Five sustainable stays

1. Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa All Inclusive, Montego Bay: “…The hotel is very energy/green conscience. We enjoyed the hotel very much. We would stay there again. ”
2. Parkside Victoria Resort and Spa, BC: “This is one of the nicest places to stay in Victoria. It prides itself on being a “Green Hotel”. I am in town for business every month and this will become my home away from home. Very close to the “Hub” of the downtown area. One of the best places at a good price.”
3. City Express Guadalajara, Mexico: “The “Green” hotel and super value. breakfast and Internet included. I spend the whole day in there and it meets my needs…”
4. Royal Scot Hotel & Suites, Victoria, BC: “…The hotel itself is charming visually and sits on a quiet tree lined street. The hotel is also a “Green Hotel” which means they actively recycle and apply energy efficient methods,which is important to us. We would highly recommend this hotel and plan to stay there on our next trip to Victoria.”
5. Atlantica Hotel Halifax, Nova Scotia: “The value of the hotel was exceptional. You received breakfast coupons, as well, a coupon for an appetizer, each day. They were environmentally friendly (and actually did leave your towels when you hing them up!) As well, they gave you a paper bag to take home your soap!…”

How are you doing your part? Share it.

10 sustainable stays in Europe and India

1. ITC Mughal Agra, India: “…The hotel is nicely designed and has beautiful architectural features and beautiful grounds. It is also a green hotel…”
2. Ora Hotels City Parma, Italy: “New, clean and environmentally friendly hotel. Very professional staff, and a quick short walk to the hotel from the Central Station (and airport busses to Malpensa, Linate). One of the better hotels and one of the few in Italy that offers proper duvets and pillows. I would certainly go again:)”
3. Inspira Santa Marta Hotel, Lisbon: “Just amazing, staff, design, free espresso in the room, hamman, free wi-fi, environmental friendly. All you want you got it. Seriously I would stay there for ever…”
4. Best Western Kings Manor Hotel, Edinburgh: “brilliant effort at being green. love the recycling bins made available to guests. room is clean and sheets are crisp…”
5. Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers, Copenhagen: “…Our room was clean, spacious, very bright, simple but tastefully decorated, and it is a very green hotel…”
6. Grange Tower Bridge, London: “Great green hotel! My husband, son, and I stayed here in late July and loved the hotel. We highly recommend it!”
7. Conscious Hotel Vondelpark, Amsterdam: “A green gem. This little hotel was a green hotel that provides all the basic ammenities. It was small and compact, but quite comfortable for a few nights stay…”
8. Classic Freiburg, Germany: “…Our room was enormous, very clean and included a sitting area and small balcony. It’s a green hotel so they use eco friendly materials including hardwood floors in the rooms which are great fun to slide around on in your socks! There were also surprise little touches like an adjustable couch, adjustable beds and a bottle of mineral water…”
9. The Cavendish London, London: “the rooms are very clean, modern, a little bit bigger than average. I love the fact that the hotel is “green” and has sensors for the lights in the hallways…”
10. Eurostars Lex, Barcelona: “Nice “green” hotel. It was great that they paid attention to being aware of the environment, and that it was very clean…”

Do you participate in a hotel’s sustainable efforts while travelling?

