Eco-Travel...

When you think of going away on some exotic vacation, you’re first reaction is to book an elite, fancy hotel that will treat you like royalty. But what if you could have all of these luxuries and still stay true to your environmental ethics?

Most hotels accumulate a lot of waste and excess materials for the sake of comfortableness and elitism. The more unnecessaries, the higher the rating, but that is no longer the case. Green hotels are taking the world by storm, and they include all the things you want in a getaway, but without the materialism and excessive factors.

There is no single system for evaluating a hotel’s environmental friendliness, but the easiest way to tell is by whether or not a hotel has a LEED certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which can be issued by the United States Green Building Council. This program evaluates everything from materials to energy use to recycling in the construction and operation of a building. Only five hotels in the United States have this certification, and many more are in the planning stages of also trying to attain the certification.

There are loads of green hospitality sites out there, including this one: www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com, which allows you to search articles about sustainable travel, eco-labels in the hotel industry, and other issues around supporting environmentally friendly hotels. They also provide links to other green hospitality sites.

There is a Green Hotel Association which describes its members as, “environmentally-friendly properties whose managers are eager to institute programs that save water, save energy and reduce solid waste--while saving money--to help protect our one and only earth.”

So what can hotels do to try and make themselves a little more green? The possibilities are endless. It’s so simple!

- Start a linen (both towels and sheets) reuse program in all guest rooms

- Install low-flow showerheads and sink aerators.

- Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs in guestrooms, lobbies, and hallways. Use

sensors and/or timers for areas that are infrequently used.

- Whenever possible, buy food and guest amenities in bulk (i.e., use refillable hair and

skin care dispensers).

- Provide guestroom recycle baskets for newspaper, white paper, glass, aluminum, cardboard, and plastic.

- Educate your staff to turn off lights and turn down heating/air conditioning when rooms are unoccupied. Also, during summer months, to close the drapes.

- Buy organic, recycled, fair trade, cruelty-free guest amenity products whenever possible.

These aren’t even half of the possibilities out there. So next time you’re thinking of a romantic getaway, do your research and find the hotels that are doing their part to make a difference. Leave smaller footprints even when you travel!