Girls Who Eat is highlighting hotels where the kitchen is as intentional as the spa. That means on-site organic gardens, local and seasonal sourcing, seed-oil-free cooking, fermentation programs, estate vineyards, and chefs who treat ingredients with the same standards we bring to every other area of non-toxic living.

Farm-to-table isn’t just a menu label; it’s a philosophy. The properties below go well beyond décor and dining room aesthetics. Every property below is growing or raising at least part of what lands on your plate, whether that's a backyard herb garden or a full working farm. These are the hotels where eating well is baked into the DNA of the stay.

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no synthetic fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards or still has synthetic fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: How We Vet Hotel Food 🚨

Before we get into our picks, here’s what the GWE team actually looks at when evaluating a hotel’s food program.

🚫 Seed Oils in the Kitchen | Most hotel kitchens default to canola, soybean, or vegetable oil because they’re cheap and shelf-stable. We look for properties that cook with olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or butter, or at minimum are willing to swap cooking oils when asked.

🚫 Farm-to-Table With No Receipts | A lot of hotels use farm-to-table language on their website or menu without sourcing locally, growing on-site, or having any real relationship with nearby producers. We look for specifics: named farms, on-property gardens, seasonal menus that actually change.

🚫 Imported Over Local | When a property in a region known for fresh, local ingredients is still importing most of its produce, that’s a red flag. We prioritize hotels that source from their own land or from farms within their region.

🚫 No Flexibility on Dietary Needs | A kitchen that can’t accommodate basic requests like cooking without seed oils, preparing dishes dairy-free, or adjusting for allergies tells you how rigid the food program is. The best farm-to-table properties build flexibility into the way they cook.

🚫 Processed Ingredients on a Wellness Menu | Refined sugars, artificial additives, and pre-made sauces have no place on a menu that claims to prioritize health. We look for whole-food cooking with minimal processing and full ingredient transparency.

The Best Farm-to-Table & Foodie Hotels 🏨

These properties met several of our core standards. We note where each one shines, what tier they are, and why they made our list.

Europe

🐄 Stanglwirt (Tirol, Austria, ★★) — This 400-year-old Tyrolean inn is a 130-acre organic farm with five-star rooms attached. The property’s own herd of cows produces 140 tonnes of organic milk a year, which goes straight into house-made cheese, butter, and yogurt served at breakfast, while a children’s farm coop supplies the eggs. The 12,000-square-meter Rock Well-Being World spa rounds out the stay with saunas, a rock sauna, and an indoor pool, alongside Stanglwirt’s own private Lipizzaner stud. Book Here!

🌿 Eumelia (Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece, ★★★) — Accredited as a Slow Food Farm, this regenerative agritourism property in the Greek countryside grows its farm-to-table cuisine literally in the garden, where organic produce is harvested daily for a zero-kilometer, vegetarian-leaning menu. Guests can join the olive harvest or grape picking, take a farm-to-table cooking class using their own pickings, or taste the estate’s own organic olive oil and natural wine straight from the source. Yoga retreats, hiking, and biking through the surrounding olive groves make this a standout hotel. Book Here!

🌾 Follonico (Tuscany, Italy, ★★) — This six-suite Tuscan farmhouse cooks in organic estate-grown olive oil and produces 50% of what lands on the table itself, with the rest sourced within a 20-kilometer radius. The saltwater pool keeps things free of synthetic fragrance throughout the property’s main spaces, and bedding is linen and cotton. Water is self-bottled through an in-house microfiltration system, used for both still and sparkling. Book Here!

🐎 Son Blanc Farmhouse (Menorca, Spain, ★★★) — Set on 130 hectares of regenerative farmland on a wild stretch of Menorca, this restored 19th-century finca already produces 50 percent of what the restaurant serves, with hens, pigs, donkeys, cows, sheep, and bees all playing a role in the farm’s closed-loop ecosystem. The kitchen works from almond and olive groves, orchards, vegetable gardens, and medicinal plants grown on-site, with the rest sourced from local organic suppliers. A large outdoor saltwater pool and daily farming or gardening activities round out the stay. Book Here, and enter code GIRLSWHOEAT in the CODE field when booking online.

🐝 Herdade da Malhadinha Nova (Albernoa, Portugal, ★★) — This 30-room estate runs its own on-site restaurant on local and mostly organic products grown right on the property, using vegetables and fruit from its own gardens and orchards alongside wine, olive oil, honey, and cereals all produced on the estate. The restaurant holds a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, and the spa leans into the same ingredients, with facials and body treatments built around estate-grown wine, honey, and rosemary. Book Here!

Mexico + South America

🌴 Playa Viva (Guerrero, Mexico, ★★★) — This Two MICHELIN Key, B Corp-certified resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast runs its own 20-acre permaculture farm, which feeds guests every day and partners with local growers for what it doesn’t grow on-site. Breakfast might mean eggs and produce harvested that morning, while lunch leans into ceviche, pozole, and roasted vegetables from the farm’s salad bar. The resort is 100% off-grid on solar power, runs a turtle conservation program, and offers wall-less yoga palapas and individual spa huts that keep the focus on the surrounding coastal forest. Book Here!

🌱 Acre Resort (San José del Cabo, Mexico, ★★) — This treehouse resort in the hills outside San José del Cabo runs a 25-acre organic farm that supplies its Michelin Green Star restaurant with more than 60 different organic crops, from citrus and mango to peppers, herbs, and root vegetables. Meat and seafood arrive fresh daily from local suppliers, and even the cocktail program draws from the farm. Guests can also enjoy the property’s own sustainable, small-batch mezcal, with treehouse accommodations and a jungle pool to top it off. Book Here!

🌿 Olivea (Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, ★★★) — This 14-room hotel in Mexico’s wine country is built around a garden, and its restaurant, Olivea Farm to Table, holds both a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star for 2025 for the way it puts that garden to work. Dinner starts with a guided walk through the garden before a nine-course tasting menu that evolves with the harvest, sourced first from the property’s organic garden, then from small local producers around Valle de Guadalupe. The hotel doubles as a working farm stay, with a café and pádel courts rounding out a slower-paced visit to the Valle. Book Here!

🌱 Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba (Sacred Valley, Peru, ★★) — Set on 100 acres of Andean hillside in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas, this colonial-style hacienda runs a fully operational 10-acre organic farm that supplies the kitchen directly. Chefs craft a menu centered on ingredients harvested steps away (think red and black quinoa, Urubamba corn, purple corn, heirloom potatoes, and freshwater trout from the nearby Pumahuanca valley), presented as refined interpretations of Peruvian classics with views of the surrounding mountains. The Mayu Spa uses 100% natural botanical extracts drawn from the on-site healing garden, and the property also offers private plunge pools, Ayurvedic programming, and a dry sauna. Book Here!

Central America & Caribbean

☁️ Hotel Belmar (Monteverde, Costa Rica, ★★★) — This family-owned eco-lodge sits high in the canopy above Monteverde, with a restaurant that overlooks the cloud forest and sources directly from the family’s own working farm, Finca Madre Tierra, and nearby local fisheries. The kitchen cooks with olive oil and butter or ghee as the default, accommodates seed-oil-free requests, and rotates the menu three times a year to follow the season. What’s more, the property offers fragrance-free spaces throughout, own-brand refillable bath products, 100% cotton bedding and towels, a private chef lunch in the on-site garden, and a private cloud forest reserve with canopy and wildlife tours. Book Here, and read our full review here!

☕ The Retreat Costa Rica (Atenas, Costa Rica, ★★★) — This wellness resort sits atop a quartz mountain in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, where an organic vegetable and herb garden grows steps from the kitchen terrace, and an on-site coffee plantation supplies the daily brew. The farm-to-table restaurant runs gluten-, dairy-, and refined sugar-free, with most produce coming straight from the property’s permaculture garden. Two saltwater pools, a Vida Mia Healing Center with Ayurvedic programming, yoga, and guided tours of the coffee plantation add to the vibe. Book Here!

ICYMI: Related Posts📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• Inside Salara: A New Desert Boutique Hotel on Baja’s Pacific Coast → Read Here

• Non-Toxic Travel: Monthly Roundup #4 → Read Here

• The Non-Toxic Hotel Pools Worth Planning a Trip Around → Read Here

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

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• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

This was my first time visiting this stretch of West Coast Mexico, and I’d heard amazing things about this art-forward, slow-living coastal town just an hour outside of Cabo. We visited Todos Santos during low season, so it was uncrowded and close enough to the center of Todos Santos to explore without being in the middle of it. What we didn’t expect was a property that delivered one of the best sleep experiences we’ve ever had (95+ sleep scores every night, thanks to my Oura ring, which for reference, it’s usually around the low 80s when visiting a new property), a staff that felt more like friends than hotel employees, and a food program that sources locally and seasonally, inspired by the location. It’s also brand new, which means it’s still building out parts of the experience, and there are a few gaps the GWE community should know about before booking.

In this review, we’re breaking down what the property is actually like, what it gets right from a GWE perspective, where it still has room to grow, and whether it belongs on your list, plus a little GWE guide to Todos Santos and Pescadero at the end.

Disclosure: Our stay at Salara included two complimentary nights provided by the hotel, plus one additional night that we paid for ourselves. Our review reflects the same standards and honesty we apply to every property, regardless of how the stay was booked.

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🔍 Property Deep-Dive: What Is Salara?

Salara is a brutalist, feminine-inspired, adults-only (16+) boutique hotel in Pescadero, Baja California Sur, Mexico, about a 15-minute drive from the town of Todos Santos. The property opened in February, making it one of the newest hotels in the area, and it’s actually two hotels in one. Hotel Tierra sits in the desert, with 10 villa, including three-bedroom and five-bedroom options for guests who want more space and privacy and 11 desert-facing hotel rooms, each designed around natural materials like wood and concrete with large openings that let the desert air and light in. Hotel Playa is the second location, about a mile away from Tierra, right on the beach, with 6 ocean-view rooms.

Hotel Tierra is the main location and houses the restaurant, bar, and honesty bar (stocked with local kombucha), and guests can move between the two hotels freely.

What the Property Offers: Standalone desert villas and hotel rooms with private plunge pools, a farm-to-table restaurant (currently open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch, with dinner service launching later this year), an honesty bar, a beachfront second location with a pool, and sunset cocktail gatherings put on by the hotel. A spa and cold plunge are currently under construction.

Pricing Context: Breakfast is not included in the stay. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday. You’ll want to budget for meals separately.

How It Compares to Other Stays in the Area: Pescadero and Todos Santos have a growing number of boutique hotels and vacation rentals, but Salara stands apart for the standalone villa format, the two-location setup, and the overall design sensibility.

Salara gives you both: a private desert retreat at the main property and beach access at the second location, all less than a mile from the water. You will need a car to get around, but Todos Santos, the beach, and the farm-to-table restaurant Hierbabuena are all within a short walk or drive.

🌿 The Experience

The GWE team stayed at Salara from June 19 to 22 in a Hotel Tierra Desert Room with Plunge Pool, and this review is based entirely on that firsthand stay. June is low season in Baja, which means fewer crowds, getting into any restaurants even at the last minute, barely any lines, and a quieter overall feel. It also meant warm temperatures (80-85 degrees), so having the plunge pool in the room and the beach pool at the second location was ideal.

Check-in set the tone immediately. There was a gated entrance with private security, and the staff walked us around the property and to our room. The villas are spacious and standalone, so there’s a real sense of privacy. The room itself was built with wood and concrete (no carpet), and had large doors and windows that opened to let fresh desert air flow through. There was no fragrance on arrival, no diffuser, no scented products lingering in the room. The bed was hands down the most comfortable hotel bed we’ve ever slept in. Every night of the stay, I had a 95 or higher sleep score. The bedding is 100% cotton, the towels are 100% cotton, and whatever they’re doing with the mattress and pillows is working because I was sleeping in every morning.

The restaurant focuses on local, seasonal cuisine with a clear Baja identity. They offer things like fish tacos, huevos rancheros, fresh fruit, and ingredients sourced from nearby farms and fisheries. Everything tasted fresh and intentional. One important note for the GWE community: the kitchen uses olive oil alongside canola oil. We didn’t request seed-oil-free cooking during our stay, but based on our interactions with the staff, I feel confident they could accommodate that request or help you navigate the menu accordingly.

The staff – including the Food + Beverage Director Hector – were the real standout. Every person we interacted with was warm, helpful, and chatty in a way that felt like we were part of the hotel family, without feeling stiff. The sunset cocktail hour at the beach property was a nice touch. The team put it together for all guests during our stay, and it gave the trip a communal feel without forcing it.

One standout moment: sitting in the villa in the morning with the doors open, desert air coming through, no sounds except the birds, and realizing that this property is relaxing and really special. It’s the kind of quiet you don’t get back home in the city, and it made the whole trip feel like a true reset.

🔍 What’s Actually In This Hotel?

This is where we get into the details that the GWE community cares about most. We filled out our full verification questionnaire during the stay. Here’s what we found.

✅ What they get right:

• No fragrance on arrival or in the room

• Cleaning products confirmed fragrance-free

• Bath products are in refillable bulk dispensers

• Bedding is 100% cotton

• Towels are 100% cotton

• Cooking oils include olive oil (also canola)

• Restaurant sources locally and seasonally, prioritizing Baja cuisine and nearby farms and fisheries

• Menu is seasonal with plans to expand to dinner service later this year

• Refillable glass water carafe in the room (no single-use plastic)

• Natural materials throughout the room: real wood and concrete, no carpet

• Windows and sliding doors open for fresh airflow, no stuffiness

• Water is filtered and tastes great

• Standalone villas with private plunge pools provide genuine privacy and space

• Second beachfront location with pool access included for all guests

• Guest cocktail hour at sunset hosted at the beach property

• Private security.

❌ Some things to note:

• Canola oil is used in the kitchen alongside olive oil.

• Bath products contain fragrance.

• Fragrance-free options are not available on request at this time.

• Slight fragrance smell on towels, likely from laundry products.

• No recycling bins in the room.

• Breakfast is not included in the stay.

• Staff leaves at 8 PM so there isn’t someone at the front desk.

• No wellness programming currently available. A spa and cold plunge are under construction, but aren’t open yet.

• No certifications (sustainability).

• You will need a car. Pescadero is not walkable beyond the immediate area around the hotel.

Refer a friend

🎨 Design + Aesthetic

Salara’s design leans into its desert setting, and the villas are built from wood and concrete with a minimalist aesthetic that sits naturally in the landscape. Large openings, sliding doors, and open-air check-in spaces let the outside in, and the overall feel is warm, grounded, and low-key in an upscale way.

The spacious rooms have real wood, concrete floors, natural fiber textiles, and a neutral palette that doesn’t try too hard. There’s no carpet, and the design works because it’s simple, and the materials are real.

The beach property carries the same sensibility, but is right on the water.

For a property that opened just four months before our stay, the design already feels cohesive and intentional.

💆 Wellness & Experience Details

Food + Dining: The restaurant is currently open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch, with dinner service planned for later this year.

Wellness Programming: None at this time. A spa and cold plunge are under construction and expected to open in a future phase. No gym, yoga, or fitness classes are currently offered.

On-Property Experiences: The guest cocktail hour at sunset, hosted at the beach property, was a highlight. Beyond that, the property’s biggest draw is the location itself: proximity to Todos Santos, the beach, and the farm-to-table dining scene in Pescadero.

Pool: Saltwater pools at both properties.

Who It’s For

Salara is for the traveler who wants a low-key, design-forward base in Baja without the resort experience. The standalone villas, the private plunge pools, and the quiet desert setting make it ideal for couples, group trips, and anyone who prefers to explore on their own terms, just note the property is adults-only (16+). This is not a property where everything is programmed for you. It’s a property where the room, the bed, and the food are excellent, and you’re expected to go discover the rest of Baja yourself. We did exactly that since everything worth seeing is no more than 20 minutes away.

It’s also worth noting that this is a brand-new property. If you’re someone who wants every detail dialed in (wellness programming, seed-oil-free dining, fragrance-free products), it’s not fully there yet. But if you’re willing to be early to a property that clearly has the right instincts and is still building out the experience, Salara is worth booking now.

How to Get There

The closest airport is Los Cabos International Airport (SJD), about an hour’s drive away. La Paz International Airport (LAP) is just about the same distance, so it’s worth checking if there’s a better flight there.

From SJD, we recommend renting a car. We went with Sixt and for 4 days only paid $30 total (yes, really, but it was low season). From the rental car pickup, you’ll head north on the toll road to Highway 19, which runs along the coast through Pescadero and into Todos Santos. From LAP, you’ll head south on Highway 19, arriving in Pescadero from the opposite direction. A car is the easiest way to get here, since you’ll want the flexibility to explore on your own schedule. You can also book a private transfer in advance with the hotel.

📋 Quick Reference: How It Scores on Our Standards

• No artificial fragrance in main spaces or room ✅

• Non-toxic cleaning + spa products: ⚠️ Confirmed fragrance-free cleaning products; slight fragrance on towels

• Fragrance-free, paraben-free bath products: ❌ Bath products contain fragrance; fragrance-free options not available on request

• Local + seasonal food / seed-oil-free options: ⚠️ Local and seasonal sourcing is strong, but canola oil is used alongside olive oil; seed-oil-free request not tested

• 100% cotton bedding and towels ✅

• Air + water filtration: ✅ Natural ventilation via operable windows and doors and filtered water that tastes great

• Low-VOC materials: ✅ Real wood, concrete, natural textiles, no carpet or synthetic finishes

• Refillable / plastic-free amenities: ✅ Refillable bulk dispensers and a refillable glass carafe in-room

• Natural / low-chemical pool: ✅ Saltwater

• Wellness offerings: ❌ No wellness programming currently; spa and cold plunge under construction

GWE Rating: ★★ Conscious Star

Salara meets several of our core standards, particularly around room environment (no fragrance, cotton bedding, natural materials, excellent air quality and water filtration). The local and seasonal food sourcing is delicious. Where it falls short is on the product side (fragrance in bath products, canola in the kitchen), and the fact that wellness programming doesn’t exist yet. For a property this new, the foundation is strong. We’ll be watching as it continues to build out and are excited to see what this team does!

🌿 Mini GWE Guide to Todos Santos + Pescadero

You’ll need a car, but everything worth doing is within a short drive. Here’s what we’d send a friend to:

• Agricole – Part lunch spot, part healthy grocery store and bakery. The strawberries and cream are one of the best treats we've ever had (went back all 3 days in a row).

• Hierbabuena – Farm-to-table restaurant within walking distance of the hotel

• Todos Santos Town – About a 15-minute drive, worth exploring for galleries, shops, and restaurants. Taller 17 for coffee and baked goods, Jazamango Cafe for breakfast, and a few streets with boutiques.

• The Beaches – Less than a mile from the property. Los Cerritos is the area’s best bet for actually swimming, though it’s worth sticking toward the north end and watching for rip currents. The hotel’s second location sits right on Cerritos with its own pool, so it’s an easy home base either way. San Pedrito, La Cachora, and La Poza are beautiful for walking and sunset views, but the currents make them better left for strolling than swimming.

