These Worldwide Resorts Are Taking Reservations… And Making A Difference

Photo Credit: Omni Atlanta

We all like to stay in the lap of luxury, but what if you could help others while still enjoying yourself on holiday? Ah, the dream! Here are the best hotels around the world that also do some good, which will make you feel doubly good about being out of the office.

Photo Credit: 1 Hotel South Beach

1HOTEL SOUTH BEACH
2341 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL
The 1 Hotel brand has been giving to the environment for awhile—in fact, all of the hotels in its portfolio use reclaimed materials like 100% organic cotton sheets and hemp-blend mattresses, as well as serve farm-fresh food. But this South Beach retreat, inspired by its oceanfront location, also supports several charities: The Nature Conservatory, Action Against Hunger (with in-room dining purchases partly allocated to the organization), NRDC’s Environmental Entrepreneurs (a partnership designed to support and develop young entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders trying improve the world through advocacy change), and Housing Works (whose annual holiday initiative, 1 Less Thing, urges guests to donate clothing to those in need, which begins—quite appropriately—on November 15, America Recycles Day).

ACE HOTEL LONDON
100 Shoreditch High St, London
The super trendy Ace Hotel London—located in the city’s most creative district of Shoreditch, a hub for galleries, theater and design, and home to the Brick Lane Market, landmark creatives and renegade artists from around the world—is launching a collaboration with MyMusicRx, the flagship program of Children’s Cancer Association (CCA), alongside its sister hotel in NYC. Come December, the Ace will welcome artists to online stream performances from the beds at its hotel to raise awareness for children who spend the holidays in their hospital beds.

Photo Credit: The Driskill

THE DRISKILL
604 Brazos St, Austin, TX
The Driskill was originally built in 1886 as the showplace of a cattle baron, but this newly renovated, upscale Texas hotel—the oldest, in fact, in Austin—is a landmark for much more than its mere age (or the fact that it was featured in Sandra Bullock’s 200 comedy Miss Congeniality): it supports numerous community organizations and events through partnerships, donations and fundraisers in forums such as community improvement, performing arts, social services for children and environmental sustainability. The staff is also involved in the Hyatt-wide philanthropic initiative THRIVE, a corporate responsibility platform.

Photo Credit: Fairmont Seattle

FAIRMONT OLYMPIC HOTEL
411 University St, Seattle, WA
In addition to having a green initiative, the recently renovated and historic landmark Fairmont Olympic Hotel gives back by transforming into a winter wonderland with its Festival of Trees. This year, there are 22 Christmas trees designed by local Seattle artists on display in the lobby from November 18 to 29. Each tree, with a special storyboard that honors a heroic young patient from Seattle Children’s Hospital, is available for sponsorship and purchase with proceeds going to the hospital. Further, every year between November 23 and December 26, the hotel converts a corner suite into a teddy bear wonderland. As a holiday tradition, when local residents and guests alike come to visit it, 100 percent of the donations raised benefit the children’s hospital.

Photo Credit: HarbourView Inn
HARBOURVIEW INN
2 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC
Charleston’s intimate B&B-style HarbourView Inn (housed in a former 1930s cotton warehouse) invites unaccompanied visitors to live like locals, give back to the community and rejuvenate their souls with the Solo Southern Retreat program. In partnership with One80 Place—the local community kitchen serving an average of 185 lunches per day—the immersive experience includes a full day of volunteering there, a $50 certificate to Hank’s Seafood Restaurant (where solo travelers can dine among locals at the city’s first communal table), a $50 donation to One80 Place under the guests’ names, a complimentary bike for a cycling adventure down the South of Broad, and a communal artisanal breakfast service.Photo Credit: Inn By The Sea

INN BY THE SEA
40 Bowery Beach Rd,
Cape Elizabeth, ME
This charming, 61-room inn is just a stone’s throw from Portland, Maine with a LEED-certified spa and several additional design features that aim to mitigate its impact on the environment—such as solar panels, recycled sheet rock walls, no VOC paint, wall coverings and carpeting, recycled cork floors, dual flush toilets, air to air heat exchangers, indigenous gardens and electric vehicle charging stations. But that’s not all: Inn by the Sea is also involved in copious community programs, including Foster Dogs! (which works with the Animal Rescue League of Greater Portland to shelter four-legged friends), Books for Booking (which purchases one book for local schools with every reservation made) and a giving tree (where students in participating schools who receive said books create hand-made ornaments that guests, community and staff will trade for new warm clothes for less fortunate neighbors and food banks), among others.

