Comments on: Orbitz and Expedia Offer Eco-Friendly Hotels

By: John

John — Sat, 09 May 2009 04:56:28 +0000

I think it’s great that the “big boys” of the on-line booking world are becoming more sincere towards promoting earth-friendly hotels and resorts, though I agree with your observation that in many cases, some of the more luxury destinations have a limited perspective on sustainability.

This does not have to be the case. I am co-founder of go-bela.com, a site dedicated to promoting and booking sustainable beach area resorts, lodges, campgrounds, etc.

I would sincerely welcome your input over our efforts as we continue to further develop and grow our site. We are currently working to add Six Senses properties to our list, effectively doublng our current offering of genuine eco properties.

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:12:03 +0000

Good idea, Judy. It’s always best to do a little research before you go.

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:06:12 +0000

Hi Brian, Thanks so much for commenting, it’s always good to hear things from the horses mouth, as they say. I will look forward to hearing more about Eco Orbitz in the future.
Cheers
Linda

By: Brian Hoyt

Brian Hoyt — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:57:08 +0000

Thanks for this article. Orbitz’ eco travel site is just coming off of one year of operating, and we appreciate that consumers are ensuring this isn’t just a corporate “green wash” exercise. I can assure you that on behalf of our nearly 2,000 employees worldwide that it is not.

Since we launched eco.orbitz.com, a year before our competition attempted their entry into this space (which we applaud – more folks should follow our lead here), we have introduced a number of upgrades.

Our relationship with Carbonfund.org, a not-for profit and transparent environmental organization, takes offset purchases and sends the funds to renewable energy projects, reforestation efforts around the world and to purchase credits off the Chicago Climate Exchange.

The site also includes links to make it easier for customers to book hybrid car rentals – directly linkable via http://hybrids.orbitz.com.

On hotels, it certainly gets more complicated. We are working with industry groups, like the Travel Industry Association, to develop some uniformity in hotel reviews. To date, there is not an industry standard. So, our point of view has been to celebrate hotels that are taking steps – be it baby steps – to reduce their carbon footprint or negative impact on the environment.

We hope you continue to watch this effort grow. We’re excited to be the first online travel company in the United States to partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to market the availability of ENERGY STAR rated hotels. These are some of the most energy efficient hotels in the United States. And we hope to evolve our hotel criteria soon to something that everyone in the industry can agree to regarding measuring these properties for “going green.”

We hope more hotels around the world take steps to get green. If they do, we will celebrate their efforts at eco.orbitz.com.

Thanks for writing. Our colleagues at Away.com (who develop a lot of the editorial you mentioned) will enjoy that you liked their articles and tips. Check out Away.com for more information!