3 Ways To Find Eco-Friendly Hotels
Some people travel more than others, but no matter what your frequency is; you must find somewhere to stay.
Since traveling is oftentimes expensive, costs are what typically determine things such as the mode of transportation, length of time, dining options, and of course accommodations.
While more people are becoming conscious of the environment, when it’s time for them to travel, whether for vacation, work, or to visit loved ones, finding an eco-friendly hotel is usually not at the top of their priority list.
It’s not because they don’t care about the environment…
Most are simply not aware that green hotels exist and are budget-restricted.
People work hard for their money and want to get the best deals they can when traveling.
If they can save money and rest their heads at eco-friendly hotels, more of them probably would do so.
They just need to be aware that these environmentally-friendly hotels exist.
Green hotels are perhaps the best way to help the sustainable travel industry.
Instead of just supporting sustainability ideologically, you're supporting it with your wallet as well.
Now, I’ve been talking a lot about eco-friendly hotels…
Let me give you a brief explanation of what they are so that you can have a better understanding.
What Are Green Hotels?
Green hotels are hotels that go out of their way to use the most environmentally friendly materials, equipment, processes, and policies they can.
This means using energy-saving light bulbs, water-conserving shower heads, good insulation, low flush toilets, heat/cool conserving windows, and energy star appliances.
It means they often use environmentally friendly products instead of those that are mass-produced.
For example, you might find green soaps and shampoos in your bathroom instead of the cheapest possible shampoo the hotel could buy.
Often times green hotels will serve organic foods, raw foods, or vegan foods in their kitchens.
By supporting green hotels, you're not just supporting the hotel; you're supporting all their vendors as well, which is good for the economy.
All the money you spend will go towards helping the environment in one way or another.
How Do You Find a Green Hotel?
There are a few different ways you can look for green hotels.
1)) Green Hotels Association
First is the Green Hotels Association website.
This website is where green hotel owners register their hotels.
The site independently verifies that each hotel has truly taken steps to reduce its environmental impact.
2)) Search Online Groups and Forums
You can also use a number of online forums and communities to find green hotels.
For example, the Environmentally Friendly Hotels forum is a good place to start any search for a sustainable hotel.
Type the following keywords into your favorite search engine:
- environmentally friendly hotels + forums
- environmentally friendly hotels + groups
This search will find forums and groups where discussions are taking place about eco-friendly hotels.
3)) Travel Websites
Finally, you can just read reviews of hotels on any travel website to find people who've commented on a hotel's greenness.
Instead of looking for hotels that market themselves as green, you can find quite a few hotels that really are green, but don't necessarily market themselves this way.
Just call up the reception and ask about what green procedures the hotel has taken.
Sometimes hotels simply prefer to target a mainstream audience, but still implement green procedures anyway.
Instead of a Hotel
In some cities, finding a good green hotel can be quite challenging.
Instead, of looking for a hotel, it's oftentimes easier to go for a bed and breakfast that's environmentally conscious.
There are a few ways to find them, with the easiest being Google.
Just type in the city's name plus "bed and breakfast" in Google.
Examples:
- Monterey CA + Bed and Breakfast
- San Diego CA + Bed and Breakfast
- Miami FL + Bed and Breakfast
The best way to find out if the bed and breakfast are eco-friendly is to simply pick up the phone and call up reception and ask about what green procedures they have implemented.
You can also find a lot of bed and breakfast establishments on Airbnb.
Conclusion
I’ll admit that finding green hotels takes slightly more research than just booking a room at the nearest Hilton or Holiday Inn.
By staying at green hotels, you're supporting a growing industry that's actively trying to make a difference in the world.
The warning signs of global warming are written all over the walls and scientist has been informing us for many years now.
We must all do our part to reduce our carbon footprints to help save the environment so that our planet continues to be habitable for several generations into the future.
Go green as much as you can!