorine. Need more? The structure is built from a material called “gunash” which looks and acts like adobe but is made from recycled power plant ash.

For more information: El Monte Sagrado

The walls of this B&B, set among Colorado's 14,000-foot-tall mountains, are made of local adobe and strawbale, and ceilings are insulated with cellulose from old newspapers. In addition to solar and wind energy, rooms face the sun to minimize heating costs. Wood floors and cabinets were built with standing-dead, blue-stain, beetle-killed pines that were naturally dead (and still strong). Hot water is on-demand.

For more information: Las Manos Bed & Breakfast

Efforts here consist of using ladybugs as natural pesticides and shade trees as natural coolers. The plants don’t require much water, and are only watered at night or in the morning, when watering is most effective. The hotel has received cooperation from the city of Austin as well, which partnered with the hotel to ration thermostats during peak periods to prevent brownouts from energy hogs.

For more information: Habitat Suites

Conceived and created as a green hotel, this is one of the few LEED-certified hotels in the U.S. It was built with low-emission wallpaper and carpet, as well as wood taken from non-virgin forests. And every room has a system where lights and appliances can only be used if a keycard is in a wall slot, which ensures you don’t leave anything on while you’re out.

For more information: Orchard Garden Hotel

The floors of this tiny B&B are heated with a solar-powered water system, and the cooling is handled naturally with cross-ventilation. Curl up on a bed of natural latex foam wrapped in wool and organic cotton that rests on a wood frame harvested from sustainably managed forests. The native landscape is managed through composting, and furnishings are treated with minimally chemical-laden paints, varnishes, adhesives and sealants.

For more information: Journey Inn