Green Key Global is a third-party sustainability certification that audits hotels on energy use, water conservation, waste reduction, and staff training. Every hotel on this page holds active Green Key certification, verified through the Green Key Global member directory. Fewer than two dozen Los Angeles hotels carry this credential, making it far rarer here than LEED plaques on office towers or Energy Star labels on appliances.
How we selected these hotels
No hotel made this list on reputation alone. Each one had to clear two things.
- 1. A current listing in the Green Key Global member directory.
- 2. A certification that is currently active. Green Key re-audits its members rather than certifying once, so a listing reflects how the hotel runs now.
The 15 properties below span Los Angeles from Pasadena to Marina del Rey, covering airport corridors, Downtown, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.
What Green Key certification requires
Green Key Global uses a five-level scale. Entry-level certification (1 Key) requires a hotel to meet baseline standards for energy monitoring, waste sorting, and chemical management. Each additional Key demands measurable improvements: documented reduction targets, staff sustainability training programs, community engagement, and in many cases third-party energy audits. A 4-Key or 5-Key property has cleared a significantly higher bar than a 1-Key holder, so the level matters when you are comparing options.
For travelers, the practical difference shows up in things like linen and towel reuse programs backed by actual tracking data, EV charging infrastructure, low-flow fixtures verified by water-use logs, and purchasing policies that favor local or sustainably sourced food. Green Key does not certify on intent. It certifies on documented, audited practice.
Green Key certified hotels in Los Angeles at a glance
| Hotel | Neighborhood | Stars | Green Key level | Guest rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Western Airport Plaza Hotel – LAX Airport LA Stadium | Inglewood | 3 | 3 Key | 7.9 |
| Best Western Hollywood Plaza Hotel - Walk of Fame Film City LA | Hollywood | 3 | 2 Key | 7.9 |
| Best Western Plus Suites Hotel - LAX Airport LA Stadium | Inglewood | 3 | 2 Key | 8.0 |
| Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles at Beverly Hills | Century City | 5 | 4 Key | N/A |
| Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows | Santa Monica | 5 | 4 Key | 8.6 |
| Hyatt Place Pasadena | Pasadena | 3 | 3 Key | 8.7 |
| Los Angeles Airport Marriott | LAX corridor | 4 | 4 Key | 8.2 |
| Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel | LAX corridor | 4 | 4 Key | 7.8 |
| Sheraton Grand Los Angeles | Downtown LA | 4 | 4 Key | 9.0 |
| Hotel Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills | West Hollywood | 4 | 4 Key | 8.6 |
| Ambrose Hotel | Santa Monica | 4 | 4 Key | 8.8 |
| The Hoxton, Downtown LA | Downtown LA | 4 | 4 Key | 9.2 |
| The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills | West Hollywood | 5 | 3 Key | 9.0 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey | Marina del Rey | 5 | 4 Key | 8.4 |
| The Shay Hotel | Culver City | 4 | 4 Key | 9.2 |
Tips for booking a Green Key hotel in Los Angeles
- Check the Key level, not just the certification. A 4-Key property has met stricter water, energy, and waste targets than a 2-Key holder.
- Airport-area hotels on this list (LAX Marriott, Renaissance, Best Western Airport Plaza, Best Western Plus Suites) are car-accessible but have limited Metro rail access. Factor in ground transport if you are trying to reduce your trip's overall footprint.
- The Ambrose in Santa Monica and Hyatt Place Pasadena are among the smaller certified properties and tend to have a more hands-on approach to sustainability programs.
- Fairmont Century Plaza does not yet show a public guest rating, so check recent reviews before booking if that matters to your decision.
- Green Key certification covers the property's operations. It does not govern how you get there, so pairing a certified hotel with Metro rail access (Sheraton Grand is a 5-minute walk from 7th Street/Metro Center) cuts the trip's carbon footprint further.
The hotels
Best Western Airport Plaza Hotel – LAX Airport LA Stadium
1730 Centinela Avenue
7.91,559 reviews
18 min walk to LAX/Metro Transit Center (K Line)Green Key Global 3-Key certified, one of the few budget airport hotels in LA with a third-party audited sustainability credential.
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Best Western Hollywood Plaza Hotel - Walk of Fame Film City LA
2011 N Highland Ave
7.91,826 reviews
4 min walk to Hollywood/Highland Station (B Line)Green Key 2-Key certified and a 4-minute walk to the Hollywood/Highland Metro station, the easiest certified pick here if you're arriving without a car.
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Best Western Plus Suites Hotel - LAX Airport LA Stadium
5005 W Century Blvd
8.03,399 reviews
12 min walk to LAX/Metro Transit Center (K Line)One of two certified properties on Century Boulevard, this hotel gives LAX-area travelers a verified Green Key option at a suite-style, mid-range price point.
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Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
2025 Avenue Of The Stars
660 reviews
22 min walk to Westwood/Rancho Park Station (D Line)4-Key Green Key certified, a verified five-star eco option in Century City.
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Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
101 Wilshire Blvd
8.6801 reviews
9 min walk to Downtown Santa Monica Station (E Line)4-Key Green Key certified, five-star Santa Monica, nine minutes from the E Line terminus, verified sustainability with easy Westside transit.
