Wolf001000.01000.0100.01000.002008-08-30T22:54:15+00:00false<h3 class="title">Choose a green hotel</h3> <p>Earth-friendly lodging no longer means roughing it in a mud hut swatting flies. Whether you’re dreaming of a luxury suite at a <a href="http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/vacation"> seaside resort</a> or the country charm of a historic B&B, or just a place to lay your head on an overnight <a href="http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/business-travel"> business trip</a>, many hotels are now billing themselves as green homes away from home.</p> <h2 id="toc0">Find it! Green hotels</h2> <p>Booking an eco-lodge is a key component of <a href="http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/vacation/tips/take-a-sustainable-vacation"> green travel</a>, and finding one that fits your style, mood, and pocketbook has never been easier. But you'll want to do a little up-front work first; earth-friendly hotels run the gamut from pale green to deepest emerald.</p> <p>Some are only green-leaning. These eco-beginners offer basic earth-friendly options, such as towel/sheet reuse programs and recycling containers in guest rooms. Others are further along the green path, pampering guests with an array of high-end eco-amenities (think solar-powered hot water, luxurious organic cotton sheets, and fine bamboo-fiber stationery). These ecotels also work to cut their environmental impact (and yours) via greener operations—everything from composting food waste and installing low-flow showerheads to landscaping with native plants and using recycled paper products. Still others are going the extra green mile by building <a href="http://www.greenyour.com/office/office-space/building/tips/get-your-building-leed-certified"> LEED-certified</a> (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design developed by the <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/">US Green Building Council</a>) facilities. Starwood Capital Group, for example, plans to launch several upscale LEED-certified "1" Hotel and Residences in 2008.</p> <p>Below are several ecotels (US and International) that will help you green your stay wherever you travel. Search for more at <a href="http://www.rezhub.com/GreenTravel/BookGreen/tabid/280/Default.aspx"> Green Travel Hub by RezHub.com</a></p><p> </p><h2 id="toc1">How to make your hotel stay greener</h2> <p>Even if your hotel hasn’t yet opted for an eco-makeover, you can become a greener guest all on your own by trying some of the following strategies recommended by the <a href="http://www.greenhotels.com/grntrav.htm">Green Hotels Association</a>.<br /> <br /> </p><ul><li> Let hotel management know your towels and| sheets don't need to be changed every day. </li><li> Remember which towel belongs to whom by attaching a safety pin with a small colored bead (a different color for each family member) to each towel. Be sure to remove on check-out day. </li><li> Take shorter showers and baths. </li><li> When you leave to sightsee or dine, be sure to shut off the AC/heat, lights, and television. Close the drapes. </li><li> Leave little shampoo and lotion bottles behind if unopened. </li><li> Pack a permanent marker and write each family member’s name on cups in your room, as well as water bottles and other reusable items.</li><li> Pack a night light instead of leaving bathroom lights (and fans) on at night.</li><li> Pass along complimentary newspapers to someone else, or leave them in the lobby for other guests to read. Ask the hotel to make sure they're recycled.</li><li> Don’t forget to turn off exercise equipment, sauna, whirlpool, whirlpool bath or tennis court lights when you're finished. </li><li> Reduce paperwork by checking out of the hotel via the hotel's electronic program, often available on your room TV. </li><li> Assess a hotel’s eco-commitment before checking in and ask for environmentally responsible services when you arrive. <a href="http://www.ceres.org/industryprograms/ghi.php">Ceres Green Hotel Initiative</a> offers tools, such as a Best Practice survey and GHI Guest Request Card, to help consumers and businesses make their interest in green lodging known and help expand the industry.</li></ul> <h2 id="toc2">Choosing a green hotel helps you go green because…</h2> <ul><li> These eco-friendly facilities work to reduce their environmental footprint—and yours—by conserving energy, reducing water use, cutting CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, using fewer natural resources and stepping more lightly in surrounding ecosystems.</li></ul> <p>About 17 million international travelers stayed in US hotels and motels in 2005.<a href="http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/vacation/tips/choose-a-green-hotel#footnote1" class="superscript active">[1]</a> With the average hotel producing approximately .01 metric tons of greenhouse gases in a single night, the eco-impact of sleeping away from home is significant. US hotels alone generated about 170,000 metric tons of CO<sub>2</sub> in 2005—the amount produced by nearly 37,000 cars in one year.<a href="http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/vacation/tips/choose-a-green-hotel#footnote2" class="superscript active">[2]</a></p> <p>The US hotel industry spends $3.7 billion a year in energy costs with electricity accounting for 60-70 percent of a standard hotel’s utility bill. The average hotel also uses 218 gallons of water per day per occupied room. In addition, a typical hotel purchases more products in a week than 100 families do in a year and generates as much as 30 pounds of waste per room per day.<a href="http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/vacation/tips/choose-a-green-hotel#footnote3" class="superscript active">[3]</a></p> <p>Green hotels—a growing segment of the industry—work to cut solid waste, preserve natural resources, and conserve water and energy via a number of eco-measures, including installing energy-efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, using energy-saving CFL light bulbs, and providing towel racks that allow them to air-dry instead of being washed daily.</p> <h3 id="toc3">Green hotel ratings</h3> <p>The following sites rate eco-friendly hotels, lodges, B&Bs, and inns in the US and around the world. See <strong>Controversies</strong> for more on green hotel ratings. Also check out <a href="http://www.gogreetravelgreen.com/">Go Green Travel Green</a>'s <a href="http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-hotels-green-accommodation/finding-environmentally-friendly-hotels-through-green-accreditation-directories/"> guide</a> to accreditation directories.</p> <h4 id="toc4">Certified "green"</h4> <ul><li> <a href="http://www.greenseal.org/programs/lodging_properties.cfm">Green Seal</a>: Offers a list of Green Seal-certified hotels that meet the organization’s <a href="http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/lodgingproperties.cfm">environmental standards</a>.</li><li> <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1452&US">Green Building Council LEED project list</a>: Search for hotels that have earned LEED certification.</li><li> <a href="http://www.greenhotelsonline.com/">Audubon Green Leaf Eco-rating Program for Hotels</a>: This Canadian site (a partnership of Audubon International and TerraChoice Environmental Marketing) certifies hotels in Canada and the US and ranks them according to eco-friendliness (from one to five Green Leafs).</li><li> <a href="http://www.ecologo.org/en/certifiedgreenproducts/details.asp?product_type_id=211">EcoLogo certified green hotels</a>: One of the oldest environmental certification programs in North America, certifying hotels and several other types of products.</li><li> <a href="http://www.green-business.co.uk/index.html">Europe’s Green Tourism</a>: Lists hotels, B&Bs, and inns in the UK and Europe that are rated bronze, silver or gold (on 120 measures of environmental sustainability). </li><li> <a href="http://www.ciwmb00false11924false924habithttp://www.greenyour.com/transportation/travel/vacation/tips/choose-a-6false0Green Hotels02010-01-13T20:58:11+00:00343100