Currently 6 hotels in San Jose, CA are listed as environmentally friendly with iStayGreen.org. 3 of the 6 properties have completed the comprehensive environmental audit administered by iStayGreen.org. Ratings range from 1 Green Eco-Leaf to 5 Green Eco Leaf and are summarized as follows:

1 Green Eco-Leaf - Acceptable
2 Green Eco-Leaf - Good
3 Green Eco-Leaf - Very Good
4 Green Eco-Leaf - Excellent
5 Green Eco-Leaf - Exceptional

Properties that have completed the 70 point comprehensive eco-audit survey are Marriott San Jose, Homewood Suites by Hilton - San Jose Airport, and Doubletree Hotel San Jose. Other San Jose properties that are listed in the iStayGreen.org Directory of Environmentally Friendly Lodging as "Green" include Holiday Inn Express International Airport, Hotel Valencia, and The Fairmont San Jose.

All Green Eco-Leaf Rated properties are committed to environmentally friendly initiatives. Richard Varner, founder of iStayGreen.org states: "These hotels have taken environmental lead among the 54 lodging properties in San Jose becoming eco-friendly and earning the Green Eco-Leaf Rating. It's great to see they're intent on reducing their carbon footprint and insuring more sustainable travel for the future."

To insure a more sustainable future some of the eco-initiatives put in-place by these hotels include: an on-site Green Team has been created - low energy lighting - energy sensor initiatives are in-place - HVAC control system installed - sheets & towels reuse option for multiple night stays - eco-initiatives are actively promoted to the public - water conservation and water conserving devices - low water consumption landscaping - recycle containers are located inside guestrooms and around the property common areas - reusable food & beverage service is used in lieu of disposable service items - recycled paper products (bath tissue, facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, etc) are utilized - environmentally friendly chemicals are used in cleaning - eco-friendly detergents are used for laundry and carpet cleaning - at some hotlels the entire property is designated a non-smoking hotel - room are furnished with cotton bedding and towels (non-synthetic) - bulk amenities and soaps are dispensed in guestrooms - plus much more.

The lodging industry recognizes the need to create a sustainable future for travel. While there are currently only 6 San Jose lodging properties that have achieved the Green Eco-Leaf Rating, it is anticipated that many other properties in the area that are promoting eco-friendly initiatives also will seek to be rated. This eco-rating allows the public to know the specific environmental initiatives in place at a property, which enables the environmentally conscious traveler to make informed lodging decisions. To simplify finding "Green" lodging iStayGreen.org allows you to filter your search to show only the environmentally friendly hotels in San Jose.

To find out how a property can earn the Green Eco-Leaf Rating, contact Richard Varner at 602-864-5553 or visit http://www.iStayGreen.org.

About iStayGreen.org:
With iStayGreen's rapidly growing searchable directory of 100,000 lodging properties and over 3,500 already Green Eco-Leaf Rated, it's easy for anyone to quickly locate and compare "Green" lodging worldwide. To earn a Green Eco-Leaf Rating, hotels must complete a thorough self-audit, and then are rated based on their eco-initiatives. The site also provides an effective way for hotel owners and operators to promote all of the good "Green" things they are doing. Visitors to the site can create their own profiles, add friends, recommend properties, upload photos, form groups, create and respond to forum threads, make reservations, and add comments and reviews to hotel profiles.

SOURCE: iStayGreen