AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Though many travellers want to minimize the environmental impact of their trips, it can be tough to find an eco-conscious hotel, and it can be even tougher to separate the truly sustainable hotels from those that just claim to be. BookDifferent, an Amsterdam-based nonprofit, is the first hotel booking site to bring together lodgings certified by the world’s most reliable sustainability programs. After adding more than 4,500 new spots over the last year, BookDifferent now has 6,980 certified hotels, resorts and campgrounds, making it the largest eco-focused booking site on the web.
BookDifferent makes it simple to find green hotels as well as conventional ones. Eco-certified lodgings appear at the top of each search for a destination or city, with non-certified hotels appearing below. Each hotel certification scheme is vetted to ensure that its criteria are rigorous and enforceable. EarthCheck, Nordic Swan and Travelife were recently added to a list that also includes Green Key, Green Globe and Fair Trade Tourism.
Whether users select a sustainable hotel or not, BookDifferent always donates 50 percent of the proceeds from every booking to charity. During checkout, guests can choose from nearly 100 charitable organizations to donate to, ranging from health and human rights to animal welfare and environmental conservation. While BookDifferent is a nonprofit organization, it uses the same engine as Booking.com, and so is able to offer the same benefits as a for-profit booking site, with over 477,000 hotels in 202 countries, all with a 100 percent best price guarantee.
Go to BookDifferent.
