Two Colorado hotels up for USA Today’s best eco-friendly award
Jonathan Ross
Voting is open for USA Today’s 10Best eco-friendly hotels and two Colorado hotels are nominated.
USA Today’s 10Best is a reader’s choice awards program that highlights the best in everything from destinations and activities to food and drink and hotels. An expert panel selects the nominees for each category and readers vote to determine the ten winners.
According to USA Today, the hotels nominated for “best eco-friendly” have “gone above and beyond to promote environment sustainability.” They have earned certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the U.S. Green Building Council or other industry awards in sustainability.
The Little Nell in Aspen uses the sun to offset energy use, according to USA Today. The hotel’s largest suite is run by solar power. The hotel also has EV charging stations and a composting program. The employee-run Environmental Foundation helps protect and sustain Aspen’s environment. The Little Nell is currently in nineteenth place.
Viceroy Snowmass was also nominated and is a LEED Gold-certified resort. According to USA Today, the hotel is 30 percent more energy-efficient than similar traditional properties. It has improved insulation, high-performance windows, and efficient mechanical and electrical systems. Viceroy Snowmass also uses nontoxic and hypoallergenic cleaning products and cleans and reseals shampoo and conditioner bottles. The hotel is currently in second place.
Readers can vote once per day until voting ends on August 12 at noon. The ten winners will be announced on August 21.
Check out the full list of nominees here.




