Stay it Green--Hotel Stays that are Part of the Green Movement

Whether it's in the middle of the rain forest in Costa Rica or down south in South Carolina, when you're traveling you can take your greenness on the road with you. That's right, there are green hotels around the world to choose from. As there is an association for almost anything you can think of, there is also a Green Hotels Association to support hotels and the green movement.

What Makes a Hotel Green
There is a pretty lengthy list of ways that hotels can go green and there are certain criteria hotels have to meet to officially get the LEED or the Green Hotels Association stamp of approval. Here are some items to keep in mind when choosing your next place to stay.

1. Items on request. While most hotels offer up free sample size bottles of shampoo and bottles of water, green hotels only stock these items on request. This requires you to pack your own items, but if you forget or need something, they'll still be able to supply it for you.

2. Energy efficient equipment and no-chemical cleaners. Using energy efficient appliances and chemical free cleaning supplies is another ways hotels go green. You can contribute to the greenness by reusing your towels and sheets rather than having the cleaning person change them each day of your stay. You do not change your sheets and towels on a daily basis at home and there isn't really a need to do so when you're staying in a hotel either.

3. Solar lights or energy efficient lighting. Green hotels also use alternative energy sources and efficient lighting. Hotel industry energy bills can run as high as $3.7 billion each year. Cutting down use not only saves the hotel money (and you money on the room price) but it also saves the environment. You can help contribute to these savings by turning off the lights in your room when you leave.