How To Green Your Hotel Stay This Holiday Season

With the holiday season fast approaching, that often means traveling and hotel stays. If you haven't considered it before, now is the perfect time to keep your carbon footprint low when you stay in a hotel. Simply check into a hotel where greening your hotel stay takes top priority.

Where to Stay

Top of the list is the Marriott chain of hotels which offer incentives for taking part in their eco-chic hotel program.

Next on the list is Starwood who also encourage guests to refrain from requesting a new batch of towels and bed linens daily. At first, these programs may seem like housekeeping is taking the easy way out, but scratch beneath the surface and you will soon find the reasons for doing so are so very important.

How to Reduce Water Consumption

The hotel industry in the USA consumes vast amounts of natural resources, in fact it's not unusual for a leaking toilet to lose 750 liters of water in just one day.

As water supplies around the globe come under pressure, here are five steps you can you take to do your part for water consumption this holiday season:

1. When brushing your teeth, turn the tap off and save nine liters of water, multiply this by brushing your teeth up to three times a day and you will save an enormous 27 liters of water!

2. Volunteer to take part in the hotel's linen re-use program. Starwood offer their guests a $5 voucher to spend in and around the hotel when housekeeping services are declined.

3. Did you know that hotels have to pay twice over for their water supply? Firstly to purchase and secondly to dispose. Choose a hotel that is big on sustainability. One of the ways in which a hotel can be sustainable is by using their grey water supply to water the grounds. Marriott's "Nobility of Nature" program is designed to protect Asia's fresh water supply for over 2 billion people.

4. Although tempting, it may be to soak in a deep suds filled tub after a day of sightseeing, consider using the shower instead. Not only will you feel relaxed and revitalized and ready to get the most out of your day, you will greatly reduce the burden on the hotel's water supply.

5. Check out GreenLeaders on Trip Advisor and plan your next getaway with a clear conscience.

Sources: www.greenhotelier.org, TripAdvisor GreenLeaders, www.starwoodhotels.com, www.Marriott.com