When planning a Caribbean vacation, choosing the best accommodations is of the utmost importance, and vacationers hoping to stay green without skimping on the luxuries have long enjoyed St. John's hidden treasure, the Eco Serendib Villa. Vacationers are not the only ones to have enjoyed the stunning luxury rental's amenities, as Lodging Magazine has recently named the villa's owner and chief designer one of its Innovators for 2011.

The brains behind the operation belong to owner and visionary Harith Wickrema, the president of Philadelphia's Harith Productions and a faculty member at Temple University's School of Tourism and Hospitality. Wickrema envisioned a luxurious and green villa that would capture the best of both segments of the tourism industry.

"The villa showcases how you don't necessarily have to sacrifice luxury and modern conveniences to live a greener existence," he told the news provider. He may be on to something, because the Eco Serendib Villa and Spa has much to offer the high-end traveler that hopes to reduce their carbon footprint.

Guests staying at the immaculate establishment will find traditionally decadent features like an Epicurean Theater-style kitchen and sprawling pool terrace with more climate-conscious items like Suniva rooftop solar panels and three 20,000-gallon cisterns that collect rainwater. Even the furniture is green, with all of the outdoor pieces being constructed by sustainable plantation management systems.

Of course, there is plenty of luxury to be found in the villa as well, as the onsite spa includes a sauna, steam shower, relaxation lounge and treatment room, and the main house boasts available butler and chef services to ensure your stay is unforgettable. Of course this is without even accounting for the views of the Caribbean afforded from virtually every corner of the villa.

With stellar amenities like these, it's no wonder that this eight-suite luxury villa has been a popular draw for bigwigs and celebrities since its June opening. The property was even recently included as a prize in a charity auction attended by A-list stars like Sean Penn and Sandra Bullock, where it took home the second highest bid of the evening.

The Eco Serendib Villa and Spa has also been profiled on HGTV and received positive write-ups in Travel + Leisure, BlackBook, Luxury Travel Advisor and more.

This is the first property owned and managed by Harith Productions, though with all of its early success, Wickrema claims that he's open to anything, telling Lodging Magazine that "as things are fine-tuned and perfected, we would certainly consider expansion with the right investor group."