It’s not easy being green- take Kermit the Frog’s word for it. But what’s worse than being green? Not having anyone know about it! At least if you’re a hotel. Green buildings, or structures that are ecologically conscious in their construction and leave a smaller carbon footprint than their regular counterparts in day-to-day use, are becoming almost as popular as hybrid cars, and it’s no exception for hotels.
To help eco-minded travelers find “green hotels,” AAA has started a program to highlight AAA Approved lodgings that have been eco-certified through a known government or private program. Now, aside from checking “diamond” ratings of hotels in their AAA travel books, members of AAA can look for the hotels marked with a bright green “ECO” symbol. Or for the computer savvy, they can visit www.AAA.com and search by green certification.
"The new ECO symbol serves as a notice to AAA members that a property has taken steps to become an environmental advocate," said Michael Petrone, director, AAA Tourism Information Development. "We are pleased to publish this information as a service to members who make sustainability a factor in their lodging selection."
Although AAA is not involved in the actual evaluation of a property’s environmental practices, a list of the organizations which it draws this information from is available on its website.
Visit www.AAA.com/eco