🏡 Plan Your Stay

• Book on Booking.com — See room types and current pricing

🚨💬 Final Thoughts

Salara gets so much right, and I am so happy I got to experience this property, especially at a time that was slower and more relaxing. I loved the no fragrance in the rooms or lobby, 100% cotton bedding and towels, natural materials throughout, unreal air quality and ventilation, filtered water, refillable dispensers, and a menu that sources locally and seasonally with real intention. The staff is exceptional, the design is amazing, from the chairs to the open-air bar for guests, and the bedding is reason enough to book.

This is a property that opened four months before our stay, so it’s still early, and the staff is open to all feedback. The location was great, it always felt safe, and the team was willing to help with everything from restaurant recommendations to putting together a guest happy hour.

If you’re heading to Baja and want a quiet, design-forward boutique stay in Pescadero with excellent food and the best bed you’ll sleep in all year, Salara is worth booking.

Have you stayed here or somewhere similar? Leave a comment below with your experience, and let the GWE community know what property we should review next.

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5,000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️ Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that support our business at no extra cost to you.

That’s why we’re highlighting hotels with pools that actually meet the standards we care about. That means saltwater, geothermal mineral water, ozone, spring water, or natural ionization systems instead of the conventional chlorine most resorts default to. Some of these are massive natural bathing lakes you could spend all day in, others are private plunge pools tucked just outside your room, and all of them let you actually enjoy the water without thinking twice about what you’re soaking in.

Non-toxic at a resort isn’t just a marketing tagline; it’s a set of standards designed to protect health, and the pool is one of the most overlooked parts of that equation. We vetted every property below against our full GWE non-toxic standards, so a non-toxic pool is just where the list starts, not where it ends.

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no synthetic fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards or still has synthetic fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: How We Vet Hotel Pools 🚨

Before we get into our picks, here’s what the GWE team actually looks at when evaluating a hotel’s pool program.

🚫 Conventional Chlorine Pools | Most hotel pools rely on chlorine at levels that can irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. Chlorine byproducts formed in pool water have also raised concerns around hormone disruption.

🚫 No Transparency Around Pool Treatment | If a hotel can’t tell you what system their pool runs on or what chemicals are used to treat the water, that’s a red flag. The best properties are upfront about their water treatment and proud of the investment they’ve made in an alternative.

🚫 Indoor Pools With Poor Ventilation | Chlorinated indoor pools concentrate chemical off-gassing in enclosed spaces, which can affect air quality and respiratory health. We look for indoor pools that use non-toxic treatment systems or have strong ventilation and airflow.

🚫 Bromine | Often used in hot tubs and indoor pools as a chlorine alternative, but bromine is still a chemical disinfectant that can irritate skin and respiratory pathways. It’s not the non-toxic swap it’s sometimes marketed as.

What We Look For in Hotel Pools ✅

💧 Saltwater | Uses natural salt to keep water clean with minimal chemical treatment. Gentler on skin, eyes, and hair than conventional chlorine.

🌋 Geothermal & Mineral | Naturally heated and mineral-rich water sourced from underground springs. No chemical treatment needed.

🫧 Ozone | Uses ozone gas to purify water, dramatically reducing or eliminating the need for chlorine. One of the most effective non-toxic systems available.

🌿 Natural Ionization | Uses copper and silver ions to sanitize water without harsh chemicals. Low-maintenance and gentle on sensitive skin.

🏔️ Spring Water | Sourced directly from natural springs and continuously refreshed. The closest you’ll get to swimming in nature at a hotel.

🌊 Natural Bathing Lakes | On-property freshwater lakes filtered by plants and natural ecosystems. No chemicals, no treatment, just nature doing the work.

The Best Natural Pool Hotels To Stay At 🏨

These properties all earned our ratings, so they have more than just an amazing pool when it comes to hotels prioritizing your health.

Europe

🏰 Krallerhof (Leogang, Austria, ★★) — This adults-only alpine wellness resort takes the natural water concept further than almost anyone else: private plunge pools are filled with fresh spring water, and the spa features an infinity pool that merges seamlessly into a natural spring-fed bathing lake. A regionally sourced kitchen, saunas and steam baths, a full menu of holistic treatments, and yoga top it off. Book Here!

🌅 Palazzo di Varignana (Bologna, Italy, ★★) — The kitchen here is seed-oil-free and farm-to-table, sourcing from an on-property vineyard and farm, which says a lot about how seriously this solar-powered wellness resort takes its standards. That same intentionality carries into the saltwater pool, part of a full thermal spa circuit that also includes thermal soaking and a complete hydrotherapy circuit. Book Here!

🧂 Can Lluc (Ibiza, Spain, ★★) — This 20-room boutique hotel runs its pool on salt sourced directly from Ibiza’s own salt flats, a gentler purification method on skin than standard chlorine. The kitchen features local Mediterranean cuisine built on fresh, local products, and the wellness program has personalized yoga classes, a gym, and a full menu of massages and treatments. Book Here!

🌋 The Retreat at Blue Lagoon (Grindavík, Iceland, ★★) — Built directly into an 800-year-old lava field, this luxury hotel gives guests exclusive after-hours access to the lagoon once day visitors have left, drawing on the same geothermal mineral water that defines the whole property. The subterranean spa tops off the experience with dry heat, steam, cold plunges, in-water massages, and float therapy, and the kitchen is locally sourced. Book Here!

🌾 Follonico (Torrita di Siena, Italy, ★★) — This six-suite Tuscan farmhouse runs a saltwater pool with no fragrance anywhere in its main spaces, though it’s worth knowing the in-room Biofficina Toscana shampoo does contain fragrance (the hand soap and Tuscan Sustainable Cleanser don’t). The kitchen cooks in organic estate-grown olive oil and produces 50% of what lands on the table itself, with the rest sourced within a 20-kilometer radius, and bedding throughout is linen and cotton. Water is self-bottled through an in-house microfiltration system, used for both still and sparkling. Book Here!

North America

🌵 Desierto Azul (Todos Santos, Mexico, ★★★) — A saltwater pool sits at the literal center of this LEED-certified, B Corp, one MICHELIN Key boutique hotel, the organizing feature around which everything else is built. Fragrance-free spaces and refillable, plastic-free amenities extend the same standard throughout, and the on-site bakery serves cold-pressed juices and a gluten and dairy-free, plant-forward breakfast. Spa treatments, meditation, and yoga are also part of the deal. Book Here!

🏇 The Horse Shoe Farm (Asheville, North Carolina, ★★) — The Pool House at this 85-acre boutique farm resort centers on a saltwater pool with sweeping Mount Pisgah views, paired with a sauna and steam room for a full reset after a day on the farm. Farm-to-table dining and a spa menu that goes well beyond the basics, thanks to holistic massages, Ayurvedic treatments, acupuncture, energy therapy, and cold water therapy. Breathwork, sound healing, meditation, and yoga complete the wellness program. Book Here!

🌊 The Ranch at Laguna Beach (Laguna Beach, California, ★★★) — This GEO-certified resort centers around a stunning saltwater infinity pool, and the standards carry straight through to the kitchen, which is locally sourced and farm-driven. Customized spa treatments, cold plunge, and an infrared sauna are also offered. Book Here!

🌲 Lightwater Cove (Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada, ★★★) — This oceanfront retreat runs its swimming pool on a saltwater purification system, gentler on skin and eyes than traditional chlorine, alongside no synthetic fragrance anywhere in common areas or guest rooms. The kitchen cooks exclusively in olive oil and butter, sourcing most of breakfast straight from the on-site Lightwater Farm, and organic cotton bedding plus fragrance-free Nezza Naturals bath products carry the same standard through every room. Wood-fired sauna, cold plunge, and ocean swimming round out a stay built around real nature immersion. Book Here!

Central America

🌴 Blancaneaux Lodge (Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Belize, ★★) — One of the best thermal soaking experiences in Central America comes from an unexpected source: a hydroelectrically heated hot pool, part of the spa at this Rainforest Alliance-verified eco-lodge. The on-site organic garden supplies a locally sourced kitchen, biodegradable cleaning products are used throughout, and Thai massage treatments are a perfect touch. Book Here!

🫧 Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort (Nosara, Costa Rica, ★★★) — Solar panels power 100% of the hot water at this jungle wellness resort on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone, feeding into a saltwater infinity pool that fits right into the property’s broader commitment to clean operations. The kitchen is seed-oil-free, the bedding is organic cotton and linen, and the spa uses organic, locally sourced products. Yoga studios, a treetop Pilates studio, meditation, and surf programming add the finishing touches. Book Here!

ICYMI: Related Posts📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• The Best Non-Toxic Hotels in New York City → Read Here

• Monthly Travel Email #4 → Read Here

• The Best Non-Toxic Summer Resorts Across the US, Mexico & Europe For Your Summer Stays → Read Here

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that support our business at no extra cost to you.

Welcome back to the monthly travel edition of Girls Who Eat, your guide to hotels, destinations, and experiences that make you feel good, vetted through our non-toxic standards.

This month, we’re heading to Salt Spring Island for a farm-fed retreat with zero synthetic fragrance, then to Cambodia and El Salvador for two wellness resorts that back up their claims with real standards. We’re also looking ahead to three 2026 hotel openings worth knowing about now, in Dallas, Loreto, and London, plus what’s shifting around PFAS regulation and fragrance disclosure that every non-toxic traveler should have on their radar.

Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free subscriber.

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What’s Trending In Non-Toxic Travel ✈️

• 🧪 PFAS in cosmetics have a federal report and no federal ban. The FDA’s December 2025 report on PFAS in cosmetic products found that the available data still aren’t enough to settle the safety question. That means there’s no federal prohibition on intentionally added PFAS in foundation, mascara, or other waterproof and long-wear formulas. States are filling the gap instead. Washington’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act already restricts intentionally added PFAS, and California keeps expanding its own list of restricted ingredients. If your travel makeup bag leans heavily on transfer-proof claims, it’s worth a closer look at what’s actually keeping it in place.

• 🇪🇺 Fragrance disclosure is about to get a lot more serious in Europe. It’s worth knowing about even if you’re a US-based traveler. Starting July 31, 2026, the EU is expanding mandatory fragrance allergen labeling from 26 substances to 81. Any cosmetic or spa product sold in the EU will soon have to disclose dozens of additional ingredients that have been hiding behind the word fragrance for decades. We’ll be watching to see whether hotel spa lines follow suit voluntarily or whether US brands lag behind once again.

Non-Toxic Hotels We’re Excited About 🏨

Newly opened, newly discovered, or newly verified: these are the properties that meet our standards for no artificial fragrance, local and seasonal food, non-toxic spa and cleaning products, filtered water, wellness programming, and low-chemical pools.

• Lightwater Cove, Salt Spring Island, Canada (★★★) — This property runs on a saltwater pool, organic cotton bedding, and a kitchen that cooks exclusively in olive oil and butter, with no synthetic fragrance anywhere in the common areas or guest rooms. Lightwater Farm, which unites several historic farms on the island, supplies the on-site farm stand and most of what shows up at breakfast, and a wood-fired sauna, cold plunge, and ocean swimming round out a stay built around real nature immersion.

• Jaya House River Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia (★★★) — This riverside property cooks largely in olive oil, keeps fragrance out of its main spaces, and runs cotton bedding throughout, but the standout is Jaya Organics: an in-house shampoo, conditioner, and bath product line that the hotel makes itself to cut its footprint and create local jobs. Reverse osmosis filtration covers the water, refillable amenities have been the standard since 2016, and Angkor Wat is a 15-minute ride away for the days you leave the property at all.

• Antiresort, Teotepeque, El Salvador (★★) — Set on El Salvador’s Pacific coast, this surf-and-wellness property keeps synthetic fragrance out of guest rooms and main spaces and stocks bath products from a local entrepreneur made with green tea, aloe vera, and coconut essence instead. Oceanfront meals built from local ingredients, cold plunge, saunas, horseback riding, and a Temazcal Útero ceremony with a shaman make this one to remember.

New Non-Toxic Hotel Openings To Watch 🎉

These hotels are not open yet, but here’s what we’re keeping our eyes on.

• The Knox Hotel, Dallas, Texas — Opening this year along the Katy Trail, The Knox Hotel is built around a combined health-club-and-spa concept, with a destination spa with thermal amenities, a dedicated movement studio for yoga and Pilates, and direct trail access for running and cycling. The food program is locally driven and chef-led with seasonal menus across multiple on-site restaurants, and an outdoor pool deck with a lounge and bar top off the wellness-forward positioning.

• Mailena Wellness Resort, Loreto, Mexico — Set to debut in late fall 2026 as Loreto's first luxury wellness resort, this adults-only property sits within the 741-acre Danzante Bay community on the Sea of Cortez, designed by Mexico-based architecture firm Broissin. The Wellness and Longevity Center anchors the property with sensory deprivation tanks, a snow room for contrast therapy, biohacking technology suites, and science-based personalized wellness programs, and the kitchen leans holistic, built around whole ingredients, local produce, and functional nutrition.

• Cambridge House, London, United Kingdom — Opening later this year inside a Grade I-listed 18th-century Georgian mansion in Mayfair, Cambridge House centers its wellness program, branded "The Joy of Wellbeing," around a three-floor Auberge offering with a swimming pool, bath house, treatment rooms, and state-of-the-art gyms and studios, backed by a Master-in-residence program. The kitchen focuses on elevated dining at signature restaurant Major's Grill, a mid-century-inspired take on the classic London grill, a fitting pairing for a historic property built around modern recovery.

Want more non-toxic travel options? ✈️

We’ve curated a collection of non-toxic properties on our Expedia storefront that actually align with how we travel: healthier destinations, restorative experiences, and places that support your body instead of depleting it. Think dog-friendly hotels, farm to table properties, and hotels that meet our standards in cities like NYC, Mexico, and Greece. Browse, bookmark, and book your next trip with these vetted non-toxic options.

Check out our Expedia page, and book your next vacation!

Industry Updates 🚨

What’s shifting behind the scenes from new certifications, brand acquisitions, spa product launches, and regulatory news that affects where and how you travel.

• Preferred Hotels & Resorts Just Launched a New Wellness Collection. Preferred Hotels & Resorts introduced Preferred Wellbeing, a new global designation highlighting more than 50 properties focused on immersive wellness experiences. The collection is built around where wellness travel is heading next, with longevity, integrative healing, hydrotherapy, nature-based restoration, and personalized multi-day stays at the forefront.

• Longevity Travel Is Becoming the New Luxury Benchmark. The wellness industry is moving away from traditional spa escapes and toward measurable health outcomes. Hotels and retreats are investing in diagnostics, sleep optimization, recovery treatments, personalized nutrition, and preventative health programming as travelers start viewing vacations as opportunities to improve long-term wellbeing (not just relax for a few days).

• Hotels Are Treating Wellness as a Design Principle, Not an Amenity. The hospitality industry is shifting beyond the old model of spa + gym and building wellness into the entire guest experience, with better air quality, sleep-focused rooms, nature immersion, mindful food programs, and spaces designed for nervous-system recovery.

• Silent Retreats Are Having a Moment. Travelers are increasingly booking experiences built around digital detox, solitude, and mental reset. The rise of silent retreats reflects a bigger reaction against always-on travel and constant stimulation, especially among younger travelers looking for deeper forms of rest.

Non-Toxic Travel Essentials We Trust ♥️

Occasionally, we share brands and deals aligned with our non-toxic travel ethos - think non-toxic skincare worth packing, non-toxic luggage, and supplements for travel days.

• ✨ RiseWell Travel-Size Bundle — A TSA-friendly oral care set with hydroxyapatite toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss that skips fluoride, SLS, artificial dyes, and synthetic flavors. Because travel is when routines usually fall apart, this keeps your non-toxic dental habits intact without taking up your entire toiletry bag.

• ✨ Primally Pure Mini Body Wash Trio — This trio has three travel-size body washes made with nourishing ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and essential oils, minus synthetic fragrance, parabens, sulfates, or unnecessary fillers. A simple hotel-shower swap when you don’t want to rely on whatever mystery bottle is waiting in the bathroom. Use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 20% off.

• ✨ Aleavia Restore Soothing Face Mist — This prebiotic face mist uses aloe and sea kelp to hydrate and refresh skin after long flights, dry cabin air, and busy travel days without synthetic fragrance or harsh preservatives.

• ✨ Cadence Travel Containers — Leak-proof, magnetic travel containers designed to bring your own products without sacrificing your carry-on space. They’re reusable and BPA-free, and make it easy to avoid grabbing random hotel toiletries that don’t match your routine.

• ✨ Banyan Botanicals I Travel Well Liquid Extract — This portable Ayurvedic blend with herbs like ashwagandha and turmeric is designed to support digestion and resilience while traveling. Plus, it has no artificial flavors, synthetic additives, or unnecessary fillers.

• ✨ NodPod Weighted Sleep Mask — This is a travel-day essential for anyone who treats sleep like a wellness priority. Made with OEKO-TEX-certified cotton and weighted pressure points to encourage relaxation, it’s the kind of carry-on item that makes red-eye flights and hotel rooms a little more restorative.

ICYMI: Related Posts 📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• The Best Non-Toxic Hotels in New York City → Read now

• The Non-Toxic Hotels That Are Actually Worth the Money (U.S., Mexico, Europe, & Beyond) → Read now

• The Best Hotel in Oaxaca City → Read now

Have a hotel or experience you think belongs on our radar? Reply to this email! We read every response.

We’re building this monthly for you, so comment and let us know what you’re most excited about from this newsletter. Found a new hotel or experience you’re loving? Spotted a great non-toxic travel deal? Want us to cover a specific destination or property next? We’d love to hear from you, and we just might feature your tip in the next edition!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that support our business at no extra cost to you.

Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway to the city that never sleeps or you want to experience an idyllic farm estate a few hours upstate, these hotels are worth checking into.

Ahead, we reviewed every property on this list through our full GWE standards (think bedding, bath products, pool water, food sourcing, air quality, the works) so you know why they earned a spot on this list. Keep reading to find out which hotels in New York are worth the trip.

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no synthetic fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards or still has synthetic fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: What To Watch Out For In Hotels 🚨

Before we get into the good stuff, here are a few of the biggest red flags we look for when evaluating any property.

🚫 Synthetic Fragrance in Common Areas | Fragrance is often a catch-all term that can hide thousands of undisclosed chemicals. Lobby diffusers, scented candles, and signature hotel scents are some of the most common offenders, and they are also one of the easiest ways for a space to give you a headache the second you walk in.

🚫 Conventional Bath + Spa Products | Most hotel bath products contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. These are applied directly to skin and left on, so it’s worth knowing what’s actually in them.

🚫 Conventional Pool Systems | Standard hotel pools often use chlorine or bromine, which can be irritating for some people, especially with repeated exposure. We prefer properties using saltwater, ozone, or other lower-chemical systems when possible.

