I stayed in New Zealand's first '5-Green-Star' hotel. From compostable slippers to local art, I was impressed by these 6 sustainable details.

I landed in Auckland, New Zealand, bleary-eyed and exhausted after nearly 24 hours of travel.

I traveled more than 7,000 miles from my home in Denver, and while I was eager to explore New Zealand, I was in dire need of a shower, clean clothes, and a quick nap before starting my 10-day adventure across the country.

Luckily, a room was waiting for me at The Hotel Britomart.

The 10-story, five-star hotel is located on a quiet street in downtown Auckland. I've stayed in a handful of five-star hotels in the past and learned that any night in a luxury hotel is a treat.

But what piqued my interest about The Hotel Britomart the most was its focus on sustainability. The hotel is New Zealand's first "five-Green-Star" hotel, which is a rating system for buildings in Australasia; the hotel's design and build process were certified by New Zealand's Green Building Council, according to the hotel's website.

The Hotel Britomart has also received a Gold Sustainable Tourism Award from Qualmark, New Zealand tourism's official quality-assurance organization, and was a runner-up in National Geographic's international "good egg" award for the most sustainable hotel in 2021.

In the past, I assumed that sustainability and travel couldn't overlap. To explore new areas, I thought there would always be a negative impact on the environment.

But experts have told me I'm wrong. From traveling by train to vacationing during shoulder season, there are actions that travelers can take to lower their negative environmental impacts and support the destinations they're visiting.

One way to do that, I learned, is by choosing hotels and accommodations with the environment in mind. But experts also warned me that it can be tough to vet a hotel's sustainability claims.

Based on that knowledge, there were a handful of things I looked for when I considered The Hotel Britomart that helped me feel confident in the hotel's eco-friendly promises.

For example, the hotel releases an annual sustainability report that outlines its successes and goals for the future. In this report, I learned that the hotel reused and recycled 80% of its construction waste. It also uses low-energy LED lights, water-saving toilets, low-energy minifridges, and high insulation throughout the building.

Experts also told me to keep an eye out for hotels taking environmental initiatives. The Hotel Britomart offers a Stay Green package, which is a vacation package where the hotel plants a native tree at its sister property as part of the booking.

So between the transparency, accolades, and initiatives, I felt good booking a stay at the hotel.

The Hotel Britomart has 99 guest rooms with either twin- or king-sized beds and five rooftop suites. The rooms start at $235 USD, according to the hotel's website.

I booked a king-sized bed with views of Waitemata Harbor.

I've stayed in five-star hotels before, and I've spent nights in places claiming to be eco-friendly. But I haven't experienced both luxury and sustainability in a single night prior to this trip.

So I checked into the eco-friendly hotel on the hunt for surprises and differences from the other five-star hotels I've visited in the past.

Insider received a press rate for the stay in The Hotel Britomart.

I stepped inside my hotel room and was greeted by a king-sized, bright-white bed. Views of the harbor filled the wood-paneled room's only window.

As I explored the hotel room, I noticed the lack of plastic. This caught my eye because most hotels I've stayed in have had some sort of single-use plastic for guests' use.

In budget hotels, for instance, I've found plastic cups wrapped in plastic wrap and travel-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles stocked in the shower. And in five-star hotels, I've been given plastic toothbrushes, plastic shower caps, and more travel-sized toiletries.

Sometimes, I've chosen not to use these products to avoid creating waste. At other times, I've guiltily relied on the tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

But in my room at The Hotel Britomart, I didn't have to make any wasteful decisions. There was no single-use plastic in sight. The bathroom had full-sized, refillable toiletries instead.

In the bar area, there were glass wineglasses that could be reused. And there weren't any extra amenities like sewing kits, cotton balls, or nail files, which I've received in the past.

I was later impressed when I learned that the hotel's efforts to be plastic-free go beyond what I saw in my room. According to a press release, 95% of the hotel's goods and products are delivered in compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable packaging.

I opened the room's wardrobe and wasn't surprised to discover a robe or iron — amenities that I've found in my other five-star hotel stays.

But I was surprised to discover a reusable tote bag.

Attached to the tan bag's straps was a little note that outlined the bag's purpose: "To make it easy for you to go without shopping bags when you're staying with us."

Spotting the bag made me smile. Stuffed in my suitcase was my own reusable tote. It's something I always travel with to avoid excess waste, and I thought it was a smart idea to make reusable totes accessible for all hotel guests.

