Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
What Makes It Great
Six luxurious lodges amid 54,500 acres of African bush.
What Makes It Green
The reserve reclaimed farmland and has reintroduced endangered species, including 16 black rhinos (27-11-809-4300; phinda.com; doubles, $870–$1,504).

Finca Rosa Blanca Country Inn, Santa Bárbara de Heredia, Costa Rica
What Makes It Great
This inn's 13 modern rooms have hot tubs, private balconies, and views of the cloud forest and volcano.
What Makes It Green
Waste is composted for the inn's 30-acre organic coffee farm, and the inn supports community recycling centers (506-269-9392; finca-rblanca.co.cr; doubles, $270).

Inkaterra Machu Picchu, Peru
What Makes It Great
Elegant rooms with spa-style bathrooms and fireplaces await after a customized trip to the ancient Incan city.
What Makes It Green
The resort is carbon neutral and has protected 30,000 acres of cloud forest (800-442-5042; inkaterra.com; doubles, $228–$432).

Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla, Sri Lanka
What Makes It Great
Near two World Heritage Sites, the resort has balconied rooms with water or mountain views.
What Makes It Green
LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the hotel is built on stilts to maintain rainwater flow to a water-recycling reservoir (94-66-555-5000; heritancehotels.com; doubles, $114).

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta
What Makes It Great
Located in Banff National Park, it specializes in après-ski comfort.
What Makes It Green
Besides following Fairmont's progressive environmental policies, the hotel gets 40 percent of its electricity from clean-energy sources (403-522-3511; fairmont.com/lakelouise; doubles, $200–$500).

URBAN

The Orchid, Mumbai, India
What Makes It Great
Well-appointed rooms, a pool, a gym, and top-notch concierge services.
What Makes It Green
Each room's "Eco-Button" sets the thermostat on an energy-efficient mode. It also has an on-site wastewater treatment plant (91-22-2616-4040; orchidhotel.com; doubles, $155–$300).

Green Hotel, Mysore, India
What Makes It Great
This palace-turned-hotel features formal gardens and 31 rooms furnished with Indian-made crafts.
What Makes It Green
Solar energy powers the hotel, which donates all profits to local environmental charities (91-821-425-5000; greenhotelindia.com; doubles, $70–$146).

Orchard Garden Hotel, San Francisco, California
What Makes It Great
Steps from Chinatown, it has 86 rooms with iPod docks and Wi-Fi.
What Makes It Green
The LEED-certified hotel has in-room recycling and key-card energy-control systems, and uses chemical-free cleaning products (415-399-9807; theorchardgardenhotel.com; doubles, $209–$349).