The Win-Win Hotel

If you’re anything like me, there’s been a progression in your hotel choices over the years.

Most of us start out with the “it’s just a place to sleep” mindset — which is really code for “this is what I can afford.” As we get more established, we upgrade to comfort: higher thread counts, locations off the interstate. Eventually we graduate to hotels with real character — walkability, a genuine sense of place.

I believe there’s one more progression that I wish more people talked about:
Properties that elevate your stay and empower the community where they sit.

Not Every Hotel Helps the Place It’s In

When I was going through my certification with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), I was surprised by how great an impact many hotels are having on their communities — and honestly, a little shocked by the negative impact others were having.

The GSTC Hotel Standard looks at four things:

• How a property plans for sustainability
• How much economic benefit actually reaches the local community
• How it treats the culture and heritage around it
• How it manages its environmental footprint

Essentially, a GSTC-aligned hotel asks whether the people who live there are better off because it exists. Are they hiring and paying locals fairly? Sourcing food and goods from nearby producers instead of trucking everything in? Respecting cultural sites instead of treating them as a photo backdrop? Managing water and waste like they intend to still be in business — and in that ecosystem — in twenty years?

The Part That Surprises People

Here’s the exciting part: you can choose a hotel having a great impact in some or all of these areas with zero sacrifice to you. Every GSTC-certified hotel I’ve stayed in has enhanced my trip and been cost-comparable to others in its class.

You can find a list of certified properties on GSTC’s site. The one caveat — plenty of genuinely sustainable hotels haven’t gone through certification, and they’re trickier to spot. A good travel advisor (I happen to know one) can help you find those, too.

Why This Matters to Me

This is the part of travel planning that doesn’t make it into most itineraries, and it’s exactly the part that lights a fire in my belly. When I build a trip, I’m not just picking pretty rooms — I’m choosing properties where your stay does something for the community, not just to it.

Next trip you’re planning, take two minutes to check if your hotel’s on the GSTC list — or contact me and I’ll point you to the sustainable properties that haven’t gone through certification yet (at no charge). I think you’ll be surprised by how it elevates your trip.