Is the Hotel Truly Green or Just Green Hype? Travelers Want to Know

June 23, 2008 - PRLog -- Many hotels and resorts now tout their environmentally friendly practices to lure eco-conscious travelers. It can be hard for consumers to tell if a hotel is truly eco-friendly or just employing sneaky PR tactics. iStayGreen’s social network will create accountability forcing properties to own-up to whether they’re truly green or greenwashing.  iStayGreen.org lists over 95,000 lodging properties worldwide with just under 3,000 currently Green Leaf Rated (their proprietary green rating system).

Richard Varner, founder of iStayGreen.org states “Our members separate fact from hype. We’ve created a social network structure, much like Facebook, where our members can rally together to support the cause of environmental sustainability. Our users provide in-depth hotel reviews (example - http://www.istaygreen.org/get-full-review2.cfm/rid/3359), but unlike TripAdvisor and other similar review sites our members review and rate the property’s eco-friendliness. Our membership will create tremendous social pressure forcing hoteliers to be transparent and environmentally responsible.”

Green hotels are hard to find too. With no internationally recognized standard for what Green is the traveler is left having to sort it out for themselves. With iStayGreen’s rapidly growing searchable directory of almost 3,000 Green Leaf Rated Properties (example - http://www.istaygreen.org/getcityusgrn.cfm/st/CA/city/San...) it’s easy for anyone to quickly locate and compare Green Lodging worldwide.  To earn a Green Leaf Rating hotels must complete a thorough self-audit and are then rated based on their eco-initiatives.

According to a recent study done by the Green Hotel Association, 43 million U.S. travelers say they’re concerned about the environment but how do they make a difference? Richard says “We see these 43 million travelers as the basis for a grassroots effort that can and will change the way people travel and interact with the travel industry. They’re already concerned; all they need is a platform to make their voice heard, a way to put pressure on the travel industry to be transparent and Green-up! That’s why iStayGreen.org was created.”

Visit  http://www.iStayGreen.org today to learn how you can join their community and make a difference for our environment.

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About iStayGreen.org: At http://www.iStayGreen.org  users are empowered to make a difference. Our social networking structure enables members to create their own profiles, interact with other members, interact with property management, eco-review and rate properties, and plan and reserve their online travel.