Followgreen is the new color of luxury stays
today, i’m delighted to share a guest post here on ‘where in the world is lola?’ written by Kimberly Sanberg, of Go Green Travel Green. as we all continue to learn about our earth and the damage we can cause and easily rectify in a few simple steps – it is a pleasure to have Kimberly share some common sense tips for being green at your hotel. who says you have to sacrifice to help out our environment!
When you’re staying in a luxurious hotel, it’s tempting to go all out take a long shower, sample all of the toiletries, and get clean sheets every day. Treating yourself while you travel is great (you deserve it!), but all of that luxury has an environmental cost. Fortunately, you can pamper yourself without damaging the earth. Here’s how.
1. Do your homework. When you’re choosing a hotel, make sure you look at all of your options and examine their environmental records. Booking a LEED-certified hotel and you’ll sleep easy knowing that you’re doing your part to reduce your environmental impact.
2. Think walkable. Book a hotel with a location that’s central to the activities you’re planning. That way you can walk instead of renting a car or taking cabs everywhere (you’ll save money, too). If you can’t find a hotel in your key location, book one near public transit.
3. Turn off the lights. So much electricity is wasted when lights and other appliances are left on. You probably do it at home, so there’s no reason not to do it in a hotel: when you leave the room, switch off the lights.
4. Pack your own toiletries. Indulging with those tiny containers of fancy shampoo and conditioner is so tempting, but pass on the provided toiletries and bring your own. The hotel’s plastic containers from all of its guests add up, and many hotels don’t recycle them.
5. Tamper with the temperature. Just about every hotel room I’ve walked into is borderline frigid. I’ll admit, it’s nice to curl up in a big, soft hotel bed under lots of blankets, but there’s a price for keeping your room so cold. Turn up the temperature if your room is chilly and you’ll save energy.
6. Just say no to housekeeping. Fresh linens every day? Ah, the life of luxury. But hotels expend a massive amount of energy washing and drying towels and sheets every day. The responsible choice is to hang the “no housekeeping” sign on your doorknob and forgo new sheets and towels for the duration of your stay, or at least for a day or two.
7. Shorten your showers. A long, hot shower can be just what you need after a long plane ride or a day exploring a new city. Just try to conserve water by keeping your shower under 10 minutes.
What do you do to green your hotel stay? Do you have any other tips for fellow travelers?
Kimberly Sanberg’s passion for travel was born when she studied abroad in Krasnodar, Russia in high school. Since then, she’s been to six continents and is scheming to get to seven. She is the co-founder and editor of Go Green Travel Green, a top sustainable travel website that helps travelers reduce their environmental impact. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with wife, son, and two dogs.
