Wherever you are traveling there are endless spots to choose from when deciding on where you’re going to stay for the night. But, if you’re looking to lay your head down in a sustainable hotel, you’ll have to narrow down your search for spots known for their composting, zero-waste, plastic-free, energy-saving ways. If you’re traveling to Canada, it turns out that you might find more than just a handful of green hotels to choose from. Not only have Canadian cities won praise for their sustainable standards of living (curbside compost anyone?), but their hotels are winning praise too. It turns out that according to some data Canadian cities have the highest number of sustainable hotels in the world.
Uswitch, an online comparison company, has assessed hundreds of hotels from around the world for their sustainability badges on Booking.com to compile a list of 50 cities with the most sustainable hotels. While 4 Canadian cities rounded out the top 5 places, other noteworthy cities included in the top 10 are Lahore Pakistan, Medellin Bogota Colombia Ekurhuleni, and Johannesburg South Africa. Surprisingly, countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States were exempt from the list. You can view the full list here. Continue reading below to read why Canada’s hotels are ranking high on the green list.
What Makes A Hotel Sustainable?
An estimated 70% of travelers want to travel sustainably. In response to this, Booking.com has partnered with the Travalyst Coalition and the sustainability consultancy Sustainalize to develop a system to assess the impact of sustainable efforts for travelers consciously seeking sustainable hotels. The badge is based on an environmental assessment that looks at 5 key areas: waste, energy and greenhouse gases, water, supporting local communities, and protecting nature. These areas are further broken down into 32 specific sustainable practices such as using renewable energy, reducing water pollution and waste, eliminating single-use toiletries, or putting profits into the local economy. Only hotels that meet the minimum threshold for impact receive the Sustainable Travel Badge.
The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel features a full-fledged pollinator habitat, collaborates with local farmers and fishermen, and encourages the reduction of single-use plastic.
Vancouver, Canada
According to the data, 44% of hotels in Vancouver have been recognized for their sustainable efforts. Four of Vancouver’s hotels have been awarded the Five Green Keys by the Green Key Eco-Rating Program an environmental distinction given to only 52 hotels worldwide. These hotels have won acclaim in a variety of areas from using green spaces to craft rooftop gardens for farm or herb-to-table meals to implementing water recycling systems. Additionally, Booking.com has awarded 39 hotels in Canada its sustainable badge.
1 Hotel Toronto diverts 85% of its waste from landfills through zero-waste initiatives like composting food scraps
Toronto, Canada
Nearly 25% of Toronto’s 150 hotels have taken considerable sustainable initiatives to reduce energy use and single-use plastic and have adopted more eco-friendly food options. Hotels like Notably, 1 Hotel have been recognized for their zero-waste initiatives and claims to be a mission-driven hotel that diverts as much as 85% of the waste generated from landfills.
The Fairmont Hotel in Calgary reduces energy consumption, waste and greenhouse gas emissions
Calgary, Canada
Not only has Calgary adopted an eco-friendly transport system, but 32 of the 136 hotels in the city have also adopted their eco-friendly initiatives. That means that several tourist destinations are fueled with geothermal heating and cooling and more recyclable and reusable products are used throughout.
The Matrix Hotel in Edmonton participates in the Green Key Eco-Rating Program
Edmonton, Canada
Edmonton was officially recognized as Canada’s most sustainable in 2018. Noted for its wealth of green spaces, the city is home to one of the largest urban park systems in Canada. It’s a carbon-neutral city that encourages sustainable initiatives such as water conservation, public transit, and even curbside composting. Twenty-two percent of hotels in Edmonton are recognized for sustainable initiatives.