On past trips, I've used my tote to carry all the local foods, candies, and snacks I've purchased from grocery stores, and I've been able to skip plastic bags when souvenir shopping.

The Hotel Britomart's guests are welcome to use the reusable tote throughout their stay for free, or a guest may keep the tote for about $23 USD.

I hoped the bags would help other guests adopt the practice of packing and using reusable bags.

Next to the reusable bag and plush robes were two pairs of slippers.

While I've received slippers at hotels before, I was shocked to learn that the pairs at The Hotel Britomart were compostable.

According to the hotel's sustainability report, these slippers were made from recycled materials. For example, the soles of the shoes were crafted from repurposed cork.

As I slid them on, the linen hugged my foot. They weren't the sturdiest or plushest slippers I've worn, but I was also only using them for two days.

Before staying at The Hotel Britomart, I hadn't considered where my hotel slippers had come from or ended up. I assumed that they were reused for other guests, but according to TripSavvy and Reader's Digest, I was wrong. Often the hotel throws the shoes away after a stay.

But when my stay ended, I abandoned the slippers in the bathroom knowing the hotel's staff would compost them. I checked out feeling better that my short-lived slippers weren't going to end up in a landfill.

I've spoken to a handful of sustainability travel experts in the past, and they've agreed that an eco-friendly hotel goes beyond just reducing a carbon footprint. It also involves supporting a destination's local communities, they've told me. That might mean hiring locals to work and run the hotel, or stocking kitchens with produce grown by regional farmers.

One way The Hotel Britomart supports its local community, I learned, was by stocking the room with decor and items that New Zealand artists created.

A soap dish was crafted by the New Zealand ceramist Rachel Carter. And a vase on my nightstand was made by the Auckland-based Elena Renker. Filling that vase were dried florals by the New Zealand company Mark Antonia.

Plus, almost everything in the room was available for purchase. The soap dish, for instance, was $40 and the vase was $114. This meant I could buy souvenirs and support local artists without ever needing to leave my hotel room.

I later learned through the hotel's sustainability report that 80% of the goods purchased by the hotel — from staff uniforms and restaurant food to room decor — are New Zealand-made.

The Hotel Britomart houses the seafood restaurant Kingi, which, according to its website, works with local fisheries to source sustainably-caught seafood.

On my first morning, I headed down to the restaurant where I dined on a potato rosti with smoked fish, a poached egg, and pickles.

The combination sounded intriguing, and after my first bite, I was amazed. The egg was jammy, the smoked fish added a rich, decadent element to the dish, and the pickles were bright and fresh. Plus, I felt guilt-free indulging in a dish that was sustainably made.

After devouring breakfast, I grabbed a dinner menu to eye my options for later in the day. But the menu didn't just list food, it also mentioned all the local fishers who caught the seafood filling Kingi's plates.

Seeing the list of names reminded me of going to farmers' markets at home in Denver and meeting the farmers who grew the produce I ate. By associating a person with what I was eating, I left the restaurant full and feeling like I had a deeper connection to the food.

When I walked up to the Hotel Britomart, a line of bikes greeted me before I stepped inside the hotel.

After reading a pamphlet in my room, I discovered that guests can rent the bikes for free.

I had plans to spend my morning exploring Auckland's beaches. But what I hadn't considered was how I was going to get around the city. I assumed I would take taxis and walk.

But after seeing the bikes, I realized that I could reduce my carbon footprint and more easily explore the city by bike.

By the end of my afternoon, I had traveled nine miles. The distance would've been far too much to navigate on foot, and waiting for Ubers and taxis would've also wasted time.

Not only was the bike a more eco-friendly way to travel, but I realized it was much more convenient for me than other transportation options.

My two-night stay at The Hotel Britomart was full of eco-friendly surprises. I was thrilled to learn the names of local fishers supplying the food that made it onto my breakfast plate and the artists whose work filled my hotel room.

I felt a little less guilty using the hotel's slippers since I knew they'd end up in the compost bin instead of the trash can, and I was thankful for the bikes for a more sustainable way to explore Auckland.

Those details — along with the ones I couldn't see, like insulation and sustainably-sourced materials — helped me check out of the hotel feeling less guilty about my trip and the impact I might have left behind. I'm confident I departed with a lower carbon footprint than I would have created at most other hotels.

Plus, there was never a moment where I felt like I sacrificed comfort for sustainability. And as a result, I also walked away from The Hotel Britomart feeling eager to book more stays at other green hotels.