If you’re planning a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark and wish to make your stay an eco-friendly experience, the city offers a handful of green lodging options. From a luxury hotel that puts your fitness to good use to a chain of hotels honored with the city’s sustainable seal of approval, you can easily book a stay in Copenhagen that accommodates your green lifestyle.

Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers embraces an innovative concept that benefits both the hotel and their guests. Usually, when you visit a hotel fitness center, you’re working off extra calories from sampling local cuisine and staying fit while on vacation. However, at this specific Crowne Plaza, your bike pedaling not only generates electricity, but will also earn you a free meal.

Two pedaling bikes connected to generators provide an answer to the energy demands of the luxury hotel, which guests are free to use. Any person that generates 100 watt hours using the bike will receive in return – a meal worth approximately $36. The bikes have convenient screens that allow riders to track their progress and see how much electricity they have generated. It takes someone in relatively good shape to produce up to 100 watt hours in 60 minutes.

Aside from this ingenious concept, the hotel is known as the first in Denmark to receive all of its energy through renewable and sustainable sources. Solar panels and a groundwater-based cooling and heating system helps the Crowne Plaza conserve precious resources.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located in the center of the city, where more than 300 rooms await your arrival and are spread across 26 floors.

Radisson SAS Chain of Hotels

The Nordic Eco-label called “the Swan” is the seal of approval given to esteemed eco-friendly products and services. It’s a highly regarded honor and three SAS Radisson Hotel chains in Copenhagen have received it.

The Royal Hotel is considered one of the most prestigious out of all the 5-star hotels in Copenhagen, and was the first out of all the local Radisson establishments to receive green recognition. The second to receive the label was the Radisson SAS Scandinavia, which offers more than 500 rooms located in the center of the city. With a glorious concert hall, the Radisson SAS Falconer claimed their label third.

As for the remaining Radisson SAS chains, the company has a goal to transform the hotels into lodging worthy of getting their own Swan label.

Scandic Copenhagen

After undergoing a renovation, the Scandic Copenhagen has received a makeover that involves sustainable, natural and recyclable materials when possible. For example, low VOC paints and finishes were selected as part of their green initiatives. A stay at the hotel places you in the midst of Tivoli Gardens, the old port of Nyhavn, and the Little Mermaid statue. Other features include a sauna, relaxation center, and onsite gym.

The Scandic Copenhagen also embraces environmental cleaning, energy conservation, and water conservation. Guestrooms are outfitted with recycling bins. Through their PR and education programs, the hotel promotes green initiatives, and educates their guests and staff on greener ways to live.

Reprinted with permission from The Green Connoisseur