By Tamara MC

When I walked into one of The Palms’ newly renovated oceanfront rooms, I saw tropical gardens below, and sparkling blue Atlantic water stretching beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Yet I was enthralled with the toilet. 

A small white handwashing basin replaced the usual tank lid, with a chrome faucet in one corner and a round dual-flush button beside it. I pressed the button, and clean water streamed from the faucet into the basin. I washed my hands and witnessed the used water disappear through the basin drain into the toilet tank, ready for the next flush. Toilet-tank sinks have long been common in Japan, where they save space in compact bathrooms, but I had never seen one before.

The Palms Hotel & Spa occupies an oceanfront property on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, about 12 miles from Miami International Airport. The building opened in the early 1940s as the Sea Isle Hotel, designed by Roy F. France. German travel-industry entrepreneurs Hans-Joachim and Ursula Krause acquired the property in 1989, and their family relaunched it as The Palms Hotel & Spa in 2010.

I met Tanja Morariu, the hotel’s director of marketing and head of sustainability, during my visit. “They wanted to connect more wellness and nature instead of just another hotel in Miami,” Morariu said of the owners. “They want to make a difference.”

How The Palms Miami Beach Became One of Florida’s Most Certified Sustainable Hotels

The Palms calls its environmental program “Inspired by Nature.” In 2018, the hotel became a founding member of Miami Beach’s #PlasticFreeMB program for businesses cutting plastic. The Palms later earned Green Globe certification, four Green Keys from Green Key Global and a three-palm designation from Florida’s Green Lodging Program. As a member of Beyond Green, the hotel meets more than 50 sustainability indicators aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

An in-house Green Team trains new employees, while staff track energy use and waste each month and recycle batteries and old electronics. The hotel also has charging stations for electric cars and discounts valet parking for electric and hybrid vehicles.

At check-in, guests receive wooden key cards instead of plastic ones, along with drinking water in aluminum bottles. Refillable bottles dispense LATHER hand wash and bath products; the skincare company uses no synthetic fragrance, parabens, sulfates or artificial colors. Low-flow showerheads and faucets cut water use, while quick-dry robes need less water and energy to launder. Morariu said the robes and slippers use breathable materials. According to the hotel, hanging up a towel to use again saves at least three gallons of water.

When the room is unoccupied, Mode Green automatically adjusts the air-conditioning and lighting to reduce energy use. Built into the air-conditioning system, PHI-Cell purifiers treat the air throughout the guest rooms and public spaces without chemical cleaners. For in-room coffee, guests brew Julius Meinl Inspresso from industrially compostable biopolymer capsules rather than aluminum or plastic pods.

Soon after arriving, I sipped on a deep red, beet-based Garden-Inspired Elixir before enjoying a sound bath. I stretched out on a mat beneath a thatched roof, the garden open on every side. A singing bowl sent out low, resonant tones that lingered in the air before fading. With each long note, my body seemed to sink more heavily into the mat. Between the tones, I could hear the surf, the waves slipping in and out of the silence. Guests can join complimentary yoga and meditation sessions, including sunrise sessions on the beach.

Outside, I walked the 1.5 acres of tropical gardens winding toward the beach. Palms and orchids crowded the paths, with pink and red bougainvillea climbing beside a covered porch. As I continued toward the water, the greenery opened to white sand and bright blue umbrellas. In the Zen Garden, hammocks were strung above the sand beneath a pergola. Nearby, a bamboo outdoor shower stood among living bamboo stalks. Guests can also book massages in open-air cabanas surrounded by the gardens.

Morariu said the hotel looks for local vendors whose business practices align with its environmental goals. In Tropical Treasures, the gift shop, she said the products come from local makers, including Palms-branded reusable tumblers from Florida company Pirani Life and candles made by local maker Love Letter Candles.

Eco-Friendly Treatments and Activities at The Palms Miami Beach

At Essencia, lunch arrived in shades of green: baby spring mix, avocado, herbs, green glass tumblers and plates crowded with produce. The mushroom ceviche combined organic mixed mushrooms from Gratitude Garden Farm with coconut leche de tigre. As a vegetarian, I had never had ceviche before, so getting a version made with mushrooms instead of seafood felt like the greatest treat. The spring market salad layered strawberries, avocado, shaved carrots and toasted pepitas over baby greens with maple-shallot vinaigrette. Both dishes were vegan and gluten-free. Essensia has held Slow Food Miami’s Snail of Approval since 2011 and participates in the Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Restaurants program

For the non-vegetarians, the spicy Key West shrimp wrap layered blackened shrimp with avocado, arugula, tomato, citrus cabbage slaw and cilantro aioli, while Florida fish tacos paired grilled local catch with pickled cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, avocado crema and cilantro on warm corn tortillas. Essensia serves its green refresher—a blend of apple, celery, ginger and lemon—with a pasta straw instead of plastic. Mine looked like a long piece of rigatoni, and drinking from an actual piece of pasta was one of the most playful details of the meal.

At The Palms AVEDA Spa, Ayurvedic-inspired treatments feature AVEDA’s plant- and flower-based products, many formulated with organic ingredients. Massages and facials of 50 minutes or longer include access to the pool, beach, steam room, relaxation area and fitness room.

The hotel also organizes community beach cleanups, including one each September for International Coastal Cleanup Day. Through its Do Good, Feel Good package, guests receive a spa credit they can donate to environmental organizations such as Save the Manatee and the Coral Restoration Foundation. 

And don’t forget to visit the beach hut, where the incentive gets sweeter. Kids and adults can grab a bucket and comb the sand for litter. Their reward for a full bucket is a scoop of gelato—one of the more delicious ways I’ve seen a hotel persuade guests to help keep a beach sparkling.