I frequent many different hotel brands during the year on business and I always look for their green initiatives. So how can you help the hotels go green?
1. If you are staying for more than a day you can reuse the towels and ask them not to change the sheets. Just be sure to read the cards that tell you how to do this…for instance where I’m staying today (Embassy Suites) they ask you to keep the towel hanging if you want to use it again. So don’t leave it on the floor.
2. Some hotels have switched from disposable cups to reusable cups. This is a good thing…unless you make the news for having a horrible cleaning staff who doesn’t really clean those glasses! EEEKS! So just heed my warning and wash them before you use them.
3. Skip the newspaper if you aren’t going to read it. I get my news online these days and never open a newspaper unless I’m clipping coupons (which is rare). So ask them NOT to deliver a paper to your room.
4. Skip the mini-toiletries and bring your own from home. This is one that I actually don’t follow because I have a huge bag of these at home. I’m planning on donating them to an organization that can use them (like a homeless shelter or VA hospital).
5. Turn off the lights and TV when you leave the room. It’s no different than being at home. Who do you think is paying their electric bill? We are! So turn off the lights and help keep the prices of the rooms at a minimum.
What steps do you take when traveling to stay green?
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Love your suggestions- I abide by these rules faithfully during my frequent business travels.
One more suggestion…I try to be mindful of the curtains/drapes in the room — keep them open for natural lighting in the morning instead of a lamp, but close them when you leave the room to help keep the warm/cold out.
I also ask to speak to a manager on duty, if I’ve got a few extra minutes at check-in/check-out. For example, I ask if they sort the trash they collect from the rooms for recycling (a surprising number claim they do!), I ask how they train/remind cleaning staff about the linen re-use policies (too many times I’ve found they give me a fresh towel), and I encourage them to look into greener linens (organic cotton/bamboo) and greener cleaning supplies (less chemicals in the room on a daily basis). I think it’s important to remember that the hospitality industry is very responsive to customer demands, so we need to make sure that we demand that the hotels do their part as well!
Interesting to know.