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With the environment always in mind, I often stray from all that is new. New designer shoes? Don't need 'em. New flooring in my home? Eh, I'll make do with what I have. But when it comes to hotels, we often have a different story on our hands. Booking newer hotels can be more green than booking older ones, and yes, that can even include that mom and pop bed and breakfast if you don't research well enough.
Why on earth, you're probably wondering, would I lean toward a newer hotel that possibly just contributed a gross amount of waste to a community? Well, it's easy. New hotels these days are featuring all sorts of state-of-the-art energy saving tactics. From low-flow toilets that can save an estimated 4,358 gallons of water per room per year to newer, more efficient appliances to heating and cooling systems that allow for energy-saving, new hotels often operate just a little better than older hotels. And staying at one of these new hotels can help to save us all a lot of energy because of these features. From low-flow toilets to recycling laundry water, a lot of new hotels are hip to the fact that green is in and widely accepted, even sought-out.
A new hotel line, Element which is an extension of the Westin Hotels and Resorts brand, is focusing on saving resources with their new line. They will have showers that come with shampoo and conditioner dispensers. That means they'll be saving on those millions of plastic containers usually found in hotels for the shampoo and conditioner. On top of that, they'll have recycling bins in each room and energy-saving compact fluorescent lights. Element is just one example of a new, green hotel line paving the way for a green future via new hotels.
Naturally, it's a better idea to stay at a hotel that is purposefully green. And I would say lines like Element are certainly greening up their act purposefully. But a lot of the green features Element is introducing are features that many other new hotels will be introducing as well. Why? Because they save money. So if you can't find an obvious green hotel to stay in, look into the features that newer hotels have. They're usually greener than the others without even necessarily intending to be.
More on green hotels:
Can't Find A Green Hotel? Sure You Can
Vacation Responsibly: Green Your Hotel Stay
9 Questions You Must Ask Before Booking A "Green" Hotel