10 sustainable US stays

1. Element by Westin Las Vegas Summerlin, Las Vegas: “The Element Westin surpassed my expectations! It was an unexpected and wonderful surprise to find a hotel that not only had excellent facilities, amenities, customer service, etc. but that has also incorporated environmentally conscious concepts in a modern, chic and comfortable mode…”
2. Hotel Andaluz, Albuquerque: “Green Hotel – Recommended. A very good hotel overall and convienently located. I would stay there again and recommend it to family and friends…”
3. Hotel Skyler, Syracuse: “Hotel Skyler is brand new and beautifully decorated. It is in a converted Temple and has wonderful touches that make it different and special. Being LEED certified and a “green” hotel is a plus as far as I’m concerned…”
4. Hotel Shattuck Plaza, Berkeley: “…This is a green hotel, and everything is environmentally sustainable including the soaps and shampoos. This is a quiet retreat in the midst of delicious cafes and restaurants within walking distance. I would highly recommend.”
5. Aloft Tempe, Tempe: “This was our first stay in Aloft Hotel and it was great!! The location was perfect, service was professional and consistent regardless of the time of day or night. We appreciated the fact that it was a green hotel, since my husband is an environmental manager…”
6. DoubleTree by Hilton Portland, Portland: “…The hotel has many green/sustainability attributes, it is located directly adjacent to the rail system that comes directly from the airport. The hotel was clean, the staff was helpful…”
7. Gaia Shasta Hotel, Redding: “…The experience of the hotel seems to be focused on it’s green choices: low flow toilet with water flow selection, shampoo dispensers in the shower, sky lights, etc. It’s not a super posh spa experience, it is more earthy and casual.”
8. The Jewel facing Rockefeller Center, New York: “…Super clean hotel. Small rooms but effecient. It’s a “green” hotel so don’t expect a heavy duty shower w/lots of water pressure. All in all…5 stars for the location & cleanliness!!!”
9. Sundance Mountain Lodge, Colorado Springs: “This hotel was just outside of Colorado Springs in a nice neighborhood. It was clean and comfortable. The service was above average…I really like that this hotel is striving to be a green hotel. I would stay here again.”
10. 968 Park Hotel, South Lake Tahoe: “Great green hotel: …The staff was friendly and the room very clean and comfortable. It was also walkong distance to casinos, trails, and the lake. We will definitely stay here again.”

Doing anything personally to “go green”?

1. “Great weekend in Riga!!: …Cosy bar, and great breakfast. (the vodka at breakfast was well accepted for us five guys)…”
2. “Interesting and tough to get your mind around: …The room was extremely small & the “Double bed” (slightly larger than a single bed) took up most of the room…The floors of the hotel were significantly uneven, our bed was at least 5cm higher at the foot than at the head (this was rectified by placing rolled newspapers under the feet at the head)…This hotel is not for couples looking for a comfortable getaway, but more for students or singles or really small thin people with great balance. Elderly people should stay well away unless they are looking for admission to hospital for a new hip…”
3. “Never Again!: …The guy cleaning the room smelled so bad (sweat)…”
4. “WILD in the Streets!: …Fun hotel to be in if your noisey…”
5. “Not comfortable at all: …the restaurant/bar is full of locals that are just staring at you and your date!”

Seen or heard anything funny/head-shaking in your travels? Share it!

10 less-than-lovey stays

1. Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre, London: “…Bathroom had a sliding glass door that had space in between the wall… not exactly romantic…”
2. Iberotel Apulia, Ugento: “…We were there as a couple, so the families there at the time were all young families, but this is a hotel geared for families not couples – really, i.e. it’s not that romantic…”
3. Hotel Seattle, Seattle: “…if a funky sort of clean snd VERY CHEAP hotel is your style this is the place in Seattle. my biggest problem was the TV which has very limited channel options, why I didn’t even know NASA had a channel. Otherwise it was sufficientd for my business travel, NOT FOR A ROMANTIC GET AWAY…”
4. Maile Sky Court, Honolulu: “…I paid extra for an Ocean view with a Queen Bed. I instead was placed into a partial ocean view with twin beds. As this was a romantic vacation, it made things a little awkward…”
5. Cadillac Hotel, Venice: “…I did want some sort of ventilation/moving air. This required the windows to be opened during my stay…the surrounding neighborhoods are a bit shady and there is plenty of food traffic in the area. Again, having the windows up really limited the privacy. Not an ideal place for that romantic weekend…”
6. Hotel Yun’s Paradise, Shanghai: “…Its decor is pretty tacky – lots of flashing lights on the outside and red leather in our room – good for a laugh but not exactly romantic!…”
7. Hampton Inn Virginia Beach-Oceanfront North, Virginia Beach: “…The only downside is that I booked a room with a hot tub. The water in the hot tub did not get warm enough to soak in and my romantic evening was ruined.”
8. Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas: “…The room we ended up in was so gross. We asked for a nonsmoking room they gave us smoking. The carpet was embedded with dirt. We thought it was interesting to see a balcony only to walkout to pigeon crap piled on everything. This was suppose to be our romantic getaway to Vegas but instead I felt like i was going to sleep in a cheap motel room where men take their hookers…”
9. Fantasy Inn and Wedding Chapel, South Lake Tahoe: “…The shower being in the living room for the romantic effect is neat but I still felt so exposed since we just used it for showering.”
10. Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank: “Although the room was “poolside” you actually have to go down 2 flights of stairs and that is not a good start to a romantic getaway if your spouse gripes about you gettng a room “in the basement.”…”