🚫 Synthetic Bedding + Conventional Cleaning Products | Bedding materials and cleaning products can have a big impact on how a room feels. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, fragranced detergents, and conventional cleaning products are all things we pay attention to, especially for anyone sensitive to scent or indoor air quality.

🚫 Ultra-Processed Hotel Food | Room service and hotel restaurants often rely heavily on seed oils, outsourcing, and more processed ingredients. Properties with local sourcing, ingredient transparency, and a stronger connection to local food systems, like on-site farms and seasonal menus, are exactly what we look for.

The Best Non-Toxic New York Hotels 🏨

These properties met at least several of our core standards. We note where each one shines, what tier they are, and where there’s still room to grow.

New York City

💪 Equinox Hotel NYC, Hudson Yards, Manhattan, New York (★★) — If you’re going to stay anywhere in New York City and actually walk away feeling better than when you arrived, Equinox Hotel is the place. With no artificial scents anywhere on property, cotton hypoallergenic bedding, a saltwater pool, barrel saunas, cryotherapy, an infrared sauna, and farm-to-table dining at Electric Lemon, it’s one of the most complete wellness properties in the city (and also perhaps one of the biggest splurges). One flag to note: the haircare products contain synthetic fragrance, so pack your own for a fully clean stay. Book here!

🌿 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn, New York (★★) — A LEED Gold Brooklyn waterfront hotel with organic mattresses, farm to table dining, and in-suite HigherDose wellness. The waterfront address adds to the restorative feel, making this one of the city’s most well-rounded non-toxic stays. One flag: bath products contain synthetic fragrance, so pack your own toiletries. Book here!

🌿 1 Hotel Central Park, Midtown, Manhattan, New York (★★) — Come here to enjoy a LEED and BREEAM certified hotel with filtered water in every room, in-suite HigherDose Sauna Blankets and PEMF mats, farm to table dining, no single-use plastics, and personal training. It’s hands-down one of the coolest wellness hotels in Manhattan. One flag: bath products contain synthetic fragrance, so pack your own toiletries. Book here!

Hudson Valley & Catskills

🌲 Hemlock Neversink, Neversink, New York (★★★) — Right in the Catskills, Hemlock Neversink is a nice getaway. It has biodegradable cleaning products, a hydrotherapy circuit, yoga, and an on-property sauna, all at a price point that won’t make you do a double-take. If you need to decompress and you need to do it soon, this is your place. Book here!

🌸 Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection, Gardiner, New York (★★) — Set in the foothills of the Catskills with views that make it very hard to look at your phone, Wildflower Farms is the Hudson Valley wellness escape we keep recommending for those who want to splurge. The kitchen leans heavily on local sourcing, there's a saltwater pool, a sauna, and that slow, farm energy that makes any time here feel like an actual reset. Plus, the grounds are absolutely stunning. Book here!

Want more non-toxic NY travel options? ✈️

We’ve curated a collection of non-toxic New York properties on our Expedia storefront that actually align with how we travel: healthier stays, restorative experiences, and places that support your body instead of depleting it. Think dog-friendly hotels, farm-to-table properties, and Hudson Valley escapes that meet our standards. And if you’re planning a trip beyond New York, our full Expedia storefront has vetted non-toxic properties across the US, Mexico, Greece, and beyond. Browse, bookmark, and book.

For even more non-toxic hotels, check out our full curated Expedia page!

ICYMI: Related Posts📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• Inside The Wayback: A Non-Toxic Cottage Retreat Outside Austin → Read Here

• Non-Toxic Travel: Monthly Roundup #2 → Read Here

• Non-Toxic Travel Essentials → See Post

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

We came for one reason: to be in the cloud forest, surrounded by Costa Rica’s wildlife. What we did not expect was a property that delivered on that and on the things the GWE community cares about, from clean food, no fragrance, real materials, and a level of intention you can feel from the moment you walk in. Between the family’s private nature reserve, the working farm we picked our own lunch ingredients at, and the canopy-level views from the room, it ended up being one of our favorite stays this year.

In this review, we’re breaking down what the property is actually like, what it gets right from a GWE perspective, where it still has room to grow, and whether it belongs on your list, plus a little GWE guide to Monteverde at the end with the guide, coffee shop, restaurant, and grocery store you’ll want bookmarked before you go.

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🔍 Property Deep-Dive: What Is Hotel Belmar?

Hotel Belmar is an upscale, family-owned eco-lodge in Monteverde, Costa Rica, now in its second generation of ownership. The property is built into the hillside above town, with 26 rooms that sit high in the canopy, a restaurant that overlooks the cloud forest, and a long list of on-site experiences that pull from the family’s own land, including a private nature reserve and a working farm a short drive away. The property also offers night tours, bird-watching, a garden-to-glass cocktail class, and a self-guided walking trail with a pond, stream, and waterfall right on the grounds.

The overall feel is intentional, eco-design-forward, and rooted in sustainability. Hotel Belmar publishes its sustainability commitments openly, and you feel it in the small things like the recycling bins in the room, signage about towel reuse, refillable bath products, and a chef who sources from the family farm and local fisheries.

What the Property Offers: Canopy-view chalet rooms, an on-site restaurant with farm-to-table sourcing, a spa, free yoga and sound bath programming on certain days, a juice bar, house-made kombucha, and a range of on and off-property experiences ranging from cloud forest hikes to farm tours and private chef lunches.

Pricing Context: Breakfast is included. The Wellness Retreat (which we booked) bundles in the morning canopy experience and a daily juice from the juice bar at no additional cost, which is a real value if you’re already planning to do the on-site experiences.

How It Compares to Other Stays in the Area: Monteverde has plenty of cabin-style and eco-lodge options, but most require you to drive out to do anything - the reserves, the restaurants, the wildlife tours. Belmar is centrally located, with all the major reserves, restaurants, and coffee shops within a 5–10 minute drive, and the experiences run from the property itself. You don’t have to choose between remote beautiful and convenient because Belmar gives you both.

🌿 The Experience

The GWE team stayed at Hotel Belmar from May 21–25, in a Chalet Canopy Room, and this review is based entirely on that firsthand stay. One thing to note: May is the start of rainy season, so it rained lightly each afternoon, but it was noticeably less crowded and touristy, which we liked.

The room sat high enough in the canopy that we could see animals moving on the ground and birds flying through the trees outside the window and from our outdoor patio (which had a bathtub!). There was a sliding door that opened to fresh air, no carpet, real wood throughout, and zero fragrance on arrival (read: no diffuser and no scented cleaning products). The bedding was 100% cotton, the towels were 100% cotton, and the bath products were Belmar’s own line in refillable bulk dispensers, with no fragrance. We slept well, woke up to the cloud forest, and never had a single sensitivity reaction the entire stay.

The two on-property experiences we did were the highlight of the trip. The first was the morning canopy experience at the family’s private cloud forest reserve, where we walked a suspension bridge through the rainforest, rappelled down into the canopy, and learned about the flora and fauna from the guide. We saw a monkey! The second was the farm-to-table experience where we drove twenty minutes to Finca Madre Tierra, the family’s working farm, saw how the produce is grown, picked some ingredients ourselves, and came back to the property for a private lunch with the chef made from what we’d picked plus other locally sourced ingredients.

The restaurant on property overlooks the canopy and was a highlight in its own right. Breakfast was included and felt thoughtful with local fruit, fresh ingredients, the kind of meal that sets a tone for the day, and an à la carte menu to pick from (highly recommend the chia pudding). We went to dinner twice, and the ceviche, the fish, and the orange flan were standouts. The chef confirmed they only cook with olive oil and butter/ghee.

The service at this hotel was a real standout. The front desk was warm, chatty, and willing to help book any experience on or off property. The massage therapists were ready ten minutes early.

One standout moment was sitting in the canopy room early in the morning, sliding door open, listening to the cloud forest wake up and realizing that the things we usually have to compromise on when we travel (clean food, natural materials, no fragrance, no plastic) weren’t compromises here.

🔍 What’s Actually In This Hotel?

This is where we get into the details that the GWE community cares about most. We filled out our full verification questionnaire during the stay. Here’s what we found.

✅ What they get right:

• No fragrance on arrival, in the room, or in the bath and spa products

• Bath products are Belmar’s own line, refillable bulk dispensers, no fragrance listed

• Fragrance-free options available on request

• Bedding is 100% cotton

• Towels are 100% cotton

• Cooking oils are olive oil and butter/ghee — confirmed directly with the chef

• Restaurant sources from their own farm (Finca Madre Tierra) and nearby fisheries

• Menu is seasonal, with the chef rotating the menu three times per year

• Recycling bins in the room and clear sustainability signage

• Refillable glass water carafe in the room (no single-use plastic)

• Real wood materials in the room

• Sliding door for fresh air, windows that open, no mold or musty smells

• On-site spa, fitness classes, yoga, and sound bath programming on rotating days

• Wellness Package includes the morning canopy experience and a daily juice

• House-made kombucha available at the juice bar

• On-site produce sourcing — yes, via the family farm

• Published sustainability commitments can be found on their website

❌ Some things to note:

• Mountain tap water tasted slightly musty to us — we requested a refillable glass carafe for our room, but no documented water filtration system was disclosed

• Cleaning product brands were not disclosed — we couldn’t verify what’s used for housekeeping

• Wind noise from outside (likely time of year) woke us up a few times — not a property issue, just a heads-up

• The lattes weren’t great — fixable if you want a real coffee; see the Monteverde guide below

🎨 Design + Aesthetic

Belmar’s design is grounded in the cloud forest itself. The wood chalets are tucked into the hillside, with canopy-level views and large openings that let the outside in. Materials inside the rooms lean natural with real wood throughout, cotton textiles, and no synthetic finishes that off-gas or hold onto smell.

The property uses its setting rather than competing with it. The restaurant is built around the canopy view. The sliding doors and operable windows in the room mean every space breathes, and the air quality reflects it, so there’s no stuffiness and no stale AC, just the cloud forest doing what it does best.

The overall feel is upscale eco-lodge, but refined enough to feel intentional and more luxe; it’s rustic enough to feel grounded in place.

💆 Wellness + Experience Details

Food + Dining: Breakfast is included, and the restaurant runs on farm-to-table sourcing from the family’s own farm and local fisheries. Cooking oils are olive oil and butter/ghee, with seed-oil-free options on request. Standouts from the menu: the ceviche, the fish, and the orange flan. The juice bar is included as part of the Wellness Package, and house-made kombucha is on rotation.

Wellness Programming: Yoga and sound bath on rotating days (free with stay) and a full on-site spa (we did a 60-minute deep tissue massage). Spa products are fragrance-free, confirmed directly with the team during our stay

On-Property Experiences: The two we did - the morning canopy experience at the family’s private cloud forest reserve (rappelling, suspension bridge, wildlife walk) and the farm-to-table experience at Finca Madre Tierra (farm tour, pick-your-own lunch with the chef) - were the best parts of the trip. There are more available depending on the day, and the front desk will walk you through what’s running while you’re there.

Pool: No pool on site. There is a jacuzzi available to all guests, but note that it is chlorinated.

🧳 Who It’s For

Hotel Belmar is for the traveler who wants to be in the Monteverde cloud forest properly. It’s close enough to wildlife and reserves to feel immersed, but with food, design, and product standards that hold up. The family ownership, the largely local Costa Rican staff, the farm-to-table sourcing, and the on-property experiences make it especially well-suited for couples, families with kids who are old enough to do the experiences, and anyone planning a wildlife- or wellness-forward Costa Rica trip.

🚗 How to Get There

Most travelers fly into San José (SJO) and either rent a car or arrange a driver for the roughly 3-hour drive to Monteverde. We rented through Vamos and had a great experience (just note that the last stretch into Monteverde is winding and unpaved in sections, so a 4WD or high-clearance vehicle is worth it).

You can also fly into Liberia (LIR), which is a comparable drive, though the road between Liberia and Monteverde has a notably bumpier stretch than the San José route. If you’re combining Monteverde with the Guanacaste coast, Liberia can make logistical sense.

The hotel can also help arrange a private driver from either airport, which is worth asking about when you book if you’d rather skip the rental car altogether.

📋 Quick Reference: How It Scores on Our Standards

• No artificial fragrance: ✅ No fragrance on arrival, in the room, or in the bath products

• Non-toxic cleaning + spa products: ⚠️ Cleaning product brands were not disclosed

• Fragrance-free, paraben-free bath products: ✅ Belmar’s own line, refillable, fragrance-free, with fragrance-free options available on request

• Local + seasonal food / seed-oil-free options: ✅ Olive oil and butter/ghee as the default, seed-oil-free on request, farm-to-table sourcing from the family farm

• Cotton / linen bedding: ✅ 100% cotton bedding and towels

• Air + water filtration: ⚠️ Air quality is excellent (operable windows, sliding doors, no carpet), but water tasted slightly musty and no formal filtration system was disclosed

• Low-VOC materials: ✅ Real wood throughout the room, natural textiles

• Refillable / plastic-free amenities: ✅ Refillable bulk dispensers and a refillable glass carafe in-room

• Wellness offerings: ✅ Spa, yoga, sound bath, juice bar, and the Wellness Package

• Natural / low-chemical pool: N/A — no pool on site; chlorinated jacuzzi available to all guests

GWE Rating: ★★★ Gold Star

🏡 Plan Your Stay

• Book on Expedia — Check rates and availability for Hotel Belmar

• Book on Booking.com — See room types and current pricing

🌿 A Little GWE Guide to Monteverde

Even with everything Belmar runs on property, you’ll want to spend time in town. Here’s what we’d actually send a friend to:

Christian — Local Wildlife Guide. We booked Christian separately for two tours, and he was the single best decision we made in Monteverde. The night tour of the cloud forest got us a sleeping toucan, frogs, and a tarantula. The morning tour at Curi-Cancha Reserve got us a quetzal (he called it in), multiple toucans, butterflies, and hummingbirds. He knows the cloud forest better than anyone we met. Instagram | WhatsApp: +506 8310 7685

Kaffi Coffee — Locally run coffee shop in town — we went daily, since Belmar’s espresso drinks didn’t quite hit.

Flores y Sabores — Locally run restaurant in town. Solid pick when you want to eat off property.

Monteverde Whole Foods — A small healthy grocery store in town, useful for clean snacks before hikes or anything specific you want back at the hotel.

🚨💬 Final Thoughts

From a GWE perspective, Hotel Belmar gets a lot right. The no-fragrance commitment holds from the moment you walk in, through the bath products, the bedding, and the room materials. The kitchen defaults to olive oil and butter, accommodates seed-oil-free requests, and sources from a farm the family actually owns. It has real wood, cotton textiles, recycling in the room, refillable everything, and an entire program of on-property experiences that let you do Monteverde without compromising on any of it.

If you’re going to Monteverde and you want a stay that is aligned with how the GWE community wants to travel (healthier, intentional, family-run, and built around the place itself), Hotel Belmar absolutely belongs on your list. Book the Wellness Package, do the canopy experience and the farm-to-table lunch, and book Christian for a wildlife tour while you’re there!

Have you stayed here or somewhere similar? Leave a comment below with your experience, and let the GWE community know what property we should review next.

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5,000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️ Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Solo wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing travel categories in the world right now, and the best properties have caught up. The retreats worth booking are the ones built around real programming that’s structured enough that your days have shape, flexible enough that you’re never cornered into a group breathwork session you didn’t ask for, and personal in a way that’s hard to access when you’re traveling with other people.

Every retreat on this list was reviewed through our full GWE standards, and made the cut because the programming is worth building a trip around. We found private islands in Belize, jungle resorts in Costa Rica, a centuries-old château in the French countryside, and even a Buddhist monk cave in Thailand. Trust us, you just might plan your return before you’ve even left.

In this roundup, we’re highlighting what they get right, from fragrance-free rooms and non-toxic spa products to locally sourced menus and low-chemical pools.

Whether you’re looking to unwind in the US or retreat to the Italian Dolomites, this list is your guide to summer stays that prioritize wellness on all levels. Ready to go? We’d love to hear in the comments your favorite place you have solo traveled, and to help inspire new and seasoned travelers!

A quick note before you start planning: always look up the latest travel advisories and solo female traveler safety tips for any destination on this list. The U.S. State Department and blogs like Solo Female Travelers are great places to start.

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no synthetic fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards or still has synthetic fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: What To Watch Out For In Hotels 🚨

Before we get into the good stuff, here’s what the GWE team looks for (and flags) when evaluating any property.

🚫 Synthetic Fragrance in Common Areas | Fragrance is a catch-all term that can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals, including known irritants and potential hormone disruptors. Lobby diffusers, scented candles, and signature hotel scents are among the most common offenders, and most guests never think to ask.

🚫 Conventional Bath + Spa Products | Most hotel bath products contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. These are applied directly to skin and left on, so it’s worth knowing before you reach for that miniature shampoo.

🚫 Chlorinated Pools | Standard hotel pools use chlorine or bromine at levels that can irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. Natural, saltwater, or ozone systems are the cleaner alternative.

🚫 Synthetic Bedding + Cleaning Products | Sheets treated with fire retardants or fragrance, and rooms cleaned with conventional chemical products, can affect air quality and skin, especially for sensitive guests.

🚫 Ultra-Processed Hotel Food | Room service and hotel restaurants often rely heavily on seed oils, additives, and processed ingredients. Properties with on-site farms or local sourcing commitments are the exception, not the rule.

The Best Non-Toxic Wellness Retreats for a Solo Trip 🏨

These properties met at least several of our core standards. We note where each one shines, what tier they are, and where there’s still room to grow.

United States

🌿 Santa Monica Proper Hotel, Santa Monica, California (★★) — A LEED Gold luxury hotel in Santa Monica that earns its wellness credentials, the Proper Hotel combines seed-oil-free dining with a locally sourced kitchen, air purification throughout the property, and Surya Spa’s full Ayurvedic programming, including Panchakarma and sound baths. There’s a dedicated Recovery Suite with an infrared sauna, a cold plunge, and red light therapy, plus daily yoga, Pilates, breathwork, sound healing, meditation, and longevity programming, including VO₂ Max testing - all steps from the beach. Book here!

🐴 The Horse Shoe Farm, Asheville, North Carolina (★★) — Spread across 85 acres outside Asheville, The Horse Shoe Farm is a farm resort with real range: farm to table dining, a spa offering holistic massages, Ayurvedic treatments, acupuncture, energy therapy, cold water therapy, breathwork, sound healing, and meditation, plus yoga and wellness classes throughout the week. Book here!

🌸 Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection, Gardiner, New York (★★) — This is a 140-acre Hudson Valley resort with a locally sourced farm-to-table kitchen, indoor saltwater pool, a spa using locally hand-blended nature-inspired products, outdoor hot tubs, sauna, yoga, Pilates, and three miles of on-property hiking trails. It’s close enough to New York City to make a long weekend genuinely doable, and restorative enough that you’ll feel like you went much further. Book here!

