About Green Lodge

About Green Lodge

Green Lodge is the premium guide to green hotels. We are a resource and web community for eco-savvy travelers looking to find green hotel options and reduce their overall carbon footprint while traveling.

There are a lot of sites out there that talk about living green and traveling green. There are also many ways for a hotel to 'go green' through certifications and voluntary programs. Our site is designed to be a one-stop shop for researching and booking a green hotel – giving you, the traveler, the information and resources to make the best choice for your next trip.

Each hotel that is listed on Green Lodge has either been certified by an independent third party program or has taken significant voluntary steps towards reducing the property's environmental impact. Green Lodge has developed a rating system that categorizes the properties into three levels to help you better understand the specific commitment of each hotel to the environment.

Gold Level – The hotels and resorts that receive a gold level rating are the leaders in the industry for implementing environmentally friendly practices. In general, most gold level properties have excelled in both reducing energy use as well as utilizing new green building practices. Currently, only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development, www.usgbc.org) certified properties qualify for the gold rating.

Silver Level – These properties are certified and auditable by a third party for performance-based improvements in energy use and other environmentally conscious practices. The third party certifications that qualify for the silver rating include:

• EPA Energy Star Labeled within previous 2 years
• California Green Lodging Program (Leadership Level)
• Florida Green Lodge Certification (1 and 2 Palm Level)
• Maine Green Lodging Program
• Green Seal Certification
• Audubon Society's Green Leaf Certification
• Michigan Green Lodging Program (Leadership and Steward Level)
• Hospitality Green's - Green Concierge Certification
• Forever Earth Companies - Forever Resorts
• ISO140001 Certification
• New Hampshire Green Lodging Program (Environmental Champion Level)
• Demonstrated use of renewable energy (e.g. RockResorts)

Bronze Level – These hotels participate in voluntary green lodging programs that are not auditable but indicate a dedication towards improving environmentally conscious practices. These programs include:

• California Green Lodging Program (Participation Level)
• Kimpton Hotels - EarthCare Program
• Michigan Green Lodging Program (Partner Level)
• New Hampshire Green Lodging Program (Environmental Partner Level)
• Rhode Island Hospitality Green Certification
• Delaware Green Lodging Program
• Missouri Certified Green Program