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Hyatt Place Pasadena
399 E Green St
8.7753 reviews
7 min walk to Memorial Park Station (A Line)Green Key certified and seven minutes on foot from the Metro A Line, a verified eco option near the Rose Bowl, Caltech, and the Huntington.
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Los Angeles Airport Marriott
5855 W Century Blvd
8.22,013 reviews
20 min walk to LAX/Metro Transit Center (K Line)4-Key Green Key certified, the highest-certified full-service option for travelers transiting through LAX.
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Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel
9620 Airport Boulevard
7.81,457 reviews
18 min walk to LAX/Metro Transit Center (K Line)4-Key Green Key certified, a verified four-star eco option inside the airport perimeter, where most hotels carry no third-party credential.
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Sheraton Grand Los Angeles
711 S Hope St
9.0884 reviews
5 min walk to 7th Street/Metro Center Station (A Line/E Line/D Line/B Line)Five minutes from 7th Street/Metro Center, LA's most connected transit hub, with a verified 4-Key Green Key certification.
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Hotel Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
8555 Beverly Blvd
8.62,122 reviews
28 min walk to Wilshire/Western Station (D Line)The Sofitel's 4-Key certification, backed by Accor's Planet 21 framework, gives travelers in the Beverly Hills and West Hollywood corridor a verified eco option at a four-star French-branded property.
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Ambrose Hotel
1255 20th Street
8.8507 reviews
6 min walk to 26th Street/Bergamot Station (E Line)4-Key Green Key certified and six minutes on foot from the E Line, a car-free arrival option for eco-conscious travelers.
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The Hoxton, Downtown LA
1060 South Broadway
9.2860 reviews
8 min walk to Pico Station (A Line/E Line)4-Key Green Key certified, in a restored historic building on South Broadway in Downtown LA.
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The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills
1020 N San Vicente Blvd
9.01,266 reviews
24 min walk to Hollywood/Highland Station (B Line)The London West Hollywood is the only five-star all-suite hotel on this list with Green Key certification, offering travelers a verified eco credential at a luxury price point in West Hollywood.
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The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
4375 Admiralty Way
8.4350 reviews
38 min walk to Culver City Station (E Line)4-Key Green Key certified, the only five-star waterfront hotel here, with both luxury and sustainability independently confirmed.
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The Shay Hotel
8801 Washington Blvd
9.287 reviews
7 min walk to Culver City Station (E Line)Seven minutes on foot from the Culver City E Line station and 4-Key Green Key certified, a practical base for eco-conscious Westside trips.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Green Key Global certification mean for a hotel?＋
Green Key Global certification means a hotel has passed a third-party audit covering more than 100 criteria across energy management, water conservation, waste reduction, chemical handling, and staff training. The hotel must renew its certification periodically, so the credential reflects current operations. The five-level Key scale tells you how far above the baseline a property has gone: a 4-Key hotel has met stricter targets than a 2-Key holder.
How many Los Angeles hotels hold Green Key certification?＋
Fifteen Los Angeles hotels appear in the Green Key Global member directory and are listed on this page. That number is small relative to the total hotel inventory in the metro area, which runs into the hundreds of properties. Green Key's audit requirement and ongoing program fees make it less common than self-reported sustainability programs or energy benchmarking tools like Energy Star.
Is Green Key certification the same as LEED?＋
No. LEED focuses on building design and construction, evaluating materials, site selection, and energy systems at the time a building is built or renovated. Green Key focuses on daily hotel operations, auditing things like waste diversion rates, chemical purchasing, and staff training records. A hotel can hold LEED certification for its building and still fail a Green Key audit if its operations do not meet the standard.
Which Green Key certified hotels in Los Angeles are closest to LAX?＋
Four certified hotels are on or near the LAX airport corridor: the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel on Century and Airport Boulevards, and the Best Western Airport Plaza Hotel and Best Western Plus Suites Hotel in Inglewood. The Marriott and Renaissance hold 4-Key certifications; the two Best Western properties hold 3-Key and 2-Key certifications respectively.
Which certified hotels in Los Angeles have the best Metro rail access?＋
The Sheraton Grand Los Angeles in Downtown is five minutes on foot from 7th Street/Metro Center, which connects the A, B, D, and E Lines. The Shay Hotel in Culver City is seven minutes from the Culver City E Line station. The Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica is six minutes from the 26th Street/Bergamot E Line station. The Best Western Hollywood Plaza Hotel is four minutes from the Hollywood/Highland B Line station.
Do all Green Key certified hotels in Los Angeles hold the same level of certification?＋
No. The 15 certified hotels on this page range from 2-Key to 4-Key certification. The two Best Western properties near LAX hold 2-Key certifications. The Best Western Airport Plaza Hotel, Hyatt Place Pasadena, and The London West Hollywood hold 3-Key certifications. The remaining ten properties, including the Fairmont Miramar, Sheraton Grand, The Hoxton, The Shay, and the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, hold 4-Key certifications. No Los Angeles hotel currently appears in the Green Key directory at the 5-Key level.
