An eco-friendly stay isn't just a place that calls itself “green”. It's a place designed in harmony with nature, that genuinely reduces its impact and supports its local area. Here's what that means — and how we check it at ecobooking.
An eco-friendly stay is a place designed and run to limit its impact on the environment, while valuing the nature and the community around it. This shows in how it is built, in the energy and water it uses, in what it serves at the table, in how it handles waste, and in its relationship with the local area. The core idea: enjoy a great stay without leaving a heavy footprint behind.
Built and run to protect the site: natural or local materials, blending into the landscape, and minimal disturbance.
Renewable energy where possible, good insulation, efficient equipment, water harvesting and waste reduction.
Sorting, composting, cutting single-use plastic and packaging: produce less, reuse more.
Local, seasonal produce, often organic or from the garden, favouring short supply chains.
Working with nearby producers and artisans, hiring locally, and letting the community benefit from tourism.
Sharing the approach: informing travellers, suggesting simple habits and giving the stay meaning.
The word “eco” is sometimes used too lightly. To avoid greenwashing, every stay in our selection gets a transparent eco-score: a rating built on concrete criteria — energy, water, food, waste, mobility and certifications. You can clearly see what each place's commitment is based on, rather than trusting a simple label.
See how the eco-score is calculated →Eco-friendly stays aren't limited to a single category: there's something for every taste and budget.
Comfortable accommodation set in nature, often built with sustainable materials.
Stay on a working farm, produce from the estate, contact with the land.
Treehouse, yurt, tiny house: light-footed and a change of scene.
Human-scale hospitality, run by committed hosts.
Energy-light accommodation, sometimes fully self-sufficient.
A quiet place focused on rest and reconnection.
Choosing an eco-friendly stay brings real benefits — and sometimes a few things worth knowing before you go. We'd rather be upfront.
Browse our selection of eco-certified and genuinely committed stays, across Europe and beyond — each with its transparent eco-score.