What’s the biggest reason we book a hotel room? To get pampered, of course! Just picture those linens changed daily, the petite toiletries, and the dozens of towels in every imaginable size. Time to sit back and get spoiled. Yes, it’s brilliantly luxurious to stay at a hotel. But the truth is, it’s also harder on the environment. And let’s be honest: are we going to remember the 50 available towels or the super-friendly receptionists and mouth-watering breakfasts?
Rest assured — you can have a lovely hotel stay while being kinder to your surroundings by following even a few of the tips below.
1. Book eco-friendly hotels
With the single action of booking an eco-friendly hotel, you’ll be downsizing your footprint dramatically. Eco-friendly hotels and accommodations are designed, built, or renovated and managed to make as small an impact on the environment as possible. They’re more energy-efficient, often use local resources in their construction, serve delicious locally-grown food and keep waste to a minimum.
You may be thinking of a wooden hut located in a remote Indonesian jungle, but the world of eco-friendly accommodation has really exploded in response to consumer demand. Today you’ll find gorgeous and luxurious hotels across the globe that also happen to be more gentle on the environment. Think paperless check-ins, wooden key cards, and even ORCA clean food waste recycling technology, which some hotels now boast to use.
You can get an overview of the possibilities by clicking the button below, searching for a stay, and using the “Eco-friendly” filter (under ‘Style’ on the left-hand side) in your search results. Be sure to double-check on the hotel website for details on the steps that have been taken to deem it eco-friendly. Look for environmental labels and certifications that use audits to verify a property’s actions, like Green Key, LEED, Green Tourism, ISO 14001, and GSTC.
2. Ditch the airplane
Air travel is a huge cause of CO2 emissions so think if you can get to your destination using an alternative choice of transport. That being said, some airlines are trying their best to reduce their environmental impact by serving sustainable meals without plastic waste so it’s worth investigating being your book. The Eurostar is brilliant and provides links between the UK, France, and Holland. In addition, Europe has a great network of trains.
Car ferries also run between the UK, France, Spain, and Holland so why not hire an electric car and go on an adventure!
3. Choose accommodation that helps the local community
The best eco-friendly accommodations have taken a holistic approach to their initiatives, working not only to minimise their environmental impact but also improve the local economy, community and society.
That means eco-certifications and alternative energy sources aren’t the only things you should be checking for. Take a look to see if they do more, like buy or hire from the local community, support organisations that work to combat local challenges, offer eco tours featuring the flora and fauna or cultural tours demonstrating the area’s traditions, grow and use their own produce, or lead community projects.
4. Stay close to the main attractions
This is a simple tip to keep in mind when choosing the location of your hotel. The closer it is to the local places you want to go while on your holiday, the less dependent you’ll be on driving or using other CO2-emitting means to get there. Some hotels may even provide bikes for your use.
5. Don’t buy a new holiday wardrobe
It’s always nice to look your best on your holiday with fresh new outfits. But we’re sure if you delved deep enough into your wardrobe you’d find lots of things you’d forgotten about. You could also transform old jeans into fantastic new shorts or perhaps have a clothes swap with a friend.
If you haven’t found eco-friendly accommodation, don’t worry
If the place you did end up booking isn’t quite as sustainable as you would have liked, there are still plenty of things you can do during your stay to reduce your local carbon footprint. The most natural way to remember these on-location tips is simply to make the same environmentally-conscious decisions you’d make at home!
6. Say no to plastic
By now everyone knows that plastic is practically the least natural thing in existence… But the majority of establishments still use it in some form because of its convenience. Do a good deed for the planet and avoid the single-use plastic and styrofoam cups, plates, cutlery, water bottles and – gasp! – yes, even those adorable bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion.
Instead, look for reusable or biodegradable tableware (metal, wood, glass, paper, ceramic) and make sure you’ve packed your trusty reusable water bottle and brought your own toiletries (try a solid bar of shampoo!) Who wants to eat and drink from plastic when you’re supposed to be indulging yourself anyway?
And if you are travelling by plane, say no to the plastic bags at security – be prepared with your own bag of liquids already packed together.
7. Don’t ask for new bedsheets
Do you change your bed linens every day at home? Of course you don’t, you have a life — and you care about the planet. Laundry takes up to 15% of a hotel’s energy use. Spare your hotel the unnecessary time and water usage by signalling that you don’t need your sheets changed every day; or your towels for that matter, including hand, bath, beach, pool, flannels, bathmats…(are we forgetting any?) Opt instead for turndown service, and look forward to pillow chocolates and sweet dreams.
8. Turn the power off
This is becoming easier these days as more and more hotels use key cards that also conveniently turn lights and other electric appliances off when leaving. But just in case your accommodation isn’t there yet, remember to turn off the lights, TV and heater/air con before you go exploring for the day or check out.
9. Or do a staycation
Is travelling abroad not on the cards this year? You can still find the feeling of getting away and relaxing in the accommodation of your choice with a staycation. Staycations are gaining popularity with busy families, the budget-conscious and those who can’t take longer holidays outside of the country. And by simply removing the transportation factor from the CO2 equation, you’ll already be on your way to a more eco-friendly holiday. It’s also a great opportunity to discover all those local places you’ve heard about but never had a chance to experience yourself.
Going eco-friendly just makes sense
You can be sure that over time, it’ll become even easier to find the perfect eco-friendly accommodation. With each passing day, more travellers from all over the world are thinking about sustainability when choosing a place to stay, and many hotels are realising that if they want to remain relevant to modern holiday goers, becoming an accredited eco-friendly establishment is a great way to start.
But reducing energy consumption and waste is also great for a hotel’s bottom line. And there’s a lot to save: 75% of a hotel’s environmental impact can be directly related to excessive consumption. So next time you’re looking for a place to stay, switch on the eco-friendly filter and see what turns up. Your next hotel stay may be not only environmentally friendly but also your new favourite place to rest your head.
Source:
- HotelsCombined Responsible Traveler Guide
Originally published September 2020, updated October 2022.
