5 eco-friendly Las Vegas vacations

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 reasonableprice, 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.