🏡 Southall Farm & Inn, Franklin, Tennessee (★★) — Just 20 minutes from Nashville, Southall sits on a working farm with advanced hydroponic greenhouses, eight apiaries, and orchards on property, so when they say farm to table, they mean it literally. The outdoor mineral pool, miles of winding trails, and a wellness program that draws from what’s growing right outside make this one to remember. Book here!

Central America & Belize

🌴 Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas, Tamarindo, Costa Rica (★★) — A boutique hotel on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, Cala Luna has a farm to table, plant-forward, locally sourced kitchen and a Lahari Wellness Center rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, with sound healing, breathwork, meditation, yoga, Reiki, and holistic spa treatments. It’s intimate, beautifully designed, and great for solo travelers. Book here!

🌊 Nantipa, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica (★★★) — This beachfront boutique hotel sits right on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone, and has a with a plant-forward, locally sourced kitchen, filtered water, solar-powered operations, a saltwater pool, and Numu Wellness Center featuring open-air spa treatments using locally sourced tropical ingredients, sound healing, breathwork, yoga, Pilates, meditation, and longevity programming. Book here!

🏡 The Retreat Costa Rica, Atenas, Costa Rica (★★★) — On Costa Rica’s Central Valley with stunning views, The Retreat runs on a permaculture organic garden, uses biodegradable cleaning products and organic spa products, and serves a plant-forward farm-to-table menu daily — meals and daily wellness programming are both included in your stay. The healing center covers Ayurvedic programming, yoga, and meditation, and three saline pools and on-property hiking trails (where you might find pieces of quartz) round out the experience. Book here!

🌳 Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort, Nosara, Costa Rica (★★★) — This jungle wellness resort on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone has seed-oil-free dining, organic cotton and linen bedding, filtered water, a spa using locally sourced organic products, a saltwater infinity pool, a juice bar, and solar panels powering 100% of the hot water on property. The yoga studios and treetop Pilates studio are reason enough to book, but the surf programming makes it even more fun. Book here!

🌱 GAÏA Riverlodge, Cayo District, Belize (★★) — This Green Globe certified, hydropower-powered off-grid eco-lodge in Belize sources food from its own organic garden and local producers to create a seed-oil-free farm-to-table kitchen, uses refillable amenities, and offers a rainforest spa, yoga retreats including cave yoga and waterfall sessions, and programming deeply rooted in Mayan healing traditions. Book here!

Europe

🍇 Palazzo di Varignana, Bologna, Italy (★★) — This solar-powered wellness resort in the rolling hills outside Bologna has its own working vineyard and farm supplying a seed-oil-free farm-to-table kitchen, thermal soaking pools, a full hydrotherapy circuit, and a saltwater pool. The Italian countryside gives the stay a particular kind of ease, and the wellness offerings mean solo travelers always have something purposeful to anchor their days around. Book here!

💃 Six Senses Ibiza, Ibiza, Spain (★★) — Yes, this is in Ibiza, but not the version you’re thinking of. Six Senses sits in its own quieter corner of the island with an on-site organic garden and Farm Learning Center supplying a plant-forward farm-to-table kitchen, solar-powered and regenerative operations, a spa with hammam and steam room, Ayurvedic programming, breathwork, sound healing, yoga, and a full longevity clinic. Book here!

🏔️ Krallerhof, Leogang, Austria (★★) — This adults-only alpine wellness resort takes non-toxic living seriously at every level, with a regionally sourced kitchen, private plunge pools filled with fresh spring water, and a spa where an infinity pool merges directly into a natural spring-fed bathing lake. Nine saunas, an ice grotto, a Himalayan salt infrared room, and a longevity lounge with a cryochamber and red light therapy round out one of the coolest non-toxic wellness offerings in Europe. Book here!

🏛️ Verdala Wellness Hotel, Rabat, Malta (★★) — This adults-only wellness resort in Malta has refillable amenities, a locally sourced Mediterranean kitchen, and a spa built around a cave-inspired heated indoor pool, hammam, salt cave, infrared cabin, sauna, and full hydrotherapy circuit. The personalized wellness programming is genuinely designed for guests who are there to do the work. Book here!

🌄 Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece (★★★) — Set within a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Peloponnese, Euphoria Retreat weaves ancient Greek and Chinese healing traditions through a seasonal, locally sourced kitchen and wellness programming. Book here!

Asia

🌸 COMO Shambhala Estate, Ubud, Indonesia (★★) — The Bali wellness retreat that still sets the standard after all these years, COMO Shambhala Estate sits in the jungle above Ubud with a locally sourced kitchen, natural spring-fed hydrotherapy and vitality pools, Ayurvedic programming, yoga, Pilates, meditation, and Balinese healing traditions running through every spa treatment. The programming is super personal, and the jungle setting does something to you that’s hard to explain until you’ve experienced it. Book here!

🪷 Kamalaya Koh Samui, Ko Samui, Thailand (★★★) — Multi-award-winning and built around a centuries-old Buddhist monk cave, Kamalaya has a seed-oil-free locally sourced kitchen, organic cotton and linen bedding, filtered water, air-purified spaces, Ayurvedic therapies, infrared saunas, herbal steam cave, cold plunge pools, personalized detox programs, yoga, Pilates, Qi Gong, tai chi, and meditation. Need we say more? Book here!

🌊 Six Senses Kaplankaya, Bodrum, Turkey (★★) — This Six Senses property, terraced into the hillside above the Aegean, has an on-site organic garden, locally sourced kitchen, plastic-free operations, and a spa featuring a full hydrotherapy circuit, hammams, a Watsu pool, meditation cave, sound healing, yoga, Pilates, and longevity programming including breathwork and sleep optimization. If you haven’t been to Bodrum, this is a good reason to go. Book here!

ICYMI: Related Posts📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• Inside The Wayback: A Non-Toxic Cottage Retreat Outside Austin → Read Here

• Non-Toxic Travel: Monthly Roundup #2 → Read Here

• Non-Toxic Travel Essentials → See Post

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

At Girls Who Eat, we research hotels the same way we research everything else: by looking at what’s actually in them. Our standards cover everything from fragrance in common spaces and ingredients in cleaning and spa products to food sourcing, bedding materials, pool systems, and air and water filtration. A beautiful spa doesn’t pass our bar if the products inside are loaded with synthetic fragrance. Farm to table doesn’t mean much if the kitchen is cooking with seed oils. We like to look at the full picture and everything inside.

This roundup covers the best non-toxic weekend getaways across the U.S. right now, with properties our team has researched in depth, reached out to directly, and in some cases visited ourselves. From a lavender farm in New Mexico to a cliffside stay on the Big Sur coast to a working farm outside Nashville, these are the domestic getaways worth booking.

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no synthetic fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards or still has synthetic fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: What To Watch Out For In Hotels 🚨

Before we get into the good stuff, here are a few of the biggest red flags we look for when evaluating any property.

🚫 Synthetic Fragrance in Common Areas | Fragrance is often a catch-all term that can hide thousands of undisclosed chemicals. Lobby diffusers, scented candles, and signature hotel scents are some of the most common offenders, and they are also one of the easiest ways for a space to give you a headache the second you walk in.

🚫 Conventional Bath + Spa Products | Most hotel bath products contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. These are applied directly to skin and left on, so it’s worth knowing what’s actually in them.

🚫 Conventional Pool Systems | Standard hotel pools often use chlorine or bromine, which can be irritating for some people, especially with repeated exposure. We prefer properties using saltwater, ozone, or other lower-chemical systems when possible.

🚫 Synthetic Bedding + Conventional Cleaning Products | Bedding materials and cleaning products can have a big impact on how a room feels. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, fragranced detergents, and conventional cleaning products are all things we pay attention to, especially for anyone sensitive to scent or indoor air quality.

🚫 Ultra-Processed Hotel Food | Room service and hotel restaurants often rely heavily on seed oils, outsourcing, and more processed ingredients. Properties with local sourcing, ingredient transparency, and a stronger connection to local food systems, like on-site farms, stand out.

Our Non-Toxic Hotel Picks ✅

These properties met at least several of our core standards. We note where each one shines, what tier they are, and where there’s still room to grow.

West Coast + Pacific

🌲 Post Ranch Inn (Big Sur, California, ★★★) — If you’re really looking to splurge, this is where we’d send you. Post Ranch Inn has bedding made of 600-thread-count organic cotton, mattresses that are 100% natural latex, and bath amenities that are organic, biodegradable, and refillable. Water is filtered, and Post Ranch was the first hotel in the US to adopt a Premium Purity non-toxic cleaning system. The kitchen cooks in premium local extra-virgin olive oil, including Corto Olive from Lodi and a small-batch Palo Colorado olive oil from Big Sur itself, sourced from longtime Central Coast farming partners, and invests in regional food systems through Zero Foodprint and Regenerative California. This is true non-toxic luxury. Book here!

🌆 Downtown LA Proper Hotel (Los Angeles, California, ★★) — Housed in a restored 1926 landmark with Kelly Wearstler interiors, this is a hotel that manages to be both a design destination and a place you’ll actually feel good in. The kitchen is seed-oil-free across all dining venues, linens are 100% cotton Bellino, and the rooftop pool deck with cabanas and skyline views is beautiful for sunset. Wellness covers yoga, meditation, sound baths, and in-room spa treatments, and the property holds LEED Gold certification. Book here!

🌊 Alila Marea Beach Resort (Encinitas, California, ★★) — This is a Southern California beach weekend that meets our standards in one of our favorite parts of San Diego. The spa is rooted in indigenous-inspired botanicals with no synthetic fragrance in any bath products, architecture is eco-certified using natural stone, wood, and coastal materials, and filtered water is available in every room. Spa Alila offers sauna, steam room, cold plunge, and sound healing, and the seasonal California coastal cuisine leans on locally sourced ingredients. Complimentary e-bikes and surfboards round things out nicely, and the views of the ocean are relaxing. Book here!

🏔️ Cascada Portland (Portland, Oregon, ★★) — Cascada holds LEED Platinum certification and has healthy living baked into the architecture, with MERV-13 air filtration, rainwater collection for toilets, biophilic design (connecting humans to nature in indoor spaces), and unscented cleaning products. The thermal experience is the real draw, with multiple vitality pools, saunas, steam rooms, ice features, outdoor hot pools, cold plunges, and conservatory relaxation spaces that make it easy to spend an entire day without leaving the property. Dining focuses on regionally sourced meals made without seed oils. Book here!

🏝️ 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (Kauai, Hawaii, ★★) — Built with reclaimed wood, natural materials, and low-VOC finishes, the rooms feel like an extension of the landscape, complete with organic cotton linens, air purification, filtered water, and zero single-use plastics. The Bamford Wellness Spa covers holistic massage, yoga, meditation, and breathwork, and outside, there’s surfing, paddleboarding, hiking, and guided nature experiences alongside multiple pools. Dining is farm-to-table with locally grown produce, sustainably sourced seafood, and seasonal organic-forward menus. Book here!

East Coast

🏙️ Equinox Hotel NYC (New York City, ★★) — If you’re looking to splurge while in the Big Apple, this is the gold standard for a non-toxic city hotel stay. There’s no artificial scent anywhere in the building, 400-thread-count cotton percale linens, refillable PATH water bottles in every room, and a rooftop saltwater pool. The wellness offering is next-level, with barrel saunas, infrared saunas, cryotherapy, NutriDrip IV drips, quantum harmonics, massage, bodywork, and a sleep program designed by sleep psychologists with rooms optimized for deep, regenerative rest. Book here!

🌴 The Shelborne (Miami Beach, Florida, ★★) — A solid Miami option, this property has air filtration, 100% cotton linens, refillable amenities, and a kitchen that leans seasonal and locally sourced with regional partnerships (though some dishes do contain seed oils and full accommodation isn’t always possible, so worth flagging). Guests can enjoy wellness programming like yoga, boot camps, and run clubs, plus complimentary cruiser bikes. Book here!

🌸 The Fearrington House Inn (Pittsboro, North Carolina, ★★) — A charming eco-conscious boutique inn just outside Chapel Hill, this stay is set on a working farm with onsite gardens, beehives, and farm animals supplying the kitchen directly. There are filtered water pitchers, Frette linens, and Matouk wool blankets in every room, and the spa has massages, facials, and red light therapy. A seasonal outdoor pool, walking trails, bikes, afternoon tea, and wine tastings make this a lovely, restorative stay. Book here!

Central/South

🌿 The Wayback (Austin, Texas, ★★★) — Guests can find eight cottages, zero synthetic fragrance, organic cotton percale sheets and Belgian linen throws, refillable bath products, and filtered water. The café cooks exclusively in Texas olive oil and butter, sources from certified organic farms, and the cleaning products throughout are non-toxic. The pool is saltwater, the paint is low-VOC, and greywater (untreated wastewater) gets recycled back into irrigation for 300+ live oaks. Book here and read our full review of the property here!

🌺 Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm (Albuquerque, New Mexico, ★★) — A 25-acre organic lavender farm with 46 rooms, Los Poblanos has organic cotton linens, a heated saltwater pool and sauna, and a spa that uses farm-grown lavender, calendula, and mint in treatments. The property makes its own bath products on site, and dining at Campo has one of the best field-to-fork menus in the country, with a lot of their produce grown on-site. Book here!

🌾 Southall Farm & Inn (Franklin, Tennessee, ★★) — A working farm just outside Nashville, this spot is complete with beehives, on-site greenhouses and orchards, miles of developed trails, and an outdoor mineral pool. Dining is built entirely around what’s growing and buzzing on the property that week, meaning if you want the full farm experience within a weekend drive of a major city, this is it. Book here!

🤠 Miraval Austin Resort & Spa (Austin, Texas, ★★) — This hotel has a 10-acre organic farm on site that supplies 100% of the property’s produce, filtered water, and a spa that 90% organic products with desert-inspired treatments, along with yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound healing, and guided hikes. The whole resort runs on 100% renewable electricity and holds Green Key certification. The best part? It’s all-inclusive, meaning your stay includes all meals, daily programming, and full access to the wellness experiences. Book here!

ICYMI: Related Posts 📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• The Non-Toxic Hotels That Are Actually Worth the Money (U.S., Mexico, Europe, & Beyond) → Read now

• The Non-Toxic Road Trip Essentials We Bring Every Time → Read now

• The Best Hotel in Oaxaca City → Read now

Have a hotel or experience you think belongs on our radar? Reply to this email! We read every response.

We’re building this monthly for you, so comment and let us know what you’re most excited about from this newsletter. Found a new hotel or experience you’re loving? Spotted a great non-toxic travel deal? Want us to cover a specific destination or property next? We’d love to hear from you, and we just might feature your tip in the next edition!

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below — and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Welcome back to the monthly travel edition of Girls Who Eat, your guide to hotels, destinations, and experiences that actually make you feel good, all vetted through our non-toxic standards.

Summer is almost here, and this year, we’re seeing a real shift in the way people travel. Rising temperatures are reshaping where we go and why, sleep is being treated as a serious health intervention for the first time in hotel history (!), and there are a handful of openings this season that are definitely worth talking about. This month, we’re covering the “coolcation” movement that’s sending travelers north instead of south, the longevity travel trend that was practically made for the GWE reader, and two hotel openings (one in London, one on the French Riviera) that have been on our radar.

Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free subscriber.

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What’s Trending In Non-Toxic Travel ✈️

• ❄️ “Coolcations” are the summer travel story of 2026, and it’s not just about the weather. According to Travel + Leisure, searches for cooler destinations have surged more than 40%, and nearly three-quarters of travelers say extreme weather now actively shapes their plans. People are ditching packed beaches for Iceland, Scandinavia, Finland, and Norway, complete with a side of clean air, uncrowded landscapes, forest bathing, cold water swimming, and nature that actually supports your nervous system. Worth noting: 2026 is on track to be one of the four hottest years on record.

• 😴 Sleep tourism is more than a trend. These days, hotels are creating entire rooms around the science of rest with AI-integrated beds, circadian lighting, and dedicated sleep concierges on staff. The hotel industry is finally catching up to what the GWE reader already knows: sleep runs everything: hormones, immunity, metabolism, mood.

• 🧬 The biggest wellness travel trend of 2026 isn’t about relaxation, it’s about living longer. Longevity travel has gone mainstream, with more American travelers who will now pay specifically for vacations designed to extend their lifespan. This is not just biohacking clinics; they’re looking into resorts that are making smart choices around sleep, real food, thermal therapy, nature, and community. Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone properties are leading the way, and we’re here for it.

• 🧖 Social saunas are becoming the wellness equivalent of going out. The World Sauna Awards (SAUNA37) 2026 just named the world’s top 37 destinations, from a 110,000-square-meter Italian wellness facility with opera performances inside the sauna to a 5,000-square-foot urban sauna built around breathwork and guided heat rituals. Communal sauna culture is replacing nightlife with something that supports cardiovascular health, cortisol regulation, and real human connection. ‘Sauna raves,’ Aufguss ceremonies (guided sauna rituals), and multi-sensory steam journeys are here.

• 🌊 Seaweed bathing is back, and the science is exciting. National Geographic’s Best Wellness Destinations 2026 spotlighted thalassotherapy in Ireland as one of its top experiences of the year: soaking in warm baths filled with fresh Atlantic seaweed, packed with magnesium, iron, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Anti-inflammatory, skin-supporting, thyroid-nourishing, zero synthetic ingredients, it’s been practiced on Ireland’s west coast since the early 1900s.

Non-Toxic Hotels We’re Excited About 🏨

Newly opened, newly discovered, or newly verified: these are the properties that meet our standards for no artificial fragrance, local and seasonal food, non-toxic spa and cleaning products, filtered water, wellness programming, and low-chemical pools.

• Cascada, Portland, Oregon (★★★) — Portland's only LEED Platinum-certified hotel, and it has advanced air filtration (MERV-13), unscented cleaning products, a kitchen that cooks without seed oils, and one of the most impressive thermal experiences we've seen in the U.S. (think mineral vitality pools, saunas, steam, ice features, outdoor hot pools, and cold plunges). Clean air, clean water, clean food, all under one roof. Portland surprised us with this one.

• Awasi Patagonia Torres del Paine, Chile (★★) — For the traveler who wants wilderness without compromise, this one is hard to beat. There is no artificial fragrance anywhere in the rooms or main spaces, bedding is 100% cotton, and amenities are refillable and made from natural, locally sourced ingredients. The kitchen cooks exclusively in butter and olive oil, sourcing fresh South Pacific fish and seasonal produce from small-scale local producers. After a day out with the naturalist guides, private wood-fired hot tubs overlooking the Patagonian landscape and in-villa restorative massages make for a restorative evening.

• Fogo Island Inn, Newfoundland, Canada (★★★) — This property has no artificial fragrances, flax-based organic bedding, continuous fresh air through heat recovery ventilators, rainwater filtration, wood-fired saunas, rooftop hot tubs, and cold plunges that go directly into the North Atlantic Ocean. The kitchen sources hyper-locally, starting on Fogo Island and working outward only when necessary. It has regenerative design, extraordinary landscape, and is non-toxic from the ground up. This one is worth the journey.