Photo Credit: Kimpton

KIMPTON HOTEL MONACO PORTLAND
506 SW Washington St,
Portland, OR
The eco-chic Monaco Portland resort has a dedicated ‘Care Committee’ made up of employees who volunteer their time and energy to identify local causes that are meaningful to them—including Transition Projects (a non-profit that provides homeless individuals with essentials like clothing, food and shelter) and both a mentor program and fundraising campaign for it. In addition, the hotel donates $1 from each specialty drink sold at its Red Star Tavern and sister bars, Bacchus Bar, Three Degrees and Pazzo, to the organization.

Photo Credit: Palmetto Bluff

THE MONTAGE PALMETTO BLUFF
477 Mount Pelia Rd, Bluffton, SC

Montage Palmetto Bluff is a glorious, old-world, Southern-style stunner nestled along the May River in South Carolina between Hilton Head Island and Savannah. The resort is set within an award-winning 20,000-acre community, Palmetto Bluff, which encompasses an extensive nature preserve, walking trails, a vibrant village, marina, restaurants, and a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course. And thankfully, Palmetto Bluff offers charitable initiatives that coincide with its picture-perfect backdrop. One of the largest in place is its contribution to Second Helpings—a non-profit that ‘rescues’ millions of pounds of food destined for landfills and gives it to agencies to feed the disadvantaged (via an annual three-day event, “Music to Your Mouth,” which has raised more than $100,000). The community’s annual donation keeps a truck on the road all year, distributing food to over 60 organizations across three counties. It also supports the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, a non-profit organization founded by the resort’s owners, Crescent Communities, to look after the land and advise on development plans.

Photo Credit: Nihiwatu

NIHIWATU RESORT
Nusa Tenggara Tim, Hoba Wawi, Wanokaka, Hoba Wawi, Wanokaka, Kabupaten Sumba Barat, Nusa Tenggara Tim., Indonesia
Nihiwatu has been named the best resort in the world for two years running, thanks to its rugged beauty, luxury sensibilities, spa safari, horseback riding, yoga and wellness practices—not to mention the on-site chocolate factory—and its dedication to giving back. This Sumba Island locale works with The Sumba Foundation to lessen the consequences of poverty on the island. Its goal is to provide humanitarian aid through village-based projects that measurably impact local health by establishing access to clean water, creating educational programs and lessening the effects of malaria.

Photo Credit: Omni Atlanta

OMNI ATLANTA
100 CNN Center NW, Atlanta, GA
Nestled in the heart of downtown Atlanta with easy access to Centennial Olympic Park, Philips Arena and the Georgia Dome, Omni Atlanta Hotel at the CNN Center offers a luxurious getaway that’s footsteps away from the hustle and bustle of one of America’s most cosmopolitan cities. But beyond its heated outdoor pool and in-room fitness kits, the hotel also began a brand-wide initiative that supports Feeding America and its network of food banks. Outside of donating funds directly to the non-profit, over 5,300 Omni associates have volunteered more than 9,400 hours of their time. The property is also involved with Goodnight to Hunger, the American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the American Heart Associations (among others), as well as local charities The Atlanta Mission, Women’s Community Kitchen at Grace United Methodist Church, the Hunger Walk sponsored by the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity’s Build Project, and Kashi Atlanta Street Meals (which distributes boxed lunches to homeless people from the Peachtree Pine Men’s Shelter).

