Best green hotels in USA: Wilshire Los Angeles is LEED certified

The Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles is one of the growing number of older buildings rehabbed and retrofitted into a modern and LEED ceritified hotel.

This is a 74-room boutique hotel in the Kimpton collection. Kimpton is one of my favorite hotel companies, because its brands, including Monaco, have both a strong green streak and a history of what Kimpton called “adaptive re-use”.

The Hotel Wilshire is a former medical office building, converted in 2011 into a sleek, contemporary hotel that includes a rooftop pool and restaurant overlooking the Hollywood Hills. It is the second LEED certified hotel in the Kimpton collection, in addition to its Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, and the chain’s 14th rehab. The Hotel Monaco in Denver is in a former bank building.

The Hotel Wilshire is in the heart of the Los Angeles cultural center, close to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, also known as LACMA, and my own personal favorite museum in LA, the Petersen Automotive Museum, where I’ve been known to drool over a vintage Duesenberg or Cadillac. Guests get all the Kimpton perks, including hosted evening wine reception, animal print robes, and pet-friendly practices.

Kimpton operates 58 hotels and 67 restaurants, bars and lounges in 24 cities nationwide, all of which participate in the company’s EarthCare program, which includes more than 100 eco-friendly products and operating practices.