Staying green on vacation

By Colleen Heenan

Vacationing to me is like cheating on my daily routine, my habits totally slip in ways I normally would not let them.

For example, I always cheat on my diet by going out to eat and drink soda daily. Along with my diet, vacationing seems to push my normally green habits aside. Today it has become a little easier to stay green on you vacation, especially if you are traveling to Lexington Massachusetts, where two new hotels opened to give green-minded people an alternative options to stay at.

Just this month two hotel chains opened up two different eco-conscious hotels; Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ 123-suite Element Lexington and Starwood’s 136-room Aloft Lexington. Though both hotels are offering a new “eco-chic” option for the environmentally thoughtful, they are both very different when it comes to how green they are.

Element hotels are suite-like rooms that offer kitchens and generally cater to business folks and families looking for an extended stay option. It is the first hotel to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. Along with rugs made with recycled tires, furniture stuffed with recycled materials, energy-efficient light bulbs and filtered water over bottled water, the element is educating their guests on more sustainable choices and practices.

The hotels also have water-saving toilets, faucets, showers and energy-efficient heating, air conditioning and appliances, which will save the hotel between $50,000- $75,000 per year in costs.

As for the hotel Aloft, their focus is on a more modern, fun approach to bring eco-awareness to their guests. Guests have the option to reuse towels and linens, so as to reduce water use. They also have shampoo and soap dispensers, to reduce the demand and use of those mini bottles we are so use to finding at “normal” hotels.

While both hotels offer advice and support of the eco-conscious, you can clearly tell that Element hotels are really trying to transform the structure of their hotel. Because of the appliances and furniture used and their building standards, Element has really taken one giant leap towards the green movement. Aloft is still taking baby steps but definitely in the right direction. Both these hotels are role models and raise the bar for competing hotel chains. Let’s hope this starts a revolution for the travel industry.

For more information on these hotels check out this news article.


Photo by Element