Since it's only the 3rd week of the year, you're (hopefully) still hanging on to that New Year's Resolution. If it happens to be to travel more, there's a new website that can help with your lodging while being eco-friendly. BookDifferent.com features the usual hotel search options - price, location, reviews, amenities - but it also offers the the search option "Eco Label." Hotels have been rated based on the Green Key and Green Globe international standards (both organizations focus on green initiatives in the tourism industry.)
The site seems to be most helpful if you're planning a European getaway, with numerous options in the Netherlands, Paris, Rome and more (Can I come with you? Just pack me in your suitcase, I'll be quiet.) In Seattle, only one hotel gets the Green Globe seal - the Pan Pacific in Belltown. You can search just like any other hotel site and then click the "eco label" option to get the additional green info.
Another cool benefit of BookDifferent - each booking includes a charity donation. Their website states that with each hotel booking, 50% of their commission goes to a charity of your choice (they provide options, but you can add your own.) What a unique spin! Have you heard of other travel sites that have a charity component?
However you travel this year, have fun! If you want to take your sustainable lifestyle on the road with you, BookDifferent.com seems like a good way to start.
