How does one go about finding an eco friendly hotel?  Here are some things to look for when booking a green hotel.

There are many things that hotels can do to go green.  As it stands now it is pretty commonplace for hotels to leave cards in rooms requesting guests to reuse their towels and linens.

However, there are so many more things that hotels can do to become more eco friendly. Water is one of our most precious natural resources.  In order to cut back on water usage, hotels can install water efficient toilets, faucets, and shower heads.  Not only will this conserve water, in time it will save the hotel money on its water bill.

Using energy efficient appliances and fluorescent bulbs are another way to help go green. When purchasing towels and linens, cotton is the best choice for the environment as it\’s a natural fiber. Admittedly, many people enjoy the individual bottles that are supplied by hotels with such items as shampoo, lotion, and  conditioner, not to mention the individually wrapped soaps.  Let\’s face it, some people snatch up as many bottles of these things as they can to take home with them.  However, this is not good for the environment. A much better way is to install dispensers which can be filled as needed.

A nice service that some hotels offer is providing a free newspaper outside of each guest room.  Unfortunately, not every guest has the time or desire to read the paper.  So many newspapers are simply discarded. Try to fathom how many trees are cut down each year to provide newspapers they may never read.

One solution to this problem is to only provide newspapers only to people who request them.  Be sure to place small magazine racks in each guest room that patrons can leave the newspapers in once read. The newspapers can then be collected and recycled.

This idea can be taken one step further. Some hotels have implemented recycling programs. Guest rooms are equipped with recycling bins in which recyclable products are placed and then collected by hotel staff and recycled.

Each day all parts of a hotel are cleaned.  Most hotels use harsh cleaning products that contain ingredients such as bleach or alcohol. These products can be replaced with environmentally friendly cleaning solutions.

One hotel that is an outstanding example of green lodging is the Hotel Triton in San Francisco. This hotel is exemplary in eco friendly accommodations. Not only does it live up to being eco friendly, in addition, items that are no longer needed are donated rather than thrown away.  Additionally, the hotel is partnered with The Trust for Public Land, an organization dedicated to land conservation, in which the hotel donates a portion of room revenue to help this valuable cause.

If traveling, don\’t be afraid to phone ahead and ask a hotel what steps it has taken to work with the environment. So, what do you look for when searching for an eco friendly hotel?