How to Check a Hotel's Environmental Claims Before You Book

Hotels describe themselves in environmental terms all the time, and the description is usually all you are given. When a hotel or supplier does this, I ask for the basis in writing before I mention it to a client. This page sets out what I ask and what the rules say, so you can do the same with any hotel you are considering.

A name counts as a claim

In September 2026 the ASA banned adverts from Thomas Cook, loveholidays and DialAFlight. The adverts described hotels and resorts with an environmental label, without saying what the label was based on. The companies argued that the wording was part of the hotel’s name or came from the hotel’s own factsheet. The ASA found that consumers would read it as meaning the property has environmental benefits, even where it was part of the name, and told the advertisers to make the basis clear.

The ASA’s wider review of travel agent adverts points the same way. It found 319 adverts containing an environmental claim and judged 213 of them likely to break the rules.

What to ask a hotel

A claim is only useful if it says what the hotel does. These are the questions I put to a hotel or its supplier.

• What exactly does the claim refer to: energy, water, waste, food, or the building itself?
• What figures sit behind it, and what period do they cover?
• Who checked them, and can I see that in writing?
• Does it cover the whole property, or one part of it?
• What does the hotel not do?

A specific answer, such as how waste is sorted or where the water comes from, can be checked. An adjective cannot.

What certificates cover

A certificate helps when you know what it measures and who awards it. Three that you will come across:

• Green Key and Travelife are accommodation certification schemes. Both use standards that the Global Sustainable Tourism Council recognises.
• B Corp is awarded by the non-profit B Lab. A company must score at least 80 on the B Impact Assessment and have its answers verified, and the certificate covers the whole company, not a single property or product.

Whichever one a hotel shows, check three things on the certifier’s own website: that the certificate is current, that it names this property, and what the scheme assesses.

How I handle claims

I state an environmental claim about a hotel only when I hold written evidence from the supplier and can say what it covers. Where I do not have that, I leave it out. My article on environmental claims in holiday marketing sets out the CMA rules and the other rulings against travel companies.

Responsible Travel

When I plan a holiday, I ask operators for locally owned accommodation and local guides where the trip allows, and I follow my Animal Welfare Policy on wildlife experiences. Holidays that include flights include a £15 payment to Sustainable Travel International, a non-profit working to protect vulnerable destinations and the communities who live there. It is part of the holiday price, there is no opt-out, and I keep a record of each payment. The Traveller's Pledge and my full approach are on my Responsible Travel page.

Planning Your Hotel Stay With Me

This is a personal service from start to finish. I plan the route and book every part of it, and if anything changes while you are travelling, you call me and I deal with it.

As a travel agent I have 30 years of adventure travel experience, and I have visited around 80 countries myself, so my advice comes from experience and not from a brochure.

There is a belief that travel agents cost more. Booking with me does not. Many suppliers charge the same price whether you book direct or through me, and others sell to the trade only, on contracts with competitive pricing. Either way you pay no more for having me plan and book the trip, and your booking carries ABTA and ATOL protection where stated on your booking. You can read more in why book with me.

Call or WhatsApp 0117 452 1159 or email bridget@worldclassadventures.co.uk