Go Green Travel Green

A review of the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, from an environmentally friendly perspective. On our recent trip to Boston, Elizabeth and I were able to get an excellent rate at a gorgeous historic hotel, the Fairmont Copley Plaza. I don’t stay in hotels often, but when I do, I pay close attention to what hotels are doing to go green. Overall, I loved staying at the Copley Plaza. Here’s why, from an eco-friendly point of view.

A review of Hotelly, a new hotel search engine that offers hotel reviews. How does it compare to the competition?

If you’re looking for a beach house in Belize you should check out Key Belize, a beach front rental property in Hopkins, Belize. There are tons of activities including diving, snorkeling, biking, visiting Mayan Ruins, and fishing.

And because it’s the low season we’ve really lucked out on our accommodations; we’ve stayed in comfortable cabins for less than hostel dorm beds cost in Buenos Aires…. Check out these views from the windows of our cabins in Bariloche and El Bolsón — with no zoom.

After a 5.5 hour turbulent plane ride and waiting 25 minutes for a taxi (I got an eco-cab!) in the 101 degree F heat, I finally stumble into my hotel room. I open the door and a heat wave hits me. I don’t know the last time I was inside and it felt [...]

Frequently listed as one of the greenest of hotel chains, Kimpton is our hotel of choice when we opt for the cushy hotel life over a hostel or camping.  Recently, we spent 4 nights at Kimpton’s Pacific Palisades Hotel in Vancouver.  
Since Vancouver is an extra green city, it’s fitting that the Pacific Palisades was an extra [...]

Dear Housekeeping:
Your hotel, like nearly every single hotel I stay at, has a little sign in the bathroom that says “in an effort to conserve water, if you hang your towel, we will not replace it. Leave it on the floor and we will exchange it for a fresh one.” Much like this one.
So, just [...]

Let’s face it, as much as we love camping, hostels, and eco-lodges sometimes a hotel is the most reasonable option. Luckily, even when staying at the least environmentally-friendly hotel you have a lot of control over your environmental impact. Here are 11 of our favorite tips and tricks for being a little friendlier [...]

As our last post in the “before you go” section of 25 Days to Green Travel, we’ve chosen to write about finding green accommodations. As greenwashing becomes ever more popular, it’s critical that we are cautious when searching for environmentally-friendly lodging. There are 5 basic types of accommodations to consider when you are looking to [...]

If you already make efforts to be a “green” traveler, what does it take to be even greener? This Shades of Green Series explores various ways to step up your green travel efforts using our shades of green travel spectrum. If you’re not familiar with the spectrum, it ranges from “pea green” travelers [...]

With the 3 ounce bottle restrictions TSA has placed on carry-on liquids, more and more people are using hotel toiletries and leaving their own at home.

photo credit: Daniel Morrison
Here are 4 reasons to reconsider:

Hotel toiletries use a lot of packaging for a small amount of product.
The product itself isn’t earth friendly. (I have yet [...]

Hotel amenities (soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc.) can be extremely wasteful and one of the biggest wastes comes from packaging.
For instance, at a recent Sheraton stay I found this Bliss Shine “Vanity Kit” waiting for me in the bathroom along with the usual soaps and shampoo. Check out the contents:

So as you can see, the [...]

How does one go about finding an eco friendly hotel? How do you know if a hotels efforts to “go green” are actually paying off?
As I began researching standards for green hotels, I became increasingly interested in the newly created “green” accreditation programs and standards that exist. What I found, as you [...]