Ever had a romantic trip fall flat? Share it!

Avalon Reef Club Isla Mujeres:  “…the resort has its own island,nobody but the guest can come on this miniature island since there is a guard 24/7. This was our own private beach for 8 days, at the most we were about 25 persons on it, but most of the time we were about from 6 to 15 persons…if beach, water, view and romance are important to YOU then go!…”

Hotel San Cassiano Ca’Favretto, Venice: “…on arrival the hotel said they were putting us in a canal facing room for the first night at no additional charge! This room was lovely; large and comfortable with an amazing view of the Grand Canal (room 218 right next to the breakfast room)…”

10 travel loves

1. Southernmost House, Key West: “My husband and I just love Victorian architecture and historic buildings, so we HAD to try The Southernmost House. It was truly a beautiful place, from the house itself and the surrounding landscape to the back pool/guesthouse area!…”
2. Hampton Inn and Suites Pensacola-University Mall, Pensacola: “Very clean and comfortable, love the crisp white bedding and freshly washed duvets as opposed to the old style dirty bedspreads that some hotels still use…”
3. Fairmont Nile City Cairo, Cairo: “No Words I LOVE IT…”
4. Harrah’s Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Las Vegas: “…We have stayed at Harrahs four times, love the casino, love the shows, love the restaurants…”
5. Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Anaheim Resort, Anaheim: “…Our 5 and 7 year olds loved the pool and water play area…”
6. Ramada Inn – Old Town Temecula, Temecula, CA: “My girlfriends and I always stay at this hotel when staying in old town Temecula. We love to go line dancing at Stampede and like this hotel because it is in walking distance…”
7. Maison Tulum, Tulum: “…The restaurant area downstairs was really peaceful in the morning and the coffee was great. I loved the cats wandering around! Tulum is a neat town and I am glad we stayed in the city center…”
8. The Mill Resort & Suites Aruba, Palm Beach: “…all the food we ate in aruba was great especially the Hopi Bon Teppan Grill in downtown Oranjestad. LOVE LOVE LOVE the food here!! We went back twice!!”
9. The New Yorker Hotel, New York: “…Vintage hotel feel–love that!…”
10. The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta: “…We loved the bar tender, Noe, he told us a lot of information about Tequila and we felt like we had our own personal Tequila tasting…”

Where have you experienced better-than-like?

