Contents
A definition, no detours
Eco-friendly accommodation is a place whose day-to-day running has been designed to weigh as little as possible: on the energy it consumes, the water it draws, the waste it produces, what it serves at the table, the way you get there, and the materials it was built with.
This is not a question of aesthetics. A raw timber cabin heated on grid electricity weighs more than a concrete hotel running on solar power and reachable by train. Which is why we do not judge on the photo.
The seven things that really count
These are exactly the seven dimensions on which every property is scored, out of 100 points. The weight of each is not arbitrary: it reflects real impact.
Energy — 20 points — the biggest item, by a long way. Self-consumed solar, a green electricity contract, a heat pump, biogas, a wood stove. A place that generates its own electricity scores far higher than a place that changes its light bulbs.
Water — 15 points — rainwater harvesting, a natural swimming pond filtered by plants, a captured spring, flow restrictors. In dry regions, this is the criterion that ought to decide everything.
Waste — 15 points — dry toilets, composting, no single-use plastic, biodegradable cleaning products, sorting.
Food — 15 points — organic breakfast, local produce, a vegetable garden, a farm on site, a communal table, plant-based options, beehives. What ends up on the plate sometimes weighs more than the heating.
Mobility — 15 points — this is the blind spot of sustainable tourism. A flawless ecolodge you can only reach by car, 600 kilometres away, has already lost its bet before you arrive. We reward a station nearby, car-free access, bikes, a shuttle, a charging point.
Construction — 10 points — wood, straw, raw earth, hemp, local stone — or the renovation of an existing building, often the greenest move of all, because there is nothing to build.
Certifications — 10 points — they do not make the score: they confirm it. A label is only worth the audit behind it.
How we check — and what we do not do
The eco-score is not a label. It is a calculation, on a public scoring scale, that you can redo yourself. We issue no seal and certify no one.
We start from two sources: official certifications, verifiable with the bodies that award them, and the equipment declared by the host, line by line — panels, rainwater tank, dry toilets, vegetable garden, charging point, nearest station. The score follows from them mechanically, on a scoring scale that is the same for everyone. Two equivalent properties get the same score, always.
What we do not claim to do: we do not send an auditor to sleep on site, and we do not go through electricity bills. No platform does it at this scale, and those who claim otherwise should be asked about it.
What we do, on the other hand, and what almost nobody does: we show the breakdown of the calculation. A property showing 72 also tells you why it is not on 90.
How to spot a fake eco-stay
Six signals. None is proof on its own; three together rarely lie.
The towel — the little card saying “help us protect the planet, reuse your towel” is the cheapest green gesture in the world — it saves the establishment its laundry bill. Ask the next question: and the heating?
Green with no numbers — “eco-responsible approach”, “in the heart of unspoilt nature”. Three sentences, zero data. A genuinely committed place can tell you what it consumes, where its energy comes from and where its eggs come from.
The home-made label — “certified ecological” — by whom? A label not awarded by an independent third party is a decoration.
The forest photo — being surrounded by nature is not the same thing as not damaging it. The scenery is not a criterion.
Anonymous local produce — “local, seasonal produce”, without a single name of a grower, a farm or a village.
The pool heated all year round — the outdoor jacuzzi in midwinter, air conditioning everywhere — next to a zero-carbon speech. The two do not hold together, and it is for the host to own that.
What labels are worth
They are not all equal. Those resting on an independent audit and periodic renewal carry weight in our calculation: the EU Ecolabel (10 points), Green Key and Clef Verte (9), BIO HOTELS (9), the Austrian Umweltzeichen (9), Viabono, Flocon Vert and GSTC (8), TourCert, Biosphere, Ecocert and Legambiente (7).
And those we do not count: self-declarations, labels with no audit, in-house charters. A label is capped at 10 points out of 100 — it confirms, it does not replace.
What to expect, honestly
What you gain — places run by people who have chosen what they do. Direct contact with the host, with no middleman. Food that tastes of something. Silence, often.
What you should know — comfort varies. Some places embrace frugality — short showers, measured heating, no air conditioning. That is not a flaw, that is the whole point. Read the description and the eco-score breakdown before booking: it is all written down.
And one inconvenient truth — if you fly for three nights in a cabin, the flight will weigh more than everything the cabin saves. The choice of destination counts for more than the choice of accommodation. That is also why we put forward what can be reached by train.
The forms it takes
Ecology is not a category of accommodation. It is a way of running one.
An ordinary guesthouse, well insulated, reachable by train and fed by its own vegetable garden, often beats the luxury ecolodge you can only get to in a 4×4.
Frequently asked questions
What is eco-friendly accommodation, in one sentence?
A place whose energy, water, waste, food, construction and accessibility have been thought through to genuinely reduce its impact — and that can prove it.
Is eco-friendly accommodation more expensive?
Not systematically. An organic farm or a frugal cottage often costs less than an equivalent hotel. A high-end ecolodge, yes. The price depends on the comfort, not on the ecology.
Is it less comfortable?
Sometimes, and that is owned. Some places aim for full comfort with a reduced footprint; others choose frugality. The eco-score does not measure comfort — the listing tells you which of the two you are choosing.
How do I spot greenwashing?
Look for the numbers. A committed place can tell you what it consumes, where its energy comes from and who produces what it serves. A place that only talks about “harmony with nature” is saying nothing. Be wary of home-made labels, forest photos and the little card on the towel.
Is a label enough to guarantee that a property is ecological?
No. A serious label, backed by an independent audit, is a good indication — it is worth 10 points out of 100 in our calculation, not 100. A certified property heated with fuel oil and reachable only by car still scores badly.
How is the eco-score calculated?
Out of 100 points, split across seven weighted dimensions: energy 20, water 15, waste 15, food 15, mobility 15, construction 10, certifications 10. It draws on certifications verifiable with the bodies that award them and on the equipment declared by the host. It is not a label: it is a calculation, on a public scoring scale, and the breakdown is visible on every listing.
Which action counts the most?
Transport, almost always. Then the energy of the place. The rest comes afterwards. That is why a property reachable by train is often worth more than a more virtuous but distant one.
See the properties
Every listing shows the breakdown of its eco-score, dimension by dimension, and the host’s direct contact details. No middleman and no commission.