New Non-Toxic Experiences To Know About 🎉

Fresh wellness offerings, spa menus, retreat programs, and destination openings we’re watching.

• Six Senses Alchemy Bar, London, UK — Inside Six Senses London, a resident alchemist guides you through locally sourced British botanicals (think wild rosehip, Scottish seaweed, English lavender, and woodland herbs) to blend your own scrubs, teas, and natural remedies. It’s available to hotel guests and day spa visitors alike.

• Eha Retreat, Hiiumaa Island, Estonia — Opening this summer (!) on a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Baltic Sea, Eha’s spa program is built around whole-body peat wraps using mineral-rich materials from the island’s wetlands, Nordic sauna rituals, cold plunges, and breathwork rooted in Estonian ancestral tradition. The kitchen follows the same philosophy: a Green Michelin Star chef cooking from the retreat’s own organic garden, wild seaweed, and foraged ingredients from across the island.

• Castel Badia, South Tyrol, Italy — This is a restored 14th-century castle in the Dolomites with a spa carved into the rock beneath it. Treatments in the former monastic chambers draw on alpine herb wisdom, water rituals, and plant-based therapies, with Finnish and indoor saunas, heated infinity pools overlooking the valley, and the ancient monastery cloister for quiet walks between sessions. Plus, the kitchen sources from local South Tyrolean farms.

Want more non-toxic travel options? ✈️

We’ve curated a collection of non-toxic properties on our Expedia storefront that actually align with how we travel: healthier destinations, restorative experiences, and places that support your body instead of depleting it. Think dog-friendly hotels, farm to table properties, and hotels that meet our standards in cities like NYC, Mexico, and Greece. Browse, bookmark, and book your next trip with these vetted non-toxic options.

Check out our Expedia page, and book your next vacation!

Industry Updates 🚨

What’s shifting behind the scenes from new certifications, brand acquisitions, spa product launches, and regulatory news that affects where and how you travel.

• Magnesium Pools Are Going From Niche to Standard. Six Senses London opened with the city’s first magnesium hotel pool this spring, and it won’t be the last. Magnesium chloride pools are warmer and more buoyant than standard pools, support muscle recovery, reduce cortisol, improve sleep, and are absorbed through the skin during a soak. According to spa industry reporting, this is now a differentiating amenity that high-end travelers are specifically requesting.

• Vegetable-Forward Hotel Dining Is Becoming a Serious Culinary Category. The opening of Six Senses London with a 50% vegetarian kitchen, COMO Le Beauvallon with its COMO Shambhala health-focused menus, and the continued growth of Blue Zone-inspired resort dining programs signal that hotel kitchens are finally treating food as part of the wellness offering.

• Non-Toxic Spa Product Transparency Is Becoming a Booking Factor. These days, guests are asking what products are used in treatments before booking. Properties like Alila Ventana Big Sur and Angkor Grace Wellness Resort have fragrance-free beauty products, which most hotels don’t offer.

Non-Toxic Travel Essentials We Trust ♥️

Occasionally, we share brands and deals aligned with our non-toxic travel ethos - think non-toxic skincare worth packing, non-toxic luggage, and supplements for travel days.

• ✨ Clearly Filtered 32oz Water Bottle — Built with medical-grade, BPA/BPS and phthalate-free materials, it filters 220+ contaminants, including fluoride, lead, chlorine, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals. This is the water bottle we actually trust on travel days.

• ✨ ella+mila Nail Polish — This 17-free formula skips formaldehyde, DBP, acetone, and parabens without skipping the color payoff. Plus, it’s fast-drying, chip-resistant, vegan, and PETA-certified cruelty-free. It’s the kind of polish you can actually feel good about packing.

• ✨ Lumineux Teeth Whitening Strips — Peroxide-free, certified non-toxic, and microbiome safe, these whitening strips work with your oral microbiome. Dentist-formulated with coconut oil-based actives, they’re free from SLS and artificial ingredients, and easy to toss in a carry-on.

• ✨ 100% Water + Cotton Hand & Face Wipes — These wipes are made with purified water, natural cotton, and nothing else. They’re clean wipes that are individually wrapped, biodegradable, and actually gentle enough for sensitive skin and babies on long travel days.

• ✨ Badger Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 — This non-toxic mineral sunscreen has only four ingredients (zinc oxide, coconut oil, sunflower wax, and vitamin E) with 90% organic content, no fragrance, and no white cast. It’s lightweight enough for daily use and water resistant for 40 minutes, which makes it an easy yes for travel days and beyond.

• ✨ Pure Canvas Packing Cubes — These packing cubes are made from 100% natural cotton, and they’re durable enough for frequent travel and washable when you get home. It’s a small swap that makes a real difference for anyone thinking about what’s sitting against their clothes all trip and to help you pack more intentionally.

ICYMI: Related Posts 📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• The Non-Toxic Hotels That Are Actually Worth the Money (U.S., Mexico, Europe, & Beyond) → Read now

• The Non-Toxic Road Trip Essentials We Bring Every Time → Read now

• The Best Hotel in Oaxaca City → Read now

Have a hotel or experience you think belongs on our radar? Reply to this email! We read every response.

We’re building this monthly for you, so comment and let us know what you’re most excited about from this newsletter. Found a new hotel or experience you’re loving? Spotted a great non-toxic travel deal? Want us to cover a specific destination or property next? We’d love to hear from you, and we just might feature your tip in the next edition!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Since experiencing The Wayback firsthand, we knew it was a property we wanted to share. It’s one of those finds that feels personal from the moment you pull in: 8 white cottages tucked under more than 300 live oaks, just fifteen minutes from downtown Austin, but completely removed from the noise of the city.

What first drew us in was the property’s intentionality. The Wayback was started by Sydney and her mother, and you can feel that in every corner of the stay, from the Branch Basics in the laundry rooms to the Belgian linen throws in the cottages to the Texas Olive Oil they cook with at the cafe. We met the founder prior to our trip, and she walked us through every choice they had made and how her own passion for non-toxic living helped fuel a lot of the decisions the property makes. That kind of thoughtfulness is hard to fake and even harder to find at this price point.

This property meets all of the GWE standards - one of only a handful of stays we’ve reviewed that can say that. (The only thing we couldn’t verify was in-room air filtration, but Aquasana water filtration confirmed property-wide.) In this review, we’re breaking down what the property is actually like, what it gets right from a GWE perspective, and whether it belongs on your list. This is part of our larger goal with the GWE travel vertical: helping you travel in a way that supports how you want to feel, not just what looks good on a grid.

Upgrade to Paid

🔍 Property Deep-Dive: What Is The Wayback?

The Wayback is a boutique cottage retreat in West Lake Hills, Texas, about a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Austin. The property is built around a series of individual, white board-and-batten cottages designed for a cozy, upscale retreat feel, closer to a private guest house than a traditional hotel. It’s family-run, and that hands-on energy comes through in everything from the design to the product choices.

The overall feel is calm, intentional, and deeply rooted in the Texas Hill Country landscape. With 300+ live oaks on the property, an outdoor saltwater pool, and a cafe sourcing from Texas farms, it feels less like a hotel and more like a slow, design-forward escape that happens to sit minutes from one of the best food cities in the country.

What the Property Offers: Individual cottages furnished with eco-friendly and natural textiles, an outdoor saltwater pool, an on-site cafe sourcing from Texas farms (open to guests and the public), and refillable amenities throughout.

Pricing Context: Rates vary by season and cottage. The cafe is open to guests and the public, and meals are not included in the room rate, which is worth budgeting for since the food is one of the best parts of the stay.

How It Compares to Other Stays in the Area: Most Austin-area stays push you to choose between staying downtown or driving an hour into the Hill Country. The Wayback sits squarely in between - close enough to be in Austin in fifteen minutes, far enough that you wake up under the oaks, and unlike a more traditional boutique hotel, the cottage layout means the experience is more private and more residential.

🌿 The Experience

The GWE team stayed at The Wayback in October, and this review is based entirely on that firsthand visit.

The cottages were one of the standouts of the stay. The design is rustic but thoughtful, full of the kinds of small details you only notice when someone has cared about them. The bedding was 100% percale cotton from Under The Canopy, the duvet and shams were Pom Pom at Home, and the throws were Belgian linen, also from Pom Pom at Home. The robes were 100% cotton from Honest Cotton.

Prior to visiting the property, the founder, Sydney, walked us through how she chose every product on the property from Branch Basics for laundry, Puracy and Molly’s Suds for cleaning, Aquasana water filtration that runs through the entire property, including the cafe and the cabana where guests can refill their water bottles. It was a conversation that turned a nice stay into a memorable one and the kind of intention that the GWE community is always looking for.

The cafe was another highlight. Texas Olive Oil and butter are the primary cooking fats (no seed oils), and the produce, dairy, and meat come from a long list of Texas farms. The restaurant is open to the public for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, so it doubles as a neighborhood spot, but as a guest, you get to roll out of your cottage and walk into it, which is a different kind of experience entirely. Saturday evenings often feature a live jazz band, which makes hanging out here after dinner an obvious choice.

The saltwater pool and the grounds are where we spent most of our downtime. With 300+ live oaks, the property feels enclosed and private without feeling closed in, and the saltwater pool is an easy amenity you keep coming back to throughout the day.

One standout moment was just sitting outside under the oaks with coffee from the cafe and realizing the entire property, from the cottages, the pool, the food, the products, had been built with the same level of care.

🔍 What’s Actually In This Hotel?

This is where we get into the details that the GWE community cares about most. We had the full conversation with The Wayback’s founder and followed up with their team to verify. Here’s what we found.

✅ What they get right:

• Cooking oils used in the kitchen are Texas Olive Oil and butter (no seed oils)

• Cleaning products are Branch Basics, Puracy, and Molly’s Suds

• Laundry is done with Branch Basics

• Bedding is 100% percale cotton from Under The Canopy

• Duvet and shams are percale cotton from Pom Pom at Home

• Throws are Belgian linen from Pom Pom at Home

• Robes are 100% cotton from Honest Cotton

• Bath products are sourced from local brands - soap is A Wild Soap Bar from San Saba Soap Company, room spray is custom-made by Sweet Lorraine

• Aquasana water filtration runs property-wide, including the cafe for drinking water and food prep, and a refill station inside the cabana for guest water bottles

• Refillable amenities throughout, no single-use plastics

• Outdoor saltwater pool (instead of chlorine)

• Low-VOC paint, real wood flooring, and real cement tile used throughout the build

• Water re-irrigation system - all water on the property runs into a retention pond that re-irrigates the grounds

• 300+ live oaks preserved across the property

• Local Texas farm sourcing in the cafe:

  • Gundermann Acres, Wharton, TX (Organically Grown)

  • Hi-Fi Mycology, Austin, TX (Austin’s first urban mushroom farm)

  • Little Bear Produce, Edinburg, TX

  • Lonestar Lettuce Growers, Georgetown, TX (Certified Organic, Hydroponically Grown)

  • Wagyu~X, Fort Davis, TX

  • Mill-King Creamery, McGregor, TX

  • Lira Rossa Artisan Italian Cheese, Moulton, TX

Refer a friend

🎨 Design + Aesthetic

The Wayback’s design is grounded in the Texas Hill Country and built around the existing landscape, not on top of it. The cottages are individual structures spread across the property, designed to feel cozy and upscale without leaning into farmhouse cliches.

The build itself reflects the same intentionality as the rest of the property. Low-VOC paint, real wood flooring, and real cement tile were used throughout, natural materials that hold up over time and don’t off-gas the way conventional finishes do. The textiles do the same: 100% percale cotton sheets from Under The Canopy, percale cotton duvet and shams from Pom Pom at Home, Belgian linen throws also from Pom Pom at Home, and 100% cotton robes from Honest Cotton, meaning nothing synthetic, nothing with a chemical finish sitting against your skin.

Outside, 300+ live oaks anchor the property. The saltwater pool sits within the landscape, and the entire grounds are kept alive by a closed-loop water system, where used water is collected in a retention pond and re-irrigated back into the property.

💆 Wellness & Experience Details

Food + Dining: The on-site cafe is one of the best parts of the experience. Texas Olive Oil and butter are the primary cooking fats, and the menu pulls from a deep list of Texas farms for produce, mushrooms, dairy, beef, and cheese. We kicked things off with a local cheese platter - knowing exactly which creamery it came from made it taste even better and followed it with their salmon for our main course. The cafe is open to guests and the public, so meals are not included in the cottage rate, but the quality and sourcing make it feel like an extension of the stay, not an upcharge.

Water: Aquasana filtration runs property-wide. Guests can refill water bottles inside the cabana, and the same filtered water is used in the cafe for drinking and food prep.

Pool: Outdoor saltwater pool, set among the live oaks.

🧳 Who It’s For

The Wayback is for the traveler who wants a slow, design-forward retreat that does not require leaving Austin behind entirely.

It’s well-suited for couples, solo travelers, and girls’ trips looking for a stay that feels personal and grounded. Anyone who values local sourcing, real materials, and product transparency will feel right at home. It’s also perfect for a quick weekend getaway, and a strong fit for anyone with sensitivities.

📋 Quick Reference: How it Scores on our Standards

• No artificial fragrance: ✅

• Non-toxic cleaning + spa products: ✅ Branch Basics for laundry, Puracy and Molly’s Suds for cleaning

• Fragrance-free, paraben-free bath products: ✅ Local, small-batch sourcing - A Wild Soap Bar and custom Sweet Lorraine room spray

• Local + seasonal food / seed-oil-free options: ✅ Texas Olive Oil and butter as the default cooking fats, deep Texas farm sourcing

• Cotton / linen bedding: ✅ 100% percale cotton from Under The Canopy, Belgian linen throws from Pom Pom at Home, 100% cotton robes from Honest Cotton

• Water filtration: ✅ Aquasana water filtration runs property-wide, including the cafe and a guest bottle refill station in the cabana

• Low-VOC materials: ✅ Low-VOC paint, real wood flooring, real cement tile throughout

• Refillable / plastic-free amenities: ✅ Refillable amenities, no single-use plastics

• Natural / low-chemical pool: ✅ Outdoor saltwater pool

GWE Rating: ★★★ Top-Tier

🏡 Plan Your Stay

• Book on Booking.com — See cottage types and current pricing

🚨💬 Final Thoughts

From a GWE perspective, The Wayback is one of the most intentional stays we’ve reviewed. The bedding, the cleaning, the laundry, the food, the water, the pool, and the build itself all hold up, and you can tell the founders made every one of those choices on purpose.

If you’re looking for a stay that feels personal, beautifully designed, and aligned with how the GWE community wants to travel, The Wayback belongs on your list. It is one of the rare properties where you can show up with your usual non-toxic travel kit and barely need it.

Have you stayed here or somewhere similar? Leave a comment below with your experience, and let the GWE community know what property we should review next.

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5,000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️ Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Welcome back to the monthly travel edition of Girls Who Eat: your guide to hotels, destinations, and experiences that actually make you feel good based on our non-toxic standards.

This is where we break down what’s new, what’s worth booking, and what the industry is (finally) getting right when it comes to non-toxic wellness travel.

Last month, we launched this newsletter, and this month, we’re going deeper. We’re looking into the hotels that are finally treating your room like a sanctuary, think screen-free spaces, non-toxic mattresses, air purification, and zero synthetic fragrance, and the industry shifts that are putting women’s health front and center for the first time.

Plus, we’re spotlighting a $4 million Costa Rica expansion, two major 1 Hotel openings, Equinox’s Caribbean debut, barefoot trails in Germany’s Black Forest, and the longevity travel movement that was made for the GWE reader. Ready to dive in?

Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free subscriber.

Subscribe now

What’s Trending In Non-Toxic Travel ✈️

• 🌿 Hotels are finally treating your room like a sanctuary, not just a place to sleep. SCP Hotels just launched Wild Wellness across its full portfolio, and the details are exactly what we look for. Their Peaceful Rooms are screen-free sanctuaries with advanced air purification, sound machines, essential oil diffusers, yoga mats, and non-toxic Avocado Green Mattresses that are GOTS-certified organic and MADE SAFE-certified. Plus immersive nature programming at each property, like whale bioacoustics in Costa Rica, guided mushroom foraging in California’s redwoods, and lunar cacao ceremonies in Oregon, rounds it all out.

• 🦠 Microplastics just became a federal health priority, and yes, it absolutely affects where you book your next trip. This April, the EPA and HHS made a joint announcement designating microplastics a priority contaminant group for the first time ever under the Safe Drinking Water Act and launched a $144 million program to study how to actually remove them from the human body. Scientists have found microplastics in blood, bones, brains, lungs, and breast milk, and Duke University researchers have linked them to Parkinson's, dementia, and hormonal disruption. This is not a niche environmental concern anymore. Which means when we evaluate hotels, eco-friendly isn't a good enough bar anymore. We're now asking: Do you have glass water dispensers? Plastic-free bathroom amenities? Filtered water taps in the room? These details matter, and we'll be holding properties to that standard.

• 🛁 The menopause retreat is officially a travel category. More retreats now tailor programs to hormone health and midlife wellness, and three great new programs launched this year. Carillon Miami's Inner Glow is a five-day medically guided perimenopause retreat combining comprehensive hormone panels, IV nutrient therapy, personalized sleep tracking, and physician-led consultations that target root causes. Canyon Ranch's M/Power retreat in the Berkshires includes blood work, a DEXA bone density scan, mental health counseling, and expert sessions, and The Belize Collection's Gather & Glow is a women's hormone health workshop series blending Ayurvedic practice, botanical healing, and open community discussion.

• 💰 Wellness tourism just crossed $920 billion. A market analysis published in April confirms what we’ve been watching in real time: the global wellness tourism market is now valued at $920 billion and is on track to hit $1.5 trillion by 2035. Nearly 70% of U.S. consumers purchased healthy aging products in 2024, and that number has only grown. People aren’t just booking trips to see things anymore. They’re booking to feel better, come home healthier, and actually recover from the stress of modern life. And because the term ‘wellness hotel’ has become a marketing term anyone can slap on a property, we’re here to go deeper and show you which hotels are actually doing the work.

Non-Toxic Hotels We’re Excited About 🏨

Newly opened, newly discovered, or newly verified: these are the properties that meet our standards for no artificial fragrance, local and seasonal food, non-toxic spa and cleaning products, filtered water, wellness programming, and low-chemical pools.

The Retreat Costa Rica, Atenas, Costa Rica (★★★) — This resort just wrapped a $4 million expansion, adding 10 new Santosha Lofts with unobstructed Pacific Ocean views, a 16,500 sq. ft. open-air clubhouse with a lap pool and yoga shala, and two new farm-to-table restaurants. Right on a quartz crystal mountain, with organic gardens, saline pools, and wellness programs covering everything from adrenal recovery to Ayurvedic detox. The best part? We’re heading there this month to experience it firsthand. Expect a full review soon.

