Questions on Eco Hotels an Idiot can Answer

Not literally. No one is calling anyone an idiot. But the catchy title of the Idiot's Guide does offer some very good suggestions on how to spot a hotel, resort, or lodge worthy of a sustainability accreditation.

As I've done earlier, I posted an article mentioning this worthy read on my bi-weekly Examiner.com column for San Diego. Take a look. You may recognize it from an earlier blog post.

If You Had the Money...

Where would you go on vacation if you had the money? What would you do?

Well, if most websites, Wikipedia and the World Tourism Organization are right, chances are you picked a beach. And if money wasn't an issue, you probably picked a luxury hotel, swimming with dolphins and all the scuba, surfing, bird watching, kayaking and helicopter rides you can handle.

Are having the money and sustainable tourism mutually exclusive? Do luxury hotels exist in the universe of eco travel? They do. And they are growing in number, in influence and setting a standard for the Ritz, Four Seasons and Hiltons of the world.

The Importance of Eco Hotels

What is an Eco Hotel and why does it matter?

Eco accommodations are a growing niche industry within the mega world of toursim.

If we don't start to take notice of the importance of eco travel and it's powerful effect on resource conservation, then hotel owners and managers won't either.

View my most recent article on Examiner.com for a deeper look at this important issue in travel.

What have been your experiences with eco travel or eco hotels? How would you recommend mainstream hotels address the increasing importance of energy conservation or waste management?

Survey: Do you Love the Beach?

All of the fabulous, award winning, eco accredited, earth conscious properties at EcoBeachHotels need your input.

Most of our properties are remote and rely on surveys such as ours to better cater to the needs and wants of Beach Enthusiasts as yourself.

So, by contributing five minutes of your busy day to fill-out our survey, you are contributing towards the "greening" of the travel industry and providing valuable input to our growing list of eco accredited lodges, resorts, hotels and campgrounds. No personal information is shared, see our privacy policy.

And as if playing such an important role weren't enough, by filling our our survey you will be automatically awarded a $100 travel credit through EcoBeachHotels.com, where our prices are guaranteed to be the lowest published rates on the web.

So, take a break from that daily grind, put on your sunglasses and get ready for the Beach. Take a few moments to fill-out our survey and we'll help get you where you want to be.

This is a month-long effort to collect as much data as we can from as many beach-lovers as possible. Please pass this message along to all who share the passion for sand covered toes, soothing surf and oodles of sunshine.

Relocating to... San Diego

This is Bela's last week operating out of Texas. Not that Texas wasn't a kind host, home to a broad expanse of beaches and wide estuaries teeming with wildlife - Texas is generous to those so inclined to explore its natural resources. But every good host has its limits.

There is still so much more that this grand state can do to preserve its natural legacy and promote a healthier, wiser and cleaner approach to its prospering economy. On that note, the state has decided to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for implementing a cap on the emission of green house gases. Citing it as unfair to small businesses and entrepreneurs as well as questioning the science behind this regulation, the lone star state has once again sided on the side of economic sense over common sense.

Do dollars today necessarily equal a natural disaster for tomorrow? Why not dollars today and a healthier environment for tomorrow? What about clean energy, cleaner industry and new jobs to replace older ones? Has this topic not been debated and abated long enough?

I leave you with more questions than answers. Until then, we will be operating from the west coast, hoping for clearer sunsets and a cleaner tomorrow.

Bela is the world’s first internet booking engine for sustainable beach properties.

From luxury resorts to lodges to campgrounds and more, Bela offers detailed information on each. Making easy to compare and safely book online.

What's In a Name?

The powers that be at Bela are putting serious consideration towards promoting and thereby going with a new url, www.EcoBeachHotels.com.

Bela.com is parked - since 1996 it seems. And gobela.com is for sale - $500. What would you do?

And what is in a name, after all? Well, according to some experts, if the name doesn't say what your site is about, you're already facing an uphill battle. Others recommend against using hyphens or names that are too long

With this in mind, what do you think?

Eco Lodges Indonesia joins Bela

Eco Lodges Indonesia operates four pristine, quality eco lodges that perfectly blend the needs and comfort of their visitors with effective preservation and conservation practices of their local environment.

With properties located in Bali and the Island of Flores, as well two others bordering national parks, each ecolodge employs an environmental management system that includes recycling water and waste, maximizing the use of solar power, reducing energy consumption, growing fruits and vegetables and employing local people.

Udayana Ecolodge of Bali was the first independently-owned hotel in Indonesia to be Green Globe accredited.

Bela is the world's first search and booking engine focused entirely on on sustainable beach accommodations for the eco traveler.

From luxury resorts to lodges to campgrounds and more, Bela offers detailed information on each. Making it easy to compare and safely book online