More and more resorts are claiming to be eco-friendly, but how can you find out if your hotel is truly green? To figure out if your hotel is truly eco-friendly, it’s important to ask the right questions, like “How do you conserve resources?” That can mean using renewable energy, promoting water conservation, using chemical-free cleaning agents, or even encouraging guests to bike or walk instead of driving.

Next, “how do you give back to the community?” This includes hiring local staff, offering social services, or teaching employees skills from craft-making to organic farming. What responsible activities can guests partake in? Can they get hands-on experience in the garden, volunteering with locals, or building homes? And has the resort/hotel won any awards or been certified by a “green” program?

Just remember there are dozens of certification programs, each one claiming to be environmentally responsible, so don’t rely on awards alone. And so the most best way to find out if your hotel is green? Ask lots of questions.