AAA, one of the biggest names in travel, might not sound very green, after all, it’s the country’s largest automobile organization. But when they publish their annual TourBook guide of over 57,000 AAA-approved hotels and restaurants next year, they’ll add an eco rating that could help you on your next green vacation.

The new eco-designation will call out properties that have sustainable or eco-friendly features. So the next time you plan a road trip (hey, you can’t take public transport all the time, right?), plan by or pack the TourGuide for hunting down a spot to rest your head last minute. At least by staying at a green hotel you can reduce your carbon footprint a bit. And you can count on AAA to only include quality accommodations and be honest about eco accolades–every listing that gets the special icon must meet certain standards. Click here to read more

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It’s very possible that this summer the only vacation you have planned is a staycation and not only is that good news for your budget, it’s also better for the environment (the CO2 emissions from air travel alone are enough to take the relaxation out of our R&R). But even if you’re planning to stay local there’s a chance that it will mean traveling to see semi-nearby friends or visiting a city that’s just out of your normal range and in those situations it’s more than likely you’ll want to spend the night. When it comes to choosing your hotel, however, analyze the accommodation’s environmental awareness as well as their customer service, comfort, and location. It doesn’t mean always opting for the most expensive choice, just doing a little research. To make it even easier for you, we’ve made a list, in no particular order, of the top 5 eco-friendly hotel chains (they’ll be easy to find in almost any area).

1. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

Great if you’re looking for a little luxury with your green (and affordable even if you’re not luxuriously wealthy when you sign up for the free President’s Club, which has special deals), Fairmont has developed a Green Partnership Program that functions as a plan for sustainability and the focus is heavy on energy and water conservation, waste management and responsible purchasing (the Fairmont Winnipeg, for example, is 100% styrofoam-free). They’ve also developed a Climate Change Strategy through the World Wildlife Organization and they offer green-geared packages with activities that will raise your awareness about the planet.

2. Marriott

This chain has plenty of, literally, award-winning endeavors underway to get them greener and just this year they won the Tourism for Tomorrow Award for sustainability out of a record number of entries from around the globe. They’ve also won the EPA’s Sustained Excellence award for the last three years. Marriott has their Spirit to Preserve Strategy to thank for that; it’s a plan that’s getting more than 30 of their hotels LEED-certified by the end of the year and revamping their day-to-day operations to be more eco-friendly. When you book at a Marriott hotel, you’ll have to chance to get involved by purchasing carbon offsets for your stay (and protecting the Amazon rainforest) and when you go to sleep in your Marriott room, you’ll be resting your head on a pillow made from recycled plastic bottles. Click here to read more

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