Equinox Hotel (★★) — The brand known for the most rigorous performance wellness programming in hospitality is expanding significantly across the U.S. Every Equinox property is built around movement, nutrition, regeneration, and community, meaning clean food, sleep-optimized rooms with circadian lighting, and a spa with refreshed treatments.

1 Hotel Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (Opened June 2025, ★★) — 1 Hotels’ first Australia property opened last summer on 220 meters of Yarra River waterfront, anchored by a heritage-listed goods shed dating to 1895. Over 7,000 plants throughout the interior, low-VOC materials, reclaimed timber from demolished Melbourne railway bridges, and on-site water filtration.

1 Hotel Austin, Austin, TX (Opening August 2026, ★★) — Now accepting reservations! 1 Hotel Austin opens this August inside the 74-story Waterline tower (soon to be Texas’s tallest building ) overlooking Waller Creek and Lady Bird Lake. Expect filtered water taps in every room, native stone and reclaimed wood throughout, a rooftop wellness spa, and four restaurant concepts, including a Michelin-starred chef.

Equinox Resort Anguilla Port Nimara, Anguilla (Opening 2029) — Equinox is bringing its wellness-performance philosophy to the Caribbean for the first time: a 62-room resort on Anguilla’s southwest coast within an 118-berth superyacht marina. Plans include 18 oceanfront villas, The Spa by Equinox Hotels, an Equinox Club, and an all-day dining concept built around indulgently healthy food.

New Non-Toxic Experiences To Know About 🎉

Fresh wellness offerings, spa menus, retreat programs, and destination openings we’re watching.

• Germany is all about barefoot hiking trails. Germany’s Park mit allen Sinnen (Park with All Senses) is a two-kilometer sensory trail through the Black Forest designed to be walked without shoes - think cool mud between your toes, pine needle paths, meditation caves, scent stations, and forest reflexology. Inspired by 19th-century naturopath Sebastian Kneipp’s original philosophy that barefoot walking stimulates circulation and immune function, the concept is now inspiring similar barefoot trail parks in the U.S., with the first that just opened near Flagstaff, Arizona.

• National Geographic just covered what was previously a whispered conversation in wellness circles: sexual wellness as a legitimate reason to travel. A growing number of retreats are creating intentional space for exploration, education, and reconnection, from women-only healing retreats with somatic bodywork and group intimacy coaching (like Back to the Body in California) to couples’ therapy retreats in the Caribbean (IntimacyMoons) and hormone-focused programs at Miraval Arizona. As wellness broadens to include all aspects of health, this category is one to watch.

• Longevity travel started as a niche trend for ultra-high-net-worth travelers, but has now become mainstream. Longevity travel means booking a trip specifically for biometric testing, biological age assessments, gut microbiome analysis, cryotherapy, NAD+ infusions, and personalized health protocols. Top destinations include Canyon Ranch in Arizona and Amangiri in Utah. These aren’t vacations; rather, they’re health investments.

Industry Updates 🚨

What’s shifting behind the scenes - new certifications, brand acquisitions, spa product launches, and regulatory news that affects where and how you travel.

• A New, Non-Toxic Hotel Certification Is Entering the Booking Flow. Valpas and Select Green Hotels just launched the first-ever bed bug-safe certification that’s visible to travelers before booking, with no pesticides, no toxic chemicals, just smart in-room technology that intercepts bed bugs without harming guests, staff, or the environment. The Valpas certification is now endorsed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and is live across 300+ hotels in 70+ destinations.

• 1 in 3 Travelers Actively Book Certified Sustainable Stays. According to Booking.com’s most comprehensive sustainability survey to date, a third of travelers across every generation - Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers - plan to book a sustainability-certified property in 2026. The platform now lists 28,000 certified properties, up 22% year-over-year. Eco-conscious travel choices are, as the report puts it, “no longer confined to a single generation, income bracket or traveler type.”

• Regenerative Travel Is Attracting Serious Investment. The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund is deploying capital across Southeast Asia to scale travel businesses that give back to people and the planet, like reef restoration in Bali to bamboo-based eco-tours in the Philippines. As travelers become more discerning about where their dollars go, regenerative travel (which restores ecosystems rather than just minimizing damage) is emerging as the next evolution beyond sustainable.

ICYMI: Related Posts 📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• How We’re Rating Hotels → Read now

• Non-Toxic Resorts For Summer Travel → Read now

• The Best Hotel in Oaxaca City → Read now

Have a hotel or experience you think belongs on our radar? Reply to this email! We read every response.

We’re building this monthly for you, so comment and let us know what you’re most excited about from this newsletter. Found a new hotel or experience you’re loving? Spotted a great non-toxic travel deal? Want us to cover a specific destination or property next? We’d love to hear from you, and we just might feature your tip in the next edition!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Did you know that a lot of hotel lobbies are basically running on a 24/7 scent machine? That signature fragrance is often pumped through the HVAC system and can contain dozens of undisclosed chemicals, including known hormone disruptors and respiratory irritants. Most guests don’t even think to ask, but we do.

Hotels are one of the trickiest categories in non-toxic travel, and honestly, one of the most overlooked. A beautiful property with a spa menu and locally inspired restaurant branding doesn’t automatically mean a healthier stay. In fact, some of the most marketed wellness hotels are the worst offenders: synthetic fragrance in common spaces, harsh industrial cleaning chemicals between fast turnarounds, and bath products filled with parabens and phthalates wrapped in minimalist packaging.

So what does non-toxic actually mean when it comes to hotels? For GWE, it comes down to a clear set of standards: no artificial fragrance in common areas or rooms, non-toxic cleaning and spa products, in-room amenities free from fragrance, parabens, and phthalates, seasonal and local food (with seed-oil-free options where possible), natural bedding like cotton or linen, air and water filtration, refillable or plastic-free amenities, and wellness-forward offerings like yoga, sauna, or sound baths.

Wondering how this is different from our resort roundup? The distinction comes down to the experience design. Resorts are self-contained: the pool, the restaurants, the activities, the spa with everything built around keeping you on-property. Hotels are more about the room as your home base, with the surrounding destination doing more of the heavy lifting.

This roundup brings together hotels we actually stand behind across the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and Europe. We’ve done the deep dive on each property (everything from pools using saltwater and cleaning protocols to bedding, bath products, and food sourcing), so you don’t have to.

Ahead, you’ll find 12 hotels across four regions, broken down by what they’re doing right and how they stack up in our tiered rating system.

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no synthetic fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards or still has synthetic fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: What To Watch Out For In Hotels 🚨

Before we get into the good stuff, here’s what the GWE team looks for (and flags) when evaluating any property.

🚫 Synthetic Fragrance in Common Areas | Fragrance is a catch-all term that can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals, including known irritants and potential hormone disruptors. Lobby diffusers, scented candles, and signature hotel scents are among the most common offenders, and most guests never think to ask.

🚫 Conventional Bath + Spa Products | Most hotel bath products contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. These are applied directly to skin and left on, so it’s worth knowing before you reach for that miniature shampoo.

🚫 Chlorinated Pools | Standard hotel pools use chlorine or bromine at levels that can irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. Natural, saltwater, or ozone systems are our preferred alternative.

🚫 Synthetic Bedding + Cleaning Products | Sheets made with polyester or doused in fragrance, and rooms cleaned with conventional chemical products, can affect air quality and skin, especially for sensitive guests.

🚫 Ultra-Processed Hotel Food | Room service and hotel restaurants often rely heavily on seed oils, additives, and processed ingredients. Properties with on-site farms, healthier cooking oils, or local sourcing commitments are the exception that we are looking for and asking hotels about.

The Best Non-Toxic Hotels ✅

These properties met at least several of our core standards. We note where each one shines, what tier they are, and where there’s still room to grow.

United States

🌿 Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm (Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S., ★★) — Set on 25 acres of lavender fields and cottonwood groves in Albuquerque’s North Valley, this hotel is all about non-toxic hospitality. Rooms feature Coyuchi 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton linens, while the property distills its own lavender bath products from fields onsite. The farm-to-table restaurant, spa treatments featuring seasonally harvested botanicals, complimentary yoga and meditation, and a heated outdoor saltwater pool round out the experience. Book here!

🌾 The Wayback (Austin, Texas, U.S., ★★★) — Located 15 minutes west of downtown Austin, The Wayback is a standout GWE-aligned boutique property in Texas. The eight cottages are outfitted with 100% percale cotton sheets from Under the Canopy, cotton duvets, linen throws, and Honest Cotton robes. Every soap, shampoo, laundry product, and cleaning agent on the property is made without synthetic fragrance, and the property cooks exclusively with Texas olive oil and butter (no seed oils). Book here!

🌊 Post Ranch Inn (Big Sur, California, U.S., ★★★) — One of the most spectacular hotels in California, Post Ranch Inn sits 1,200 feet above the Pacific. The sheets and towels are made with no harmful chemicals or dyes, while organic, biodegradable bath amenities come in refillable containers. The property maintains a full indoor air quality management plan with HEPA filtration in all public spaces and uses zero-VOC and low-VOC paints throughout. Plus, a 990-panel solar installation powers significant portions of the property. Book here!

🏙️ 1 Hotel San Francisco (San Francisco, California, U.S., ★★) — A 100% certified carbon-neutrall hotel, this property has a non-toxic ethos woven into everything from the mattresses to the menus. Rooms feature non-toxic organic Keetsa mattresses and sustainably sourced linens, and filtered water taps are on every floor. Terrene restaurant serves local, organic, and sustainably sourced ingredients, including produce from the rooftop chef’s garden and honey from on-site hive apiaries. Book here!

🗽 Equinox Hotel New York (New York, New York, U.S., ★★) Want a trip filled with high-performance wellness? This hotel has it. Think cryotherapy, infrared sauna, IV drips, breathwork, sound healing, and a sleep program designed by experts to optimize deep rest. The overall setup includes a saltwater pool, yoga, meditation, and a full fitness setup, while rooms skip artificial fragrance in main spaces and feature 100% cotton bedding, refillable amenities (including PATH water bottles), and in-room products by Grown Alchemist. Book here!

Mexico & Central America

🏺 Grana B&B (Oaxaca, Mexico, ★★) — Grana is one of our favorite places to stay in one of Mexico’s most food-forward cities, and we have a full review to prove it. This 18th-century residence features 15 rooms with 100% cotton bedding and artisanal bathroom products made locally. Expect morning rooftop yoga with views of the Sierra Norte, locally harvested coffee in the open-sky courtyard, and bar cocktails made with organic and locally sourced ingredients in the evenings. Read our full review here! Book here!

🌊 Casona Sforza (Oaxaca, Mexico, ★★★) — Casona Sforza was designed by celebrated Mexican architect Alberto Kalach using ancient vault-and-arch construction in locally sourced brick, a passive cooling system that keeps rooms naturally temperate without heavy AC. Organic bath products (honey soap, shampoo) are made in-house by the Pueblo del Sol indigenous artisan community, and raw linen and cotton textiles are in all rooms. The circular, saltwater cenote-style pool is a centerpiece, with private yoga, cacao ceremonies, sound healing, and holistic massages that can also be booked during your stay. Book here!

🌵 Salara (Todos Santos, Mexico, ★★★) — A design-forward boutique hotel just outside Todos Santos in Baja California Sur, Salara is built around conscious hospitality in the most literal sense. All cleaning products and in-room amenities are biodegradable, with a strict no-single-use-plastic policy throughout. Residences are constructed with naturally insulating local materials and come with their own private plunge pool. Wellness is intimate and personalized - think private yoga, sound healing, HIIT sessions, cacao ceremonies, mezcal tastings, and massage, all available on request. Book here!

Europe

🫒 Follonico (Torrita di Siena, Italy, ★★) — Everything here revolves around slow, seasonal living: about half of what’s on the table is grown on-site, including their own olive oil, and the rest comes from nearby producers. Days revolve around long meals, fresh air, guided nature experiences, and time by the saltwater pool. Rooms skip artificial fragrance in main spaces and keep things simple with linen and cotton bedding, refillable systems, and micro-filtered water bottled right on-site in still and sparkling. Book here (use code GIRLSWHOEAT at checkout to receive a free upgrade and 10% off on any purchase at their shop)!

🐑 Craveiral Farmhouse (Alentejo Coast, Portugal, ★★) — Craveiral runs on 100% organic farming and sources around 70% of its restaurant ingredients directly from its own gardens, orchards, and animals. The spa offers a hammam, cold plunge, sauna, indoor heated pool, outdoor hot tub, and massages, while yoga, surf lessons, Rota Vicentina bike trails, and farm tours are all available. Book here!

💦 1 Hotel Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark, ★★) — Right on the Copenhagen waterfront, this hotel was built with reclaimed wood, natural stone, and mineral-based low-VOC paints and finishes throughout. Bedding is organic cotton, rooms are stocked with filtered water in reusable glassware, and single-use plastics have been actively reduced across the property. The hotel has relaxation areas alongside a fitness center with yoga, meditation, and movement classes. Book here!

ICYMI: Related Posts 📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• How We’re Rating Hotels → Read now

• Non-Toxic Resorts For Summer Travel → Read now

• The Best Hotel in Oaxaca City → Read now

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

More from Girls Who Eat:

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• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

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Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Road trips are among the most flexible and customizable ways to travel. You control what comes with you, where you stop, and what you eat along the way. But the typical last-minute haul most people grab at a gas station or throw in an Amazon cart the night before is often loaded with plastic, synthetic fragrance, seed oils, and ingredients we’d never use at home.

At Girls Who Eat, we apply the same standards to our road trip essentials that we do to the rest of our routine. That means prioritizing materials like stainless steel, glass, silicone, and organic cotton over plastic whenever possible, choosing reef-safe mineral sunscreen and non-toxic bug protection, packing reusable and refillable items instead of single-use, and being just as intentional about the snacks, drinks, and personal care products we bring along.

One of the best parts of a road trip is that, unlike flying, you can pack the staples you already know and trust. From your favorite sunscreen and refillable water bottle to cleaner snacks and a blanket made without added chemical treatments, it’s one of the easiest ways to travel more on your own terms.

In this guide, we’re breaking down our favorite non-toxic road trip swaps across hydration, snacks, personal care, car care, air quality, and family essentials – all vetted to GWE standards.

What to Watch Out for on the Road 🚨

These are some of the most common road trip products we recommend avoiding or minimizing, and why:

🚫 Conventional Car Air Fresheners | Tree-shaped fresheners, vent clips, and heavily scented car products are often one of the easiest ways to bring synthetic fragrance into a small enclosed space. If you’re in the car for hours at a time, that exposure can add up quickly, which is why we prefer to skip them altogether.

🚫 Plastic Water Bottles | Road trips often mean sitting in a car for hours, and bottles can easily get warm. We generally prefer stainless steel or glass over plastic, which can increase the risk of chemicals like BPA or similar compounds leaching into your water when heated, especially for anything you’re drinking from throughout the day.

🚫 Chemical Sunscreens and Conventional Bug Sprays | Many conventional sun and bug products come with ingredient lists that include oxybenzone, octinoxate, and DEET (except in certain instances where DEET may be needed). For road trips, we usually prefer mineral sunscreen and essential oil bug sprays.

🚫 Gas Station Snacks Loaded With Seed Oils | Most snack aisles are packed with ultra-processed options made with seed oils, natural flavors, and preservatives. Packing your own makes it easier to stay aligned with the ingredients you’d normally choose at home.

🚫 Synthetic Fragrance Wipes and Hand Sanitizers | Travel-sized convenience products can be some of the biggest offenders when it comes to added fragrance and unnecessary extras. We look for simpler options with more straightforward ingredient lists.

The Roundup: Best Non-Toxic Road Trip Essentials ✅

💧 Hydration + Drinkware

Our go-to products for staying hydrated on the go, from stainless steel to filtered bottles.

• Clearly Filtered Stainless Steel Water Bottle: — An insulated stainless steel bottle is one of the simplest non-toxic swaps. It keeps water cold for hours without relying on plastic, and the durable food-grade stainless steel makes it an easy upgrade from single-use bottles. We love it for everyday hydration on the go, especially because you can refill it, cutting down on waste.

• HaykirHome Reusable Glass Straws: — This travel-friendly glass straw set makes sipping on the go easy, whether it’s smoothies or iced coffee. Made from non-porous glass, they won’t retain flavors or odors, and each set includes a cleaning brush, so they’re easy to keep using them long after your trip.

• LARQ Stainless Steel Water Bottle With Filter:— This stainless steel bottle takes hydration a step further with built-in filtration, making it ideal for refilling from different water sources. The double-wall insulated design keeps water cold while helping reduce chlorine, heavy metals, and other common contaminants.

• Healthy Human Stainless Steel Tumbler: — A go-to for road trip coffee, this stainless steel tumbler keeps drinks warm for hours without relying on paper cups or plastic lids. The double-wall insulated design helps maintain temperature, while the durable materials make it a non-toxic option for everyday use.

🧺 Non-Toxic Food Storage

Keep your favorite road trip snacks fresh without plastic.

• Caraway 3-Piece Glass Food Storage Set: A go-to for packed meals and leftovers, this glass set makes it easy to skip plastic. The non-toxic glass helps avoid issues like lingering odors and keeps food fresh and organized throughout travel days. The durable, reusable design makes it a simple upgrade that supports clean eating on the go.

• Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bags: Keep snacks and leftovers contained without single-use plastic. Made from food-grade silicone, these bags are reusable, BPA-free, and have a leak-resistant seal that actually holds up in transit.

• Bee’s Wrap Beeswax Wraps: Ideal for packing sandwiches, cut fruit, cheese, and snacks on the road without relying on single-use plastic wrap or baggies. Made from GOTS-certified organic cotton coated in beeswax, plant oil, and tree resin, they’re reusable and compostable, making them an easy lower-waste swap for travel days.

🥨 Clean Snacks

Healthy and clean snack options without seed oils, natural flavors, or refined sugars.

• Daily Crunch Sprouted Almonds and Dehydrated Nuts: A simple, clean-ingredient snack with no seed oils or additives. These sprouted nuts are shelf-stable, travel well, and offer a crunchy, protein-rich option for steady energy between stops.

• Paleovalley 100% Grass Fed Beef Sticks: A high-protein road trip snack made from grass-fed and finished beef, seasoned with organic spices and free from seed oils and artificial preservatives. They’re individually portioned and easy to pack, making them a more filling option between stops.

• Smash Foods Energy Bites: These jam-filled, bite-sized energy bites are made with nut or seed butter, dates, chia seeds, and fruit for a naturally sweet, satisfying road trip snack. Free from artificial flavors and preservatives, they’re easy to pack and work well for both adults and kids.

• Jackson’s Super Veggie Straws: A better-for-you take on classic veggie straws, these are made with real ingredients like yellow peas, cassava, and sweet potato instead of refined starch fillers. Cooked in avocado oil, they’re light, crunchy, and an easy road trip snack.

