The idea of "green" or sustainable or eco-friendly hotels is a relatively new one in Croatia or at least it's been put on the back-burner as Croatian hotels attracted new investment to rebuild, refurnish and renovate decades-old properties. Within the past few years, the hotel industry itself has recognized the value of acting to protect and preserve Croatia's natural heritage and not despoil the environment.

To that end, the Association of Employers in Croatian Hospitality (UPUHH) has started a program to set standards for environmental friendliness and certify hotels who comply with international standards of sustainability. Inspired by organizations such as Travelife, UPUHH has been conducting workshops and setting up "action plans" since 2012 aiming to make Croatian hotels and staff more aware of sustainable practices. Nine categories of best practices have been set up centering on energy efficiency, water conservation, waste disposal and environmental harm reduction. After multiple meetings and inspections, the association has now been able to award a "green certificate" to 41 Croatian hotels based on their compliance with musltiple criteria. Depending on how advanced each establishment is in meeting eco-friendly standards, a "basic", "advanced" or "superior" category certificate is awarded.

More are sure to be added in the coming years but as of now, here is the current list of certified eco-friendly hotels by destination.

Cres
Hotel Kimen

Biograd na Moru
Hotel Ilirija

Dubrovnik
Royal Princess Hotel (Advanced category)
Valamar Dubrovnik President Hotel (Superior category)

Dugopolje
Hotel Katarina

Ivanic-Grad
Hotel Sport

Krk
Valamar Koralj

Korcula
Hotel Feral

Mali Losinj
Family Hotel Vespera
Hotel Bellevue (Superior category)
Wellness Hotel Aurora (Advanced category)

Novigrad
Hotel Maestral (Advanced category)

Motovun
Hotel Kastel

Orebic
Grand Hotel Orebic