Beverly Hills doesn’t spring to mind as the greenest getaway spot on Earth – what with Rodeo Drive and all those glitzy boutiques leaving a hummer of a footprint. When my aunt was visiting from England, she had the best people-watching experience of her life: coming from a sleepy rural village, where the most that any woman would do towards anti-aging, would be an annual facial (if that,) it was mind boggling to sit and watch women tottering the boulevards, who had excessively “enhanced” themselves from tip-to-toe in the most bizarre manner.
Although Beverly Hills is now synonymous with celebrity doctors finessing their breast enlargement techniques and such, things are changing, and Beverly Hills is now turning rather a pretty shade of green. If you happen to be coming out this way, or if you are planning a Los Angeles vacation in the near future, you might want to check out some of the eco-treasures that have got my heart a-flutter.
The Montage Hotel & Spa, which is bang in the middle of Beverly Hills is a stunning new resort, which has raised the bar in Green development. It’s the first resort in Southern CA to earn a Gold LEED certification. This is awarded to sustainable new construction, and given the fact that typically new construction is completely UN-sustainable, the Montage leads by example.
Every green detail has been taken into consideration, so let’s start with the beautiful public courtyard gardens that the Montage created for pedestrian’s, passer’s-by, and hotel guests. Complete with gorgeous greenery and Italian fountains, it’s an oasis in the middle of the 
city where anyone can sit down with a sandwich and enjoy the scenery.
During the Summer, live music is played in the evenings, so I highly recommend making a reservation at the 
Hotel’s main restaurant, Scarpetto, which serves the most divine seasonally inspired Italian Cuisine. Chef, Scott Conant, has created a signature pasta dish that is light, but so dense in flavor, that you’ll want to re-create that exact dish at home (I tried to unsuccessfully!). Try to get a window seat reservation, so you can enjoy the beautiful gardens outside.
I also highly recommend afternoon tea at The Montage, which is a lovely way to experience the hotel. The beautiful airy & light dining room, also overlooks the gardens. This is a tea to top all teas – delicate tea- time treats that actually don’t leave you feeling bad. I’m all for sweet goodies and desserts, but as long as I’m not going to feel heavy and awful afterwards.
The Hotel’s interior is exquisite, especially the Spa and the saline roof- top pool. If afternoon tea isn’t your thing, maybe a light poolside lunch in one of the cabana’s might be.
I have a pet peeve about hotel rooms, because I travel a lot and for the most part, have to contend with really bad air quality. Most hotels do not use eco-friendly materials in the rooms, so you can be assured that there’s a lot of gassing-off from adhesives in carpets, flame retardants in mattresses etc – Okay, I get that not every hotel is quite there yet, BUT I would really appreciate being able to open the windows for ventilation – 9 times out of 10, the 
windows are completely sealed. I’ve almost put my back out several times while trying to wrench a window open.
The Montage guest rooms, however, not only have windows that open, but there are no toxic chemicals to have to worry about anyway. Even the cleaning products they use are green. Each room is equipped with a high tech energy-saving system for cooling, heating and entertainment. You basically walk out of the room, and everything powers down.
Whatever the occasion – girlfriend getaway, wedding anniversary, father’s day tea, or just a good old treat, I urge you to at least visit The Montage for an OMG spa experience, where you can soak in a mineral enriched pool, or have an unforgettable tea with a lot of great people-watching.
While you’re in Beverly Hills, there are a few other green places to visit:
I love the Verabella Spa, which is one of the first celebrity-frequented spa’s that uses completely clean & green products. It’s a member 
of the Green Spa Network, and I’ve reviewed quite a few of their best-selling products here at G.G. but to actually visit the spa is a whole different deal.
I’m a frequent customer of The Organic Pharmacy, which is a dream store for the Gorgeously Green Girl. It’s 
one of the first stores to carry 100% organic products that really work. Their perfumes are to-die-for and their Rose Crystal Lymphatic Facial is legendary. Their products have been In Style beauty award winners for 3 years in a row!
Finally, if you’re up for a really healthy lunch, I can highly recommend M Chaya Cafe, which offers contemporary macrobiotic cuisine. It is absolutely delicious. I love the M Chop salad and their gluten-free strawberry 
cupcakes.
These leaders in the eco-movement will inspire others to follow. Hotels, Spas, beauty products and food for the Gorgeously Green girl in Beverly Hills – very nice!