1. “Rooms in need of TLC!: We stayed in the presidential suite. I wouldn’t call it president worthy…The decor was very outdated and there were 3 old tube TV’s in the room!…”
2. “Beautiful Hotel in the Boonies with Poor Service: …The hotel was very modern and gorgeous spacious rooms but the windows were marked with grease as if someone’s child had rubbed their face and hands against them…”
3. “Grandma’s living room!: The decor was described as “shabby chic”. Well, they were half right…”
4. “Romantic get away: …Another thing to sing their praises I could NOT run out of hot water. I admit I love hot showers and I do take longer than most when I can. I always used the water cooling down as a sign to get out. My husband had to knock on the door and tell me I had been in the shower for an hour and a half!!!…”
5. “luxury hotel in great location: …The doormen were excellent with their directions and suggestions. One of them even promised to turn the sun on ( it was raining!)…”
6. “Nice hotel, nasty ketchup!!: …its a lovely hotel – why serve cheap and nasty ketchup??”
7. “weekender: The compalints i have is that i’ve noticed that one of the pillows have a dried blood stain. It will be a better idea to eliminate that kind of pillow and some of the towels have blood stains. Other thatn that it’s not too bad…”
8. “Excellent!: …The tiger-print bathrobe was a plus.”
9. “More a budget motel than a resort: …I would not stay there again and would not recommend it to my friends (Unless she was an old woman who liked tennis and never intended to go to the beach).”
10. “Dirty sheets: It looks like the bed was not changed. when I went to bed, there was a nest of hair likely from a brush in what we assumed were our clean sheets , It was late and all our belongings were out so we decided to cowboy up and sleep even though it was disgusting.”

Seen or heard anything funny/head-shaking in your travels? Share it!

Five more Expedia guests going good:

1. Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, LaGrange, GA: “…The actual hotel its self was TOP NOTCH! We loved having the pool and hot tube as we rode our road bikes in the Wheels O’ Fire cycle tour to help raise money for the local fire departments. (my husband is a volunteer so we know the importance);-)”
2. ALTA Cebu Resort, Cordova: “I loved the service, the flourishing colors, butterflies, birds, and plants. I loved that the resort was environmentally conscious, they promoted freedom and nature, the food was delicious, and we especially enjoyed the mini zoo where we spent time with the monkeys. They also had many activities for visitors from volunteering to help advocate their mission, games, basketball, wall climbing, and while we were there, a bbq with a live band. We loved Alta and highly recommend them as a destination. The cost to stay is very inexpensive, and the value is priceless.”
3. Hotel Los Portales Piura, Piura: “…I was in PIura as part of a volunteer medical mission project and Los Portales served as an excellent base for my operations. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone planning on visiting this city in northern Peru.”
4. VH- Gran Ventana Beach Resort, Puerto Plata: “…They were all very supportive of our volunteering to teach/play with children in the after-school-program of DOVE MISSIONS Puerto Plata. They gave us anything we needed for the kids – most especially food. Made our volunteer experience in Puerto Plata more memorable. We will definitely ALWAYS go back to our second home – the Gran Ventana to volunteer with DOVE MISSIONS…”
5. Aikens Lodge, Kanab: “…We visit Kanab regularly to volunteer at Best Friends and I think this will be our lodging of choice from now on. Very cool 50s tile in our bathroom! Our room was actually 2 rooms and could accommodate 2 couples or a family with kids.”

Where are you hoping to help?

1. Waterfront Hotel, a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel, Oakland: “WE so enjoyed our stay. We were in the area to work as volunteers for the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk. It was an easy access to where we had to be and it also was a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the area.”
2. Laurel Inn Motel, Salinas: “Good hotel for price, very clean, close to the location we were volunteering for. Nice staff/”
3. Best Western Franklin Inn, Franklin: “We travel to this area each year to volunteer for the Senior Olympics. We have tried several hotels over the years, but this is a keeper…We loved the fact that the location made it convenient to multiple venues and the easy access from the back entrance…Many of our local athletes were staying at this hotel and were also very satisfied. In fact, many of them seemed to have been staying there for several years. We will be sure to make our reservations early next year so that we will be sure to get a room here again.”
4. Suly Resort and Spa, Ubud: “The resort is home to many underpriveleged 16-18 yr olds who get the opportunity to live-in, attend school, and also gain work-based training in hospitality to set them up for their future. We volunteered to teach an English class one morning which was great fun for us as much as the students…”
5. Sleep Inn DFW North Airport, Irving: “…Very little to do in the immediate vicinity. Best to have a car to drive to eat or other entertainment. Price was right for what I needed, which was a place to stay while I volunteered at Bryon Nelson”

Making plans to volunteer on this year’s vacation? Where are you putting your skills to use?