• Jacob Bar Mixed Berry Protein Bars: A clean, real-food protein bar made with minimal ingredients. They have flavors like chocolate and vanilla that include real fruit, honey for sweetness, and whey protein isolate, delivering 20 grams of protein per bar. They’re an easy, more substantial snack for quick fuel on the road.

• Simple Mills Honey Cinnamon Sweet Thins: Made with a seed and nut flour blend—including watermelon seed, cashew, sunflower, and flax—these light, crunchy sweet thins are an alternative to traditional crackers. Sweetened with coconut sugar and honey, and made without natural flavors, they’re a simple sweet snack for travel.

🧴 Non-Toxic Personal + Skincare

Our go-to skincare and hygiene products for road-trip travel.

• Sky & Sol Mineral Sunscreen: A nourishing, tallow-based sunscreen in SPF 30 and 50 that uses a non-nano zinc oxide formula that provides broad-spectrum UV protection. It uses a physical mineral filter that sits on the skin instead of being absorbed and doesn’t leave a white cast.

• Earth Mama Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Lotion: For those who prefer a tinted SPF moisturizer, this non-nano zinc oxide formula delivers broad-spectrum SPF 40 protection with a sheer tint to help minimize the classic mineral sunscreen white cast.

• Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer: This alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which comes in scents like peppermint and lavender, is made with organic ethyl alcohol to help reduce bacteria when soap and water aren’t available.

• Biom Biodegradable Sanitizing Wipes: A road trip essential for quick cleanups, these biodegradable sanitizing wipes use a plant-based alcohol formula designed to kill germs without relying on synthetic fragrance, quats, or harsh additives. Made with aloe and glycerin to help reduce dryness, they’re useful for everything from sticky hands to wiping down surfaces in the car.

• Moon Valley Organics Herbal Shampoo Bar: This shampoo bar replaces traditional bottled shampoo with a more concentrated, travel-friendly format. Made with organic plant oils, herbs, and essential oils, it offers a simple plant-based cleanse that is easy to pack.

• Cadence Travel Containers: These magnetic travel capsules are designed to store toiletries, skincare, and supplements in a compact, organized system. Made from recycled BPA-free plastic and built with a twist-lock seal to help prevent leaks, they’re an easy way to keep your travel routine organized without the clutter.

• Mambino Organics Anti-Bug Spray: This plant-based bug spray helps repel mosquitoes, ticks, and biting flies using organic essential oils like citronella, lemongrass, peppermint, and geranium. Blended with organic witch hazel, it offers a lighter, more skin-friendly alternative to conventional sprays.

🚗 Car Care + Air Quality

Keep your car smelling fresh without the toxins.

• Grow Fragrance Car Freshener: Skip the synthetic vent clips in favor of this non-toxic, plant-based car freshener made with a soft blend of vanilla, shea butter, and teakwood. Crafted with 100% plant-based ingredients, it’s a simple alternative to conventional synthetic car fragrances. Each pack includes two fresheners, lasting about 7–14 days each, and can be hung in the car, closet, or any small space that could use a subtle, mood-boosting refresh.

• Full Circle Squeeze Cellulose Sponge Cloths: These cellulose sponge cloths are made from plant-based fibers designed to replace paper towels. The highly absorbent material makes them useful for everything from wiping down cup holders to quick cleanups in the car or at roadside stops.

• Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag: This fragrance-free bamboo charcoal bag is designed to absorb odors and excess moisture, acting as a passive air-purifying option for small enclosed spaces like a car.

👶 Family + Kid Essentials

Our favorite options for keeping comfortable on the road.

• Salt Earth Organic Cotton Throw Blanket: This soft, breathable throw is made from GOTS-certified organic cotton with a lightweight waffle weave that’s comfortable year-round. It’s pre-washed for extra softness and easy to throw in the car for long drives, picnics, or layering up when the AC gets too cold.

• Coterie Baby Wipes and Diapers Kit: A diaper and wipes kit designed for road trips with little ones, this set includes wipes made with 99% water and 100% plant-based fibers, and avoids fragrance, dyes, and many common irritants. The wipes are extra thick for easier cleanups, and the diapers are highly absorbent, which helps during longer stretches in the car.

• Owala Kids Stainless Steel Tumbler: Built for car rides and constant refills, this kids’ tumbler uses insulated stainless steel to keep drinks cold, and the spill-resistant lid and built-in straw make it easy for little hands to use independently.

• PlanetBox Stainless Steel Bento Box for Kids: A stainless steel bento-style lunchbox with compartments for full meals, this is an essential when it comes to packing real food, instead of relying on packaged snacks or fast-food stops along the way.

• Skout Organic Plant-Based Bars: Made with organic dates, nuts, and seeds, these plant-based bars come in flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter & Jelly. Naturally sweetened and made with simple, whole-food ingredients, they’re an easy snack to keep on hand for travel days.

• Bear Real Fruit Snack Minis: Made from blended and dried fruit like apple, pear, and strawberry, these fruit minis keep ingredients simple with no added sugar or natural flavors. They’re a convenient option for both kids and adults.

🎒 Bags + Travel Essentials

Packing, organizing, and carrying your road trip essentials is easier with these luggage and storage finds.

• Fjallraven Kanken Backpack: A lightweight, durable backpack crafted from water-resistant fabric made to handle everyday travel and wear. Its simple top-zip opening and boxy shape make it easy to pack and access essentials on road trips or outings.

• Forever Cotton Packing Cubes: These organic cotton packing cubes keep clothing organized inside your suitcase or weekender. One of our go-to travel hacks is to be able to pack more while separating outfits or layers. They’re especially useful for road trips when your bag is constantly being opened, repacked, and moved between stops.

• Terra Thread Bumi Eco Duffel Bag: This is a classic, simple duffel that works for everything from road trips to weekend getaways. Made from Fairtrade organic cotton canvas, it has a roomy interior with inside and outside pockets that make staying organized easy. Well-sized and easy to carry, it’s a go-to when you need a little extra room on travel days.

ICYMI: Related Posts 📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• How We’re Rating Hotels → Read now

• Non-Toxic Resorts For Summer Travel → Read now

• The Best Hotel in Oaxaca City → Read now

Community Call-Out

What’s in your non-toxic road trip bag? Hit reply or leave a comment and tell us where you’re headed on your next drive. We might feature your favorite swap in our next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

What first drew us in was the property’s connection to Oaxaca itself. From the locally crafted decor to the natural materials and community feel, Grana reflects so much of what makes the city special. And while beautiful hotels are not hard to find, properties that also feel calm, intentional, and genuinely rooted in place are much harder to come by.

In this review, we’re breaking down what the property is actually like, what it gets right from a GWE perspective, where it still has room to grow, and whether it belongs on your list.

This is part of our larger goal with the GWE travel vertical: helping you travel in a way that supports how you want to feel, not just what looks good on a grid.

Subscribe now

🔍 Property Deep-Dive: What Is Grana B&B?

Grana B&B is a 15-room boutique bed and breakfast set inside a restored 18th-century residence in the heart of Oaxaca City, Mexico. The property describes itself as a love letter to Oaxaca, and that intention comes through in everything from the architecture and decor to the ingredients used in breakfast each morning.

The hotel is recognized by the MICHELIN Guide, and is independently operated with a small, hands-on team. The overall feel is intimate, design-forward, and deeply connected to the surrounding community.

What the Property Offers: 15 individually designed guest rooms, a communal breakfast experience in the kitchen, a rooftop terrace with loungers, hammocks, a workspace, an evening mezcal bar, a relaxation studio, bicycles for exploring the city, and yoga classes offered multiple times per week.

Pricing Context: Rates vary by season and room type, but breakfast is included, which adds real value compared to many other stays in the area, where dining is an extra add-on.

How it Compares to Other Stays in the Area: Unlike a more traditional luxury hotel in Oaxaca, Grana feels like staying in a beautifully designed home. Breakfast is communal, not anonymous, and the rooftop is shared, not sectioned off. The staff knows your name and, by the second morning, often your breakfast order, too. If you want a hotel that feels connected to the culture around it, this is it.

🌿 The Experience

The GWE team has stayed at Grana B&B twice — once in January and once in December — and this review is based entirely on those firsthand experiences.

The rooms were comfortable, well thought out, and spread across two floors. Ours opened directly into the central courtyard, with windows that actually opened, which meant fresh air, natural light, and a space that felt calm without trying too hard. There was filtered water in the room, the shower pressure was great, and the overall atmosphere felt easy to settle into.

Breakfast was one of the highlights of the stay. Each morning, the team prepared a communal meal in the main kitchen. We chose our à la carte order the night before, which was included in the rate, and in the morning, there was also a buffet spread with fruit, pastries, and café de olla. Sitting down at a shared table with other guests created a very different feeling from eating alone in a standard hotel restaurant, and it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip.

One of the biggest standouts of Grana, beyond the design and setting, was the service. The team was incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely warm. It never felt overly formal, just thoughtful in a way that made the whole experience feel more personal. That level of hospitality was a big part of what made the property so memorable.

The rooftop was where we spent most of our downtime. There were loungers, hammocks, tables for working, and views of the city and surrounding mountains. In the evenings, the bar opened for mezcalitas, and the whole space took on that golden-hour glow that made it easy to stay up there for hours.

One standout moment was sitting on the rooftop at sunset, drink in hand, looking out over the mountains and realizing the property really did reflect what makes Oaxaca so special.

Book Now

🔍 What’s Actually In This Hotel?

This is where we get into the details that the GWE community cares about most. We contacted Grana directly and sent our full verification questionnaire. Here’s what we found.

✅ What they get right:

• 100% cotton bedding

• Refillable amenities with no single-use plastics

• Locally sourced fruits, vegetables, bread, jam, and milk from Oaxacan providers

• Cocktails made with organic and locally sourced ingredients

• A composting program with a partner who turns organic waste into compost

• Grease traps in kitchen sinks for more responsible waste management

• Water from dishwashing is reused for non-guest areas

• Decorative pieces made by local artists throughout the property

• A digital-first communication approach rather than relying on printed materials

• A large number of plants throughout patios and rooms

• Olive oil is one of the primary cooking oils, and the kitchen can accommodate seed-oil-free requests

❌ Some things to note:

• Canola oil is used alongside olive oil and butter in the kitchen

• Bath products contain fragrance and preservatives

• Fragrance-free bath product options are not currently available on request

Refer a friend

🎨 Design + Aesthetic

Grana’s design is rooted in Oaxacan tradition, layered with contemporary touches that still feel grounded in the setting. The property is housed inside a restored colonial-era building, and the renovation preserves the bones of the home, thick walls, interior courtyards, and natural stone, while adding modern details that still feel intentional rather than trendy.

The rooms mix traditional craft with clean, contemporary styling. Decorative pieces throughout the property are made by local artists, and materials lean natural: stone, wood, cotton, and plenty of greenery across the patios and common areas.

The central courtyard anchors the entire property, and the layout encourages guests to move naturally between indoor and outdoor spaces. The rooftop becomes the main communal gathering point, with loungers, hammocks, tables, and open sky.

Most importantly, the design feels good to be in. The windows open, the rooms breathe, and the plant-filled spaces create a sense of calm.

💆 Wellness & Experience Details

Food + Dining: This is one of the strongest parts of the Grana experience. Breakfast is included and highlights local sourcing, with fruits, vegetables, bread, jam, and milk, all coming from Oaxacan providers. The communal format makes it feel more personal than a standard hotel breakfast, and the evening bar adds another thoughtful layer to the experience.

Wellness Programming: Yoga is offered multiple times per week on the rooftop, and the property also has a dedicated relaxation studio on the second floor. Bicycles are available for guests who want to explore Oaxaca City at their own pace.

Pool: Grana does not have a pool.

🧳 Who It’s For

Grana B&B is for the traveler who wants to experience Oaxaca, not just check it off the list. The design feels rooted in the community, the food leans thoughtful and local, and the service is a real standout. The team is incredibly kind, attentive, and welcoming, and that warmth shapes the stay just as much as the space itself. It’s especially well-suited for couples, solo travelers, and girls’ trips looking for a boutique stay that feels personal and design-forward without being over-the-top.

Anyone who values local culture, slower mornings, and a more intimate atmosphere will feel at home here. Families with older kids could enjoy it, but the communal layout and quieter pace make it feel more naturally geared toward adults who want something relaxed, low-key, and genuinely connected to the region.

🚗 How to Get There

From the U.S., the easiest way to reach Grana B&B is to fly into Oaxaca International Airport (OAX). Most routes aren’t nonstop, so you’ll usually connect through a larger hub first. The most common routes from the U.S. are nonstop from Dallas, nonstop from Houston, sometimes nonstop from Los Angeles (seasonal), or connecting through Mexico City, which has the most frequent flights.

Once you land, it’s very easy: walk outside the terminal to the prepaid taxi stand. You can choose a shared collectivo (cheaper with a few stops) or a private taxi. The ride to where Grana is located takes about 20–30 minutes.

📋 Quick Reference: How it Scores on our Standards

• No artificial fragrance: ⚠️ Fragrance shows up in the bath products, but it does not appear to be a property-wide scenting experience.

• Non-toxic cleaning + spa products: ❌ Not currently aligned with GWE standards based on the information shared.

• Fragrance-free, paraben-free bath products: ⚠️ Bath products are paraben-free, but they do contain undisclosed fragrance.

• Local + seasonal food / seed-oil-free options: ⚠️ Local sourcing is a major strength, and seed-oil-free requests can be accommodated, but canola oil is still part of the default cooking setup.

• Cotton / linen bedding: ✅100% cotton throughout.

• Air + water filtration: ⚠️ Filtered water is available in-room, but there is no documented property-wide air or water filtration system.

• Low-VOC materials: ✅The historic building and natural materials are a strong point here.

• Refillable / plastic-free amenities: ✅ Refillable amenities and no single-use plastics.

• Wellness offerings: ✅ Yoga, a relaxation studio, and bikes for exploring the city.

• Natural / low-chemical pool: No pool.

GWE Rating: ★★★ Gold Star

🏡 Plan Your Stay

• Book on Expedia — Check rates and availability for Grana B&B

• Book on Booking.com — See room types and current pricing

🚨💬 Final Thoughts

From a GWE perspective, the property gets a lot right: 100% cotton bedding, refillable amenities, strong local sourcing, and thoughtful sustainability practices. Where it still has room to grow is on the product side. The bath amenities and cleaning products are not yet aligned with GWE standards, and we’d love to see the property make the switch to lower-tox alternatives, especially given how intentional so much else is.

If you’re headed to Oaxaca and want a stay that is personal, beautifully designed, and culturally connected, Grana is absolutely worth knowing about. Just bring your own non-toxic travel kit for the bath products, and you’ll be in good shape.

Have you stayed here or somewhere similar? Leave a comment below with your experience, and let the GWE community know what property we should review next.

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5,000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️ Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Welcome to our first monthly travel edition roundup, aka your guide to hotels, destinations, and experiences that actually make you feel good, all vetted through our non-toxic standards. As healthier living becomes more of a priority at home, travelers are looking for the same on the road, whether that’s fragrance-free rooms, non-toxic spa products, filtered water, or restaurants focused on real, thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

We’re seeing more hotels rethink everything from cleaning protocols to wellness programming, and we’re here to track what’s meaningful versus what’s just marketing. Each month, we’ll share the trends shaping non-toxic travel, spotlight the properties and new experiences we’re excited about, and highlight industry updates, destination openings, and the travel essentials we actually use and recommend, all with one goal in mind: making it easier to plan trips that support the way you want to feel, without having to research every detail yourself.

Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free subscriber.

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What’s Trending In Non-Toxic Travel ✈️

• ✈️ Better in-flight rest is taking off. United Airlines introduced its Relax Row, launching in 2027 on select 787s and 777s. It turns three economy seats into a couch-style setup, so one adult can actually stretch out. You’ll have to book all three seats (and pay an extra fee), but for long-haul flights, it’s worth it so you feel more well-rested.

• 🧠 Stress is shaping how people travel. The American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey found that most Americans say stress has increased, with roughly 75% reporting physical or emotional symptoms. That’s pushing travelers toward better sleep, time outdoors, gentle movement, and breathwork. Trips are starting to prioritize nervous system regulation over packed itineraries.

• 🫒 Seed oil-free hospitality is having a moment. Proper Hotels just went fully seed oil-free across kitchens in Austin, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and Miami Beach. It’s a small detail that signals a bigger shift toward ingredient transparency in hotels.

• 🧬 Longevity travel has gone mainstream. Biohacking suites with cryotherapy, red-light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and infrared saunas are now standard at high-end resorts. Six Senses Ibiza launched a full longevity clinic, while Canyon Ranch offers a $20K four-day longevity program.

• 😴 Sleep-focused travel is its own category. Hotels like Equinox Hotel and Six Senses are investing in circadian lighting, temperature-regulating beds, organic bedding, and serious soundproofing. The goal is better rest, not just better design.

• 🌿 “Calmcation” travel is trending. Travelers are seeking remote, nature-immersive stays built around stress recovery instead of activity. Sound baths, frequency-based treatments, and slower wellness programming are now firmly in five-star territory.

• 🎶 In luxury wellness news, Six Senses is expanding sound healing across all properties. Expect singing bowl rituals, floating sound baths, and vibroacoustic loungers, often inspired by local soundscapes.

Non-Toxic Hotels We’re Excited About 🏨

Newly opened, newly discovered, or newly verified: these are the properties that meet our standards for no artificial fragrance, local and seasonal food, non-toxic spa and cleaning products, filtered water, wellness programming, and low-chemical pools.

Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, Miami, FL (★★)— This wellness-focused oceanfront resort has got it all. Think advanced air filtration systems, low-chemical pool options, and a comprehensive spa with everything from cryotherapy to infrared saunas. Not to mention, dining emphasizes seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, meaning every meal is one to remember.

Kamalaya Koh Samui, Ko Samui, Thailand (★★★) — This holistic wellness retreat emphasizes non-toxic cleaning products, refillable amenities, and seasonal, organic food minus processed ingredients. Tons of programming, from yoga and meditation to Qi Gong and therapies, paired with natural pool systems, make for a restorative, low-chemical stay.

Cambridge House, Auberge Collection, London, United Kingdom (★★) — Opening later this year in Mayfair, this is a gorgeous reimagining of a Grade I-listed Georgian mansion dating back to 1756. The 102-room hotel keeps its historic character while adding Major’s Grill for classic London grill vibes, cozy salons for afternoon tea, and a fumoir for cigar and spirits pairings. Wellness gets its own real estate too, spanning three floors under “The Joy of Wellbeing” with a pool, bath house, treatment rooms, and a Master-in-residence program.

New Non-Toxic Experiences To Know About 🎉

Fresh wellness offerings, spa menus, retreat programs, and destination openings we’re watching.

• Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece — Expanded well‑being programs now include advanced, precision-medicine diagnostics to offer super-tailored health interventions and plans from doctors, nutritionists, and movement specialists. Seasonal festivals, guided meditation circles, and cuisine rooted in local produce are all part of its deeper, non‑toxic philosophy.

