Earth Day Inspired Hotel News and Deals

If you’ve got it, flaunt it. This is the month hotels are heralding the steps they’ve taken to be more ecologically sound this year. I’ve also found deals to help you save some money while saving the earth.

• Illinois: It’s easier to find an eco-friendly option in Illinois these days with the launch of the StayGreen program. Designated hotels have met energy reduction and recycling standards.
• Santa Barbara, California: The Santa Barbara Car Free Project is running a year-long promotion for visitors who take the train. Guests who show a current Amtrak train ticket receive discounts at 22 participating hotels and on a variety of different activities and tours as well. Plus, you can get 20 percent off your train ticket when you register for a special code at SantaBarbaraCarFree.org.
• San Francisco: Looking for an eco-option in an increasingly green city? The Orchard Hotel just became the fourth hotel in the world to earn the LEED-EB certification. This green stamp means the hotel has met high environmental standards in design, operation, and upkeep.
• Boston: The Charles Hotel in Cambridge is offering a free “juice bar” for electric cars: parking stalls equipped with charging outlets. Additionally, the hotel’s parking garage has instituted a small car detection system, which provides a parking rate based on the vehicle’s size. The hotel also offers shopping-basket equipped bicycles for complimentary use by hotel guests.
• Ithaca, New York: Four eco-friendly B&Bs in Ithaca are offering a free night to hybrid car drivers staying two or more nights through May 10. The deal is available the Climbing Vine Cottage, the Frog’s Way B&B, Turtle Dreams, and the Wild Goose B&B.
• Cape Elizabeth, Maine: The eco-luxe Inn by the Sea is discounting cottage rates by 50 percent Sunday through Thursday from May 1 to 21 as part of the Hospitality for Humanity program. Donate at least $35 to Habitat for Humanity and you’ll be eligible for special rates starting from $135 per night.

Want more green? Our sister site TripAdvisor recently came out with a list of top eco-friendly accommodations.