Much like choosing eco-friendly travel gear and working with tour operators that support sustainable tourism, switching to eco-friendly accommodation is another great way to reduce your impact as a traveler. 

According to the United Nations, the hotel industry is responsible for 1% of the world’s carbon emissions. And while 1% doesn’t sound like all that much, it’s actually a lot once you start to think about the various hotel groups, hostels, and guest houses that exist all over the world, which is why it’s essential to choose accommodation that uses green practices.

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What is Eco-Friendly Accommodation?

An eco-friendly hotel or hostel is one that makes a tangible effort to reduce and/or eliminate their environmental impact. These types of accommodations are usually known as eco hotels or green hotels.

A few of the most common ways an accommodation can reduce their environmental impact is by using recycling and composting programs, installing energy-efficient lighting, using non-toxic or vegan products, and only supplying reusable dishes and cutlery.

How to Find Eco-Friendly Accommodation

One of the easiest ways to determine if a hotel or hostel is eco-friendly is to find out if they have their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

LEED is the most widely used green building rating system across the globe, and provides establishments with independent verification on their green features, “allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings” (LEED).

How to Book Eco-Friendly Accommodation

A sure-fire way to find out if your accommodation is eco-friendly is by doing your research, whether that’s combing through the establishment’s website or speaking with a representative, but that requires a lot of work on your part. I’m here to tell you there’s an easier way.

Book with Ecobnb

We’ve all heard of Airbnb, but now there’s Ecobnb – a network that’s dedicated to promoting responsible tourism that respects nature, the economy and local communities. Like any accommodation booking platform, all you have to do is search your destination, add your check in and check out dates, and the number of people in your party to have a list of sustainable accommodation right at your fingertips.

Click here to start booking with Ecobnb!  

Book with Green Key Global

Green Key Global is best known for its self-named environmental award – the Green Key Award. It represents a standard of excellence that eco-friendly businesses strive for within the tourism industry. By representing Green Key, these businesses promise to operate within the strict, environmental criteria outlined by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). When you book with a Green Key partner, you can rest assured that you’re helping make a sustainable impact on our planet.

For the responsible traveler, Green Key Global also has a really slick search engine that shows eco-friendly restaurants, parks, hotels, hostels, and other attractions all over the world. Click here to book today! 

Book with Green Globe Travel

Green Globe Travel is the product of the Green Globe Certification, and is a travel website that makes sustainable hotels, cruise ships, tour operators, and other attractions readily accessible to travelers. Users can easily search eco-friendly establishments by property name, country, or category; each listing contains a business’s description, location, map, contact information, and helpful links to booking.

To start booking your eco-friendly getaway via Green Globe Travel, click here!

If you’re interested in reading more about eco-friendly travel, this blog is the third installment of a series I’m doing on responsible tourism. Check back next week for my next post, or subscribe to the blog so that you can get alerts when I post new content – cheers!

Previous Posts in the Responsible Travel Series:

The Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly Transportation

The Ultimate List of Eco-Friendly Travel Products