Photo Credit: Peninsula Beverly Hills

THE PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS
9882 S Santa Monica Blvd,
Beverly Hills, CA
This supremely elegant spot—one of the most glamorous locations in the City of Angels—inspires guests to appreciate all things pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October. The Peninsula Hotels’ “Peninsula in Pink” campaign, which just celebrated its seven-year anniversary, champions the fight against breast cancer by raising awareness and funds for local charities and providing much-needed care for patients. Hotel guests enjoy specially-designed, pink-themed welcome amenities, dining and spa promotions, including a weekly rooftop yoga series (all proceeds are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation), Pink Afternoon Tea (which offers rose-hued petite pastries for the cause), Drinks in Pink (a collection of rose-colored cocktails served at The Belvedere Terrace on Thursdays), Pink Treat (its signature, hand-painted dessert) and its Perfectly Pink Pedicure (a treatment offered with pink-tinged salt flakes).Photo Credit: Ritz-Carlton NOLA

RITZ-CARLTON, NEW ORLEANS
921 Canal St, New Orleans, LA
Set within the historic 1908 Beaux Arts Maison Blanche building, the New Orleans Ritz retains the grace and charm of an antebellum mansion. Guests of this French Quarter hotel are immediately spoiled with the popular area attractions nearby, including Bourbon Street, but can also enjoy local traditions right in the courtyard, which hosts special events such as a Crawfish Concierge, Snowball Sommelier and Oyster Butler. Beyond the upscale experience, however, it supports a variety of local charitable initiatives—like assembling school supplies and art materials in backpacks for donation to students whose academic success is threatened by poverty, as well as preparing dishes for a local hunger relief organization.

Photo Credit: ShangriaLASouzou

SHANGRI-LA SUZHOU
168 Tayuan Rd, ShiShan, Huqiu Qu, Suzhou Shi, Jiangsu Sheng, China, 215000
The ethereal Shangri-La Suzhou—located in the Jiangsu province of China—is best known for its “Hearing the World” campaign, which sponsors cochlear implant surgeries for underprivileged children. In 2015, Chen Siyi, a seven-year-old girl from Yancheng, Jiangsu, was its first beneficiary. The hotel paid for all operation costs (including the artificial cochlear, examination and hospitalization) from funds raised at its Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. In January 2017, Wang Haibo, a four-year-old boy, received the surgery after the Shangri-La Suzhou raised over $18,000 to cover the expenses.

Photo Credit: Sheraton Kauai

SHERATON KAUAI
2440 Hoonani Rd, Koloa, HI
This beachfront hotel on the shores of Kauai offers more than access to stunning sunsets, pristine white beaches and the crystal-clear waters of Poipu: it’s also home to the Table 53 charity fundraising program at its signature restaurant, RumFire Poipu Beach. It donates all net food and beverage proceeds from its oceanfront table 53 throughout the year, raising more than $185,000 for various Kauai non-profits. And, this year, the Hawaiian resort introduced another program that donates rental proceeds from one of its eight poolside bungalows to a designated charity—$20,000 between this past April and August, which went to the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children, a member of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Future proceeds will go to the annual Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association’s Visitor Industry Charity Walk, benefiting over 50 Kauai non-profits annually. A Global Citizenship committee of Sheraton Kauai team members also organizes community events throughout the year, including volunteer days at the Salvation Army and cleanups along the coastline and at the Maluhia Tree Tunnel. Over the past year and a half, its donations for silent auctions and event prizes total more than $100,000. It also serves as a regular host hotel to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Wounded Warriors Projects, and mandates participation in at least three community events from all of its managers.

Photo Credit: The Breakers

THE BREAKERS
1 S County Rd, Palm Beach, FL
An elegant 19th-century hotel in the heart of Palm Beach, The Breakers is well-known for its unapologetic luxury, seaside glamour and world-class service. But it also firmly stands by a do-gooder philosophy through The Breakers GIVES program. From the moment its team members are hired, they are all asked to contribute their time, energy and resources to benefit those in need. Last year alone, they volunteered 24,101 hours building homes for the homeless, providing support to enhance the welfare of individuals and families with start-up resources and advocacy, and raising awareness and funds to eradicate illnesses. Town of Palm Beach United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Quantum House, Hope Water, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, The Walk to Defeat ALS, Feeding South Florida, Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance, The Arc of Palm Beach County, Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, and First Tee are just a few of the many beneficiaries of its social impact. The resort also has its own signature initiatives, such as The Breakers’ Community Service Day in memory of Jacqué McCann, the Be Our Guest community volunteer recognition program, and the Christmas in September toy and gift collection.