• Chablé Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico — New wellness programming here includes heat and cold contrast therapies in natural cenotes, alongside breathwork and movement sessions set within lush jungle terrain. The resort’s farm‑to‑table approach continues to evolve with seed oil‑free menus and a stronger focus on filtered water and fragrance‑free rooms.

• Destination Opening: Soho Farmhouse New York, Rhinebeck, New York — Set on a 250-acre former working farm, this exciting countryside retreat (opening in 2027) will include bedrooms, multiple food and drink outlets, hiking and cycling trails, plus dedicated spa and wellness offerings.

Industry Updates 🚨

What’s shifting behind the scenes — new certifications, brand acquisitions, spa product launches, and regulatory news that affects where and how you travel.

• Gen Z Is Driving the Rise of Sober Tourism: According to Business Insider, a new trend, dubbed sober tourism, is reshaping leisure travel. Younger travelers are leaning into wellness, mindfulness, and meaningful experiences instead of late‑night cocktails. These days, it’s all about presence, health, and intentional fun over the usual party scene.

• Regenerative Travel Is Getting Backing: Southeast Asia just got a boost for eco‑friendly travel, according to EGS News. The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund is putting money into small businesses that care about people and the planet - think reef restoration in Bali and bamboo‑based tours in the Philippines. It’s proof that travel can give back while still being a great experience.

• Travel Is Getting Greener at the Global Level – Later this month, the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference (GSTC 2026) will be held in Phuket, bringing together sustainability leaders, policymakers, and travel pros from around the world to rethink what “responsible travel” really means. They’ll look at environmental impacts, community benefits, and how to make travel more sustainable.

Non-Toxic Travel Essentials We Trust ♥️

Occasionally, we share brands and deals aligned with our non-toxic travel ethos — think non-toxic skincare worth packing, non-toxic luggage, and supplements for travel days.

• ✨ Nodpod Gentle Pressure Sleep Mask — A weighted eye mask that’s designed to help you unwind on planes. The blackout fabric blocks light for deeper rest, and it’s also freezer-friendly if you want a cooling effect after a long travel day.

• ✨ Cowboy Colostrum Powder Travel Packs — Think of this as your on-the-go wellness sidekick. Each pack is made with gut and immune benefits from grass-fed cows. Ethically sourced from US farms, it upcycles what calves don’t need, so it’s clean, sustainable, and effective.

• ✨ Primally Pure The Jet Set — A new travel-friendly option designed for sensitive skin. This formula skips baking soda but still offers solid odor protection using non-toxic ingredients. It’s compact, easy to toss in a carry-on, and ideal for long travel days. Use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 10% off. Use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 20% off.

• ✨ Just Thrive Probiotic Supplement — Keep your gut in check no matter where your travels take you. These 100% spore-based probiotics survive stomach acid, so they actually make it to your gut, reducing bloating, gas, and tummy trouble on flights, road trips, or between time zones. Use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 20% off.

• ✨ RiseWell Flavorless Mineral Toothpaste — Powered by hydroxyapatite, this travel-size toothpaste helps strengthen and remineralize enamel, but skips artificial sweeteners, essential oils, and “natural flavors” for a gentler clean. Perfect for carry-ons, red-eye routines, or anyone trying to keep things low-tox on the road. Use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 10% off.

• ✨ Pure Canvas Packing Cubes — A breathable, low-tox alternative to the typical synthetic organizers. Made from thick 100% natural cotton, they keep clothes separated without trapping odors. The smaller size is great for undergarments, workout sets, or shoes, and the canvas fabric helps everything stay fresh.

• ✨ Sky and Sol Everyday Sunscreen SPF 30: A nourishing, tallow-based SPF that protects while feeding your skin essential nutrients. The weather is getting cooler, but that doesn’t mean you can skip the SPF. It’s ideal for sensitive skin and especially soothing after sun exposure - no white cast, no junk ingredients.

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

All of these factors can affect wellness in ways most travelers never think twice about. To fill that gap, Girls Who Eat is highlighting resorts that actually meet the standards we care about: minimizing toxins. For us, it’s about finding stays that are as health-conscious as they are beautiful and relaxing.

Non-toxic at a resort isn’t just a marketing tagline; it’s a set of standards designed to protect health. That means properties that avoid artificial fragrances in lobbies and rooms, use non-toxic cleaning and spa products, and stock bath amenities free of parabens, phthalates, and other synthetic chemicals.

We are looking for resorts that prioritize local, seasonal ingredients or seed-oil-free options, cotton or linen bedding, air and water filtration, low-VOC building materials, refillable or plastic-free amenities, wellness offerings like yoga or saunas, and low-chemical or natural pool systems. Some properties go further with eco-certifications like LEED, which shows a commitment to the environment (a major plus).

With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to plan a getaway that actually supports your health and wellness. That’s why we’ve focused this first roundup in our new travel vertical specifically on summer resorts in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. Our team has reviewed each property in depth, evaluating everything from the pool water type and spa products to food sourcing and air quality, to make sure these destinations meet (or come close to) our non-toxic-living standards.

In this Substack, we’re highlighting what they get right, from fragrance-free rooms and non-toxic spa products to locally sourced menus and low-chemical pools.

Whether you’re looking to unwind in the U.S., retreat to the Italian Dolomites, or escape to sun-drenched Mexico, this list is your guide to summer stays that prioritize wellness on all levels. Ready to go?

A Quick Guide to Our Tiers

GWE Gold Star ★★★ = Best-in-class properties meeting 4+ of our standards, with no artificial fragrance in main spaces or beauty products, and verified non-toxic practices across areas like air quality, cleaning products, food sourcing, and bedding.

GWE Conscious ★★ = Meets 3+ of our standards, or more, but still has fragrance in its main spaces or beauty products. Shows a clear commitment to non-toxic travel, such as local sourcing or wellness offerings.

Red Flags: What To Watch Out For In Hotels 🚨

Before we get into the good stuff, here’s what the GWE team looks for (and flags) when evaluating any property.

🚫 Synthetic Fragrance in Common Areas | Fragrance is a catch-all term that can hide dozens of undisclosed chemicals, including known irritants and potential hormone disruptors. Lobby diffusers, scented candles, and signature hotel scents are among the most common offenders, and most guests never think to ask.

🚫 Conventional Bath + Spa Products | Most hotel bath products contain parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. These are applied directly to skin and left on, so it’s worth knowing before you reach for that miniature shampoo.

🚫 Chlorinated Pools | Standard hotel pools use chlorine or bromine at levels that can irritate skin, eyes, and the respiratory system. Natural, saltwater, or ozone systems are the cleaner alternative.

🚫 Synthetic Bedding + Cleaning Products | Sheets treated with fire retardants or fragrance, and rooms cleaned with conventional chemical products, can affect air quality and skin, especially for sensitive guests.

🚫 Ultra-Processed Hotel Food | Room service and hotel restaurants often rely heavily on seed oils, additives, and processed ingredients. Properties with on-site farms or local sourcing commitments are the exception, not the rule.

The Best Non-Toxic Summer Resorts 🏨

These properties met at least several of our core standards. We note where each one shines, what tier they are, and where there’s still room to grow.

United States

🏖️ The Ranch at Laguna Beach (Laguna Beach, California, ★★★) — Set on a GEO Certified golf and resort property in Orange County, The Ranch hits the fundamentals: no synthetic fragrance anywhere on property, 100% cotton bedding and towels, and fragrance-free Malin+Goetz beauty products in refillable dispensers. The pool is saline and heated year-round, with a hot tub and palapa bar alongside it. Wellness includes customized facials, massages, body treatments, and a co-ed infrared sauna, and Harvest, the signature restaurant, cooks straight from the on-site Harvest Farm for seasonal California coastal cuisine. Book Here!

🌾 Blackberry Farm (Walland, Tennessee, ★★) — Set on 4,200 acres in the Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm is a Southern farm luxury favorite, with Frette 100% linen sheets on the beds and a sprawling estate that includes gardens, farm animals, and trails to explore. The food is some of the most celebrated farm-to-table cooking in the country, and wellness comes through fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and wellness classes, with an Aveda-based spa where select products contain fragrance. Without fully clean beauty, it lands Conscious, but the food and setting are in a league of their own. Book Here!

🌺 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (Princeville, Hawaii, ★★) — On Kauai’s north shore, this eco-focused property brings reclaimed wood, organic cotton linens, filtered water, and reduced plastics into a dramatic beachfront setting. Wellness runs deep with a full gym, yoga studio, and a Bamford spa, and dining leans farm-to-table with locally sourced, plant-forward options. The Bamford products contain fragrance, keeping it at Conscious rather than Gold Star, but the setting and wellness lineup are hard to beat. Book Here!

Europe

💪 Euphoria Retreat (Mystras, Greece, ★★★) — A leading wellbeing spa hotel, Euphoria Retreat mixes wellness and science. Guests can access programs led by doctors, nutritionists, therapists, and fitness instructors, with hyper-personalized interventions based on biomarker testing. With a 360-blend of ancient Greek and Chinese therapies, guests can enjoy wellness in every aspect. Book Here!

🏔️ Forestis (South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy, ★★) — Perfectly perched in the Dolomites, Forestis is a mountain retreat fully focused on wellness and sustainability. Guests can enjoy ski-in/ski-out access, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and fitness classes, along with Wyda Yoga energy exercises. The property emphasizes seasonal and local food, sourcing ingredients from nearby farmers, and the spa and pool area uses natural, low-tox systems with custom in-house Alpine forest products. Book Here!

🏊‍♀️ Krallerhof (Leogang, Austria, ★★) — This 5-star family-run wellness resort combines luxury with low-tox living. Guests can swim in the massive natural bathing lake or the 50-meter infinity pool, both free of chemicals, and enjoy nine saunas, an ice grotto, and cold plunge pools. Wellness offerings include a Longevity Lounge with cryotherapy, red light therapy, and IHHT. Add in the hotel’s own bakery, natural fiber bedding like 100% Merino wool, and filtered tap water, and it’s a dream come true. Book Here!

Mexico

👙 Amansala Resort (Tulum, Mexico, ★★) — This resort is a wellness-focused escape in Tulum, offering yoga retreats, spa treatments, and fitness programs, including the iconic Bikini Bootcamp. The property emphasizes eco-chic design with organic materials and provides a full range of wellness offerings from massage to group classes. Book Here!

🌿 Alila Mayakoba (Mayakoba, Mexico, ★★) — On the Riviera Maya, Alila Mayakoba runs a plastic-free, eco-forward operation with deep cultural programming. Bath amenities are biodegradable, glass water bottles replace plastic throughout, and skincare comes from Wildsmith, mostly fragrance-free with just a couple of exceptions. Wellness is the real draw here: temazcal ceremonies led by local healers, sound immersion, cacao rituals, a full hydrotherapy circuit, and spa treatments guided by the Maya calendar. The food comes from an on-site organic garden into health-conscious menus, including a 12-seat zero-waste dining concept. Book Here!

ICYMI: Related Posts📲

Catch up on the latest GWE content across Substack and socials.

• Ready to Travel More Non-Toxic? Start Here → Read Here

• Non-Toxic Travel Essentials → See Post

Have you stayed at any of these properties? Know a hotel that should be on our radar? Leave a comment below and let the GWE community know what city or brand we should cover next. We just might feature your tip in the next roundup!

Disclaimer: Everything we share is researched and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of sending. When we note the standards a property does or doesn’t meet, that’s our own opinion based on our criteria and the information the hotel gave us or posted on their website at the time of review. Travel details like rates, availability, amenities, and policies can change without notice, and information can be incomplete, so we can’t guarantee every detail is current or error-free. Always confirm the specifics with the hotel before you book or travel. Girls Who Eat isn’t responsible for decisions made based on this email, and we want to get it right, so if you notice an error, reply and tell us and we’ll fix it.

More from Girls Who Eat:

• 🛒 Shop GWE-approved products on our Amazon storefront

• 💰 Save on 100+ exclusive discounts from our favorite non-toxic brands

• 🧴 Discover 5000+ vetted non-toxic products

• 🔎 Look up ingredients in our free Ingredient Glossary

Find Us Here:

• 💻 Instagram: @girlswhoeat

• 🖱️Pinterest: @girlswhoeat

Thank you for being part of the GWE community. This newsletter may contain affiliate links that help support our business at no extra cost to you.

Travel is one of my greatest loves, but it can be hard to find a place that prioritizes your health while you’re on the go.

As the founder of Girls Who Eat, I am super passionate about travel. Living a non-toxic life and traveling might not seem related, but they are. I personally visited 30 countries before I turned 30. I did it with a chronic illness, a carry-on full of clothes for two months in Europe after quitting my corporate job, and an obsession with finding experiences that most travel guides never share. I was looking for the under-the-radar wellness hotel, the family-run hotel that sources everything from their farm, the hidden restaurant with only 2 tables that doesn’t show up on any Best Of list. Travel has always been how I best experience the world, understand new cultures, and, honestly, how I take care of myself. It’s one of the only times I am super present and not sitting behind a computer!

Here’s the thing nobody talks about: the wellness travel industry is booming, but it can be hard to pinpoint experiences, spas, and hotels that are leading with integrity.

The global wellness tourism market is on track to hit over $1 trillion. Every hotel brand is launching a wellness concept. Every resort is now starting to have a cold plunge and a green juice on the menu.

I do all this work at home to reduce my toxic load by reading every label, vetting every product, and building an entire platform around it. I don’t want to roll back that effort by checking into a hotel that has synthetic fragrance pumped through the HVAC, paraben-filled bath amenities, and sheets washed in detergent with a fragrance list longer than most skincare products. By creating Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple, we wanted to source places that are genuinely considering non-toxic living and putting an emphasis on travelers’ health.

Wellness travel deserves the same scrutiny we apply to everything else, and nobody was doing it with high enough standards…so we’re building our own, right here.

A little backstory, if you’re new here.

When my health hit rock bottom in 2018 and I was diagnosed with a rare chronic disease, I became obsessed with understanding what I was actually putting in and on my body. I went from someone who believed the marketing on the front of a product to someone who spent hours reading every ingredient label. I got my health coaching certification. I built an ingredient glossary of 5,000+ ingredients. I founded Girls Who Eat to share everything I learned so no one else had to figure it out alone.

But I never stopped traveling. I got the travel bug young and have always been curious about seeing as many places in the world as possible. The thermal spas in Austria, the wellness retreats in Costa Rica, the natural winery vineyard stays in Italy. These places exist, but they can be hard to find and even harder to verify.

That’s what Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple is: the resource I wish I’d had for every trip I’ve taken for the last decade. A guide built by someone who actually reads the labels, contacts the hotels, and has visited enough countries to know the difference between a property that lives its values and one that just markets them.

Because you deserve to feel confident with every trip you book.

Our Standards Checklist

We developed our own standards list to determine how to rate hotels and which Tier they fit into.

1. No artificial fragrance in main spaces/rooms

2. Non-toxic cleaning and laundry products

3. In-room bath products: no synthetic fragrance

4. Seed-oil-free kitchens or seasonal/local ingredient sourcing

5. Cotton/linen bedding and towels

6. Air + water filtration (in-room or property-wide)

7. Refillable/plastic-free amenities

8. Wellness offerings (sauna, yoga, breathwork, etc.)

9. Natural pool or low-chemical pool system (saltwater/spring water)

10. Eco certifications (LEED, etc.) or sustainable initiatives

How We Rate Each Property

Just like we read every ingredient label so you don’t have to, we contact every hotel so you don’t have to. Our three-tier rating system works like this:

GWE Gold Star ★★★ — Best-in-class properties that meet 4 or more of our ten standards and have no artificial fragrance in either their main spaces or their beauty and bath products. Verified markers can include no artificial fragrance pumped through lobbies and vents, non-toxic cleaning products verified and disclosed, fragrance free bath amenities, locally sourced or seed-oil-free food options confirmed by the kitchen, cotton or linen bedding with fragrance-free laundry available, and documented air and water filtration.

GWE Conscious ★★ — Properties that meet 3 or more of our ten standards, demonstrating a genuine commitment to non-toxic travel even where full verification isn’t possible or properties that have 3+ standards, but still use synthetic fragrance in their main spaces or beauty products. This might look like local sourcing, real transparency around the products used, or at least one genuine wellness offering, paired with an honest accounting of where fragrance is still present.

And just like with products, if we can’t verify it, we won’t claim it.

Here’s how we think about non-toxic travel:

⭐ Most conventional hotels are more toxic than you think. The average hotel room has been cleaned with synthetic fragrance detergents, stocked with paraben-filled amenities, and pumped with artificially scented air…and that’s before you even think about what the restaurant is cooking with and what’s in the pool.

🌿 It’s not all or nothing. Just like with products, you don’t have to stay exclusively at GWE Gold Star properties to travel better. Even small upgrades to our Aware and Conscious Tiers can reduce your toxic load. Every step counts.

⏰ We do the research so you don’t have to. We contact hotels directly, send our verification questionnaire, and rate every property using our three-tier GWE system. You’ll always know exactly what a rating is based on and how we verified it.

🛒 Start with where you’re already going. You don’t need to book a $1,000-a-night wellness retreat to travel better. Our database includes properties across all price points and destinations so wherever you’re headed, we’re probably looking into it.

❤️‍🩹 Trust the process. The same principles that apply to your products apply here. Small, intentional choices add up. A lower-toxin trip is a healthier trip, and healthier trips add up to a healthier life.

The Top 5 Things We Look for in a Hotel

We have a full verification checklist above, but here’s where to start:

Fragrance. Artificial fragrance is the biggest red flag in hospitality. Scented lobbies, perfumed linens, and mystery spa products can all contain hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and phthalates. A hotel that fragrance-scents its common areas is already telling you something about its priorities.

Bath amenities. Most hotel bath products are loaded with parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. Ask the hotel what brand they use and if they can’t tell you, that’s an answer.

On-site dining. We ask properties if they are sourcing locally and seasonally. A seed oil-free kitchen is a bonus, as is cooking with organic ingredients.

Cleaning products. Your sheets, towels, and every surface in your room were cleaned with something. Most hotels use conventional products with synthetic fragrance. We ask for the brand name and we look it up.

Air and water quality. Indoor air is often more toxic than outdoor air. We ask about in-room filtration, property-wide systems, and water filtration.

As a Non-Toxic Travel Made Simple subscriber, every month you’ll get a deep-dive hotel review, a destination roundup, or an investigation into what the wellness travel industry isn’t telling you. No fluff, no ratings we can’t back up, no properties we haven’t vetted.

I’m so glad you’re here. So now, tell me where you’re going next!

Hit reply and share your next trip or dream destination. Your answer shapes what we cover, and replying also makes sure future emails land in your inbox instead of disappearing into promotions.

— Jamie

P.S. Find us on Instagram @girlswhoeat and Pinterest @girlswhoeat for more between sends.