ARIA Resort and Casino at CityCenter, Las Vegas.

By Maria Mora

Recently, hotel and resort properties have been adopting eco-friendly practices– making it easier than ever to go green on vacation. When I’m searching for hotels, I look for properties that use energy-saving light bulbs, natural sources of energy and environmentally-friendly housekeeping products.

Here are five Las Vegas hotels that go easy on the environment without sacrificing the fun and luxury you expect from Las Vegas vacations.

• Vdara Hotel and Spa: Not everyone goes to Vegas for the gaming. The all-suite hotel, award-winning for its responsible building standards, pampers guests with a non-gaming, smoke-free environment. Since it’s adjacent to the Bellagio, guests can still enjoy the glitz and energy of the Strip before retiring to a Zen-like oasis.
• Courtyard by Marriott Las Vegas: I love seeing budget hotels with eco-friendly features. This hotel has earned the ENERGY STAR label from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The Marriott Las Vegas is a great option if you’re traveling to Vegas to visit some of the other attractions like the Hoover Dam. Since it’s not on the Strip, you’ll need a car or taxi to hit the casinos.
• Aria Hotel and Casino: The Aria was built using high standards of environmental performance, earning it a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification. As one of the newest properties on the Strip, it attracts guests looking for sleek rooms and modern design.
• Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino: This upscale resort casino, also LEED-certified, pulls out all the stops with much larger suites than most Vegas hotel rooms. Right now, you can catch the Tony award-winning musical Jersey Boys in the resort’s theater.
• Doubletree Club Las Vegas Airport: The Doubletree uses energy-saving devices throughout the hotel to reduce its carbon footprint. And thanks to the reasonable price, you can also scale back the over-all cost of your Las Vegas vacation. Doubletree Club also offers a complimentary shuttle right to the MGM to get in on the action on the Strip, for less.

Maria Mora is a memoir blogger and wannabe photographer. She travels extensively throughout Florida and the Caribbean with her two young sons.