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Stay Green… 10 Ways Hotel
Guests Can Make A
Difference
(Family Features)
You don’t have to
trot the globe to be an
eco-friendly traveler.
While green travel
usually is associated
with visits to tropical
retreats in places like
Costa Rica or Belize,
it’s possible to be a
responsible guest much
closer to home.
When you’re booking
your room, ask about the
hotel’s general
environmental practices.
Do they do the basics
like recycling and using
energy efficient
lighting? Try to stay
with hotels that are
making a real effort to
stay green and you’re on
your way to being a more
eco-friendly traveler.
Here are 10 other ways
that you can stay green
on the road:
 1.
Re-use sheets and towels
– A typical U.S. hotel
uses 218 gallons of water
per day per occupied
room, and fresh linens
account for a significant
share. Many hotels now
allow guests to simply
place a card on the bed
indicating they would
like to use the same
linens throughout their
stay.
2. Keep showers short,
and don’t run the water
while you brush your
teeth – Good advice at
home, and even better on
the road.
3. Turn everything off
– That includes the air
conditioning, heat,
lights, television and
radio. Closing the drapes
offers natural insulation
against the weather.
4. Pack a small
nightlight – That way,
you won’t have to leave
bathroom lights on
overnight.
5. Bring your own
toiletries – This leaves
the prepackaged hotel
toiletries unopened and
helps to minimize waste.
6. Recycle the
newspaper – Leave it at
the front desk or hotel
restaurant, or put it in
a designated recycling
bin.
7. Walk and/or use
public transport at your
destination – The hotel
front desk staff can help
with maps and info on
nearby transit.
8. Dine in – Patronize
eat-in and hotel dining
rooms to decrease the
number of disposable
items associated with
take-out meals and eating
on the road.
9. Donate those hotel
points to a green cause –
For example, Radisson
Hotels & Resorts offers
members of its gold
points plus SM program
the option to minimize
the impact of CO2
emissions by redeeming
points with
community-based
CarbonNeutral projects.
10. Check out
electronically – Many
hotels offer this option
on the room’s television.
You can view your bill,
approve it and reduce
paperwork.
With more than 965
locations in 70
countries, including
Radisson Hotels & Resorts
and Country Inns &
Suites, Carlson Hotels
Worldwide is a leading
authority in leisure and
business travel.
Courtesy of Family
Features
All
materials courtesy of
Carlson Hotels Worldwide
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