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The trend toward eco-conscious travel has brought with it a growing number of green hotel certification programs in the hospitality industry. But the sheer volume of different programs and options has led to uncertainty among travelers, meeting planners – and even the hotel operators themselves. After all, does anyone really know the differences between Green Key, Green Globe, Green Leaf and Green Seal?
Each program has its benefits and drawbacks, and some offer more legitimate measures of eco-consciousness than others. So what does it mean to be associated with a particular program? Which one best fits your hotel’s sustainability strategy? We’ll answer those all-important questions in just a moment.
But first, let’s tend to the issue that trumps all the others: Does certification really matter?

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The first hotel to use Flip.to is the James Hotel in Chicago and the Flip.to team is presently in talks with other US and international hotels and hospitality firms.

The concept of Flip.to is multi-faceted but is based on a simple one- word-of-mouth is a compelling and trusted form of marketing. Flip.to allows a hotel to create evangelists out of its employees, associates, partners - but more importantly - a hotel's guests and a restaurant's patrons. Every time one of these target groups uses Flip.to, they become instrumental in reinforcing the hotel's message by sending it out to their friends and followers on their social networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Email) - in essence, becoming an extension of the hotel's sales force and public relations efforts.

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Hotels now are rolling out all sorts of green programs, in part because their business guests in particular are demanding it, and in part because the hotels are finding that going green saves money.

Mr. Connors’s view is borne out by the rise in hotels registering to be certified.

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