5 Surprisingly Simple Strategies for Choosing Sustainable Accommodation

Choosing where to stay in 2024 isn’t just about thread count, Wi-Fi and dishwashers. If you're like many of us, you might want to make sure your accommodation doesn’t come with a slight dose of environmental guilt. 
While the want to travel sustainably grows, navigating the huge amount of options can be fairly daunting, and with such a variety of accommodation options, how do you find a place that doesn’t just look fantastic in the pictures, but actually ticks all your boxes, and also plays nice with the environment?

Well, Here are five surprisingly simple strategies to help you find the best and most environmentally friendly home-away-from-home for your next business trip. 
Our findings in this article are rooted in new innovative research and practical insights from this research paper conducted in partnership with University College London and The Square and EcoGrade. 

1. Pick a City That’s Going For Green 

Within this research paper, we can see that all cities are not, in fact, created equal—at least when it comes to sustainability. Some places are firmly showcasing their commitment to sustainability with their energy-efficient buildings and more environmentally friendly public transport systems and initiatives. When selecting your destination, it's fairly good to consider the city's overall sustainability efforts. Some places have made significant leaps in developing sustainable infrastructure, and as we can see this can, in fact, directly impact your individual environmental footprint during your stay. 
For example, London has invested heavily in more energy-efficient buildings as well as upgrades and Retrofits for older buildings, it also has extensive public transportation networks and bike initiatives, making it easier to travel without relying on cars to get about. By choosing to stay in cities with incentives and structures like these, you're aligning your accommodation choice with broader environmental goals and in the ‘grand scheme of things’, reducing the footprint of your stay. 

Tip: If it’s possible, carefully choose the best location for your trip. Opt for cities that are more recognized for their commitment to sustainability or who have strong environmental initiatives, you can typically find some great insight into this through a quick ‘Google search’.  Cities that have these initiatives will enable you not only to reduce your carbon footprint but will also offer a more sustainable and convenient travel experience.

2. Bigger Could Actually Be Better (possibly, sometimes) 

You know the saying, "Go big or go home?" - Well, as it turns out, in some places, going big with your accommodation might actually be the more energy-friendly choice. It may seem somewhat counterintuitive in essence, but larger living spaces can sometimes be more energy-efficient than smaller ones. In places like Milton Keynes, where modern, energy-efficient buildings are common, we are seeing that larger apartments can maintain a more comfortable temperature with less energy output per square metre. This means that actually, with larger, slightly more modern apartments, you can enjoy more space without massively increasing your carbon footprint. 

Suggestion: If you have a group that needs more space, don’t sweat it—opt for larger apartments in cities with a reputation for energy-efficient construction. Just be sure to use energy wisely, only heating or cooling the living spaces you’re actively using.

3. Size Down for Maximum Carbon Efficiency

On the flip side, sometimes less is more—especially when it comes down to individual carbon footprint. For those travelling alone or in pairs, smaller spaces, like studios or one-bedrooms, excel at being a more efficient, and low-energy consumption option. Plus, they’re often smack in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city, meaning you can walk everywhere and more than likely skip the taxi fare (or opt for a bike). 
 

Tip: One Bed and Studios seemingly offer the perfect balance between lowering carbon emissions and convenience of location and transport options. When booking accommodations, think about if a one-bed could work for you. 

4. One-Bedroom Apartments: The Goldilocks Zone

Not too big and not too small—one-bedroom apartments as we have seen can be just right. These units are the sweet spot and very much the ‘all-rounder’ of apartments. One-bedroom apartments are emerging as a sustainable choice for travellers who seek both comfort, great facilities and a reduced environmental impact. These units do strike the perfect balance by offering enough space while also minimising energy use and carbon emissions. From the research study conducted, there is a very stark contrast between One-bedroom apartments and five-bedroom apartments, with five bedrooms not surprisingly emitting the greatest amount of median Co2 emissions out of all apartment types, with One-beds situation at a relatively level position with studios. 
 

Tip: Once again, think if a one-bedroom apartment could work for you, if you can make it a priority for your travels that's probably ideal, but if not two bedrooms can be looked at as an ‘ok’ alternative, outputting carbon emissions within a similar range, just remember to be watchful of your energy-consumption. 

5. Look at the Whole Picture - There are multiple factors to this story 

Choosing a sustainable place to stay can feel like a balancing act—  The challenge often lies within the accuracy and availability of sustainability metrics, you need to understand and keep an eye on all the moving pieces, It’s not just about how energy-efficient the building is; it’s also about if it runs on renewable energy sources, how close it is to public transport, and whether the landlord uses smart thermostats or if they have introduced measures to the building for better property and occupant health. That’s where tools like EcoGrade™ could help— it’s almost like having a cheat sheet for your green accommodation search,  providing you with a comprehensive sustainability scorecard. It evaluates these aspects for you, meaning that, you have the needed information to make sustainability part of your decision-making and the ability to genuinely lower your carbon footprint while travelling. 
 

Tip: Use sustainability metrics like EcoGrade™ to compare potential accommodations. Choose properties that excel in multiple areas of sustainability to ensure your stay supports broader environmental goals. See how your potential home-away-from-home stacks up. 

Research by: Dr Peter J Bentley, Dr Soo Ling Lim