Earth, Wind & Power Blogazine

The Most Eco-Friendly International Hostels

Hostels are such an exquisitely wonderful concept for tourists, especially minimalist or environmentalist ones. Staying somewhere that gets the job done – i.e., gives you a place to sleep - for cheap, is ideal when you’ve got better things to see and do than enjoy a luxury hotel room. These ones are so charming and inspirationally green that they are an ideal place to sleep regardless of what your wallet can afford.

Rural Serenity

Omagh Hostel: Omagh, Northern Ireland - A small, remote, family-run hostel that offers visitors the greenest of accommodations, evidenced when they received the prestigious EU Flower Ecolabel in the tourist accommodation category. Their recycling, composting and green purchasing policy and eco-friendly reed beds makes this hostel as green as the country it is part of! Dorm beds from £12.50, Private Room from £30.00

Reykjavik City Hostel: Reykjavik, Iceland - Iceland is a country steeped in tremendous icecaps, explosive geysers, steaming solfataras (volcanic areas that give off sulfurous gases and steam) and magnificent waterfalls. Reykjavik City Hostel, located next to one of the great geothermal swimming holes in the city, promotes energy monitoring, erosion control and extensive recycling services. Room rates, in ISK, cover single bed rooms to 6+private rooms.

Urban Bustle

Hostelling International: Washington DC, USA - Just eight blocks from the White House, HI is the greenest place to stay in the city. The carpets are made from recycled materials, there are no disposable products in the kitchen, and it promotes its commitment to being a positive force on environmental issues by showing environmental documentaries once a month. The sociable atmosphere makes this hostel stand out – the rooms range from classic dorms to luxury private rooms, there’s a delicious free breakfast, lively events calendar, bike rental and TV room with a library of DVDs to watch. Dorm-style rooms are $35-$45 per person, per night, plus a $3 HI membership.

High Street Hostel: Edinburgh, Scotland- Edinburgh may be a bustling city, but in High Street Hostel it boasts something very special in environmental terms. The hostel, you see, claims to be 100% carbon neutral. That’s right – a fun, vibrant hostel in a city that leaves no carbon footprint whatsoever. And it’s a claim that High Street Hostel backs up. Not only does it source its electricity from renewable and non-nuclear supplies, but it also owns and maintains 75 hectare woodland that absorbs more than the hostel’s total CO2 emissions.

Rooms start at £13 a night.

Stay tuned for the best tropical eco-hostels!

Visit RTM's environmentally-themed travel section, Earth Tones.

 

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Stay Eco-Friendly at the Neon Rose Bed & Breakfast

The Neon Rose Bed & Breakfast is fully dedicated to the comfort of chemically sensitive travelers, this cottage adjacent to 260 acres of Point Reyes National Seashore is in the middle of the organic food capital of the country. Along with the usage of fragrance-free, earth-friendly cleaning products, the Neon Rose provides hypo-allergenic linens and pillows. Constructed from non-toxic and environmentally friendly materials, this cottage-style B&B goes the extra mile beyond green to chem-free. You'll find no pesticides in gardens, and nothing but clean, fresh air.

Green Scheme: Combine vinegar with Bon Ami Cleanser, containing no chlorine, perfume or dye, for the ideal solution to make windows sparkling clean.

More about the Neon Rose Bed & Breakfast

Eco-Friendly B&B: The Strawberry Creek Inn

It’s time to relax and kick back on soft, cotton-like hammocks made from recycled soda bottles. That’s right; at the Strawberry Creek Inn Bed & Breakfast in Idyllwild, Cal. you will find a tranquil wooded setting that provides the perfect eco friendly getaway. The inn is furnished with many recycled materials and earth-friendly products are used throughout the inn for cleaning and maintenance.

In addition to eco conscious amenities, the inn is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as an official backyard wildlife habitat. You will also find an abundance of native plants in pesticide-free gardens.

In order to conserve resources rainwater is collected for watering the gardens, reducing water use, soil erosion, run off and sewage usage. The Strawberry Creek Inn also composts kitchen, yard and garden waste in either traditional tumbling compost bins or worm composting structures.

Located only 15 minutes from Los Angeles this is one B&B where you can enjoy some truly guilt-free relaxation.

Click here for more eco-friendly B&B's from Earth Tones.

Sustainable Bed & Breakfast : White Pine Victorian Lodge

Members of Green Hotels Association and Sustainable Travel International, every aspect of the White Pines Victorian Lodge is dedicated to care of the earth's environment. Not only are no chemical cleaners used, but in an attempt to provide a hospitable environment for those with multiple chemical sensitivities, guests are asked to sign an agreement not to wear any chemical products, perfumes, colognes or hairsprays at the inn. All natural cotton and wool fabrics are found in rooms, and more than two million gallons of water and subsequent energy have been conserved by guests re-using towels and sheets throughout their stays, and installation of low-flow showerheads and toilets. Located in a beautiful wooded setting, guests can walk to many nearby restaurants and waterfront attractions.

Green Scheme: Over 40 million Americans have been diagnosed with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity), an invasive and complex illness. Be kind to those with super-sensitive bodies by avoiding perfumed laundry detergents, soaps, shampoos, and deodorants.

More Eco-Friendly B&B’s at Earth Tones.