You = Greener At Hotels

[trip style = any]

Green: environmental friendliness through the efficient use of energy, water and materials

Hotels, resorts and cruise ships know they are putting a huge strain on natural resources, but it takes two to tango. Looking inward, we are the ones traveling, so how can WE be green at hotels?

At home, many of us keep the environment in mind turning lights off, using natural heating/cooling {when we can} and limiting water use, yet when we're staying at hotels we quickly forget our regular energy-saving techniques in lieu of vacation. Why should a holiday put more strain on Mother Earth?

A few weeks ago, I caught myself unknowingly doing the I'm-on-vacation-so-why-should-I-care-about-the-earth-thing when leaving my room at the Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver. As I was closing the door, I realized I'd left every single light on, so I quickly ran in and turned off all the switches. I know this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of life, but if everyone is wasting a little {plus taking 20-minute showers and requesting new linens daily}, every action adds up a lot.

Because we can't all stay at zero-waste retreats all the time, here's a few VERY SIMPLE techniques for being your own ecotourist at hotels:

• Let housekeeping know that you don't need them to replace your sheets and towels every day; this will reduce energy AND water usage. Simple solution: don't leave towels on the ground {indicating they need to be changed}, or opt out of daily housekeeping.
• Turn off the lights, air conditioner/heater and the electronics in your room while you're out. Even when I'm in tropics I turn off the a/c when I'm gone, opening windows and doors when I return.
• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth, and take a shorter showers.
• BYO toiletries, or if you use what the hotel provides, make sure to take what's leftover home. Think how many little soaps are being thrown out, and the millions of petite plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles created. Plus, hotels always give you two soaps, so who needs two soaps and a shower gel???
• If the hotel doesn't have a recycling program, try to find a bin close by for take-out containers and water bottles.
• Take advantage of free bicycle programs.

Do you use other green techniques at hotels?

[images sourced online]

Travel Staple :: The White Shirt

[trip style = any]

The white shirt and travel meet very seldom. If fact, they are kind of estranged. Like two people living on different sides of the river, they want to be friends, but they're scared what their peers or parents might think of a relationship. We know how the rest of the story goes...

White shirt, meet travel. Tide Pen, meet white shirt.

The white shirt is timeless. The white shirt is unisex. The white shirt works in the morn, aft and eve. The white shirt goes with any trip style's ensembles. Contrary to popular belief, the white shirt SHOULD circumnavigate the globe; it should sip champagne atop the Eiffel Tower; it should play in the sun on Bondi beach; it should go shopping in NYC. After all, there's a reason 99.9% of hotel linens are white. White is easy to wash and easy to bleach, and for this reason is becoming a staple in my travel wardrobe, even after labor day!

How To Wear The White Shirt {for guys 'n gals}

• The close-fitting V- or crew-neck: great for any trip style where you won't get too hot or sweaty. Can be dressed up or down with ease and the right accessories. James Dean; need I say more?
• The loose T: good for travel days {who wants a tight top on the plane}, and versatile enough for a trip style = weekend morning, or a night on the town with dressy bottoms.
• The blouse {women}/The button-up {men}: best for day or evening wear {or even worn as a bathing suit cover-up}.

A Few White Garment Travel Caveats The White Blazer The white blazer has been a fashion staple for a while {mentioned in our recently published Airport Style Trends}, and I love it, but if you bring it on the road, make sure your trip style allows for a trip to the dry cleaner, or your wallet allows for a $40 hotel laundry bill. The thicker fabric used in blazers can be tricky to DIY spot-clean in your hotel room.

White Pants White pants look nice, until you sit on a chocolate chip or craisin leftover from your morning scone. If you're set on bringing white pants, bring them as an accent piece versus an everyday staple. Once you sit in seven consecutive chairs, you realize the world is a little dirty.

For the record, I like white Ts from American Apparel and blouses from Equipment.

More Travel Fashion {Airport} Runway Style NOT Packing For An Overnight-cation Like a Virgin {flight attendant} Celeb Travel Must-Haves Airport Style

[photos sourced on pinterest and instagram]

KinderHop :: Seattle Back To School Shop 'n Stay

[trip style = any]

KinderHop is published once monthly and written by Trip Styler’s Seattle-based kid ‘n family writer, Keryn.

With the tail end of summer still sizzling and sunning, it's hard to believe kids went back to school last week. My own little guy will be starting preschool this month too. We have a lot to do, and picking up a few new duds is at the top of my list.

Living in Seattle, I know the shopping scene is bursting with kiddie shops that can send your little one---and mine---back to school in style. Here's some of my top picks for a kid-themed, trip style = weekend shopping extravaganza:

Downtown Don't miss the trendy duds {read: pirate shirts or hand-made skirts} at Boston Street in Post Alley near Pike Place Market, then head up the hill to Bootyland in Capital Hill for Ivy Studio hoodies and Red Fish Clothing dresses.

The One-Stop-Shop If you are looking for a one-stop shopping experience wander over to University Village. Kid’s Club sets the bar on the playground with brands like Tea, Roxie Girl and popular preschool backpacks by SkipHop. Next door check out Nordstrom’s latest acquisition Peek Kids which opened this year. Not to be outdone, J.Crew has its own Crew Kids just across the way. Wrap up your shopping with a stop at Sole Food to pick up a pair of Frye boots or outfit your little skater chic in Vans sneakers.

East Seattle For those headed to the Eastside, make your way to Bellevue Square, where Splendid and Janie and Jack will have your young miss or mister turning heads on their catwalk down the grade school hallway. For extra savings drive over to Bellevue’s neighbor, Kirkland, to hit up the Kate Quinn Organics outlet. Oh how I wish her lounge dresses came in my size.

Luxe For Less After all this overture on outfits, trust me, you don’t have to break the bank to get your kids outfitted this season. Sela’s Small Couture (Queen Anne) and Me & Moms (Ballard) make it easy to get your kids the most sought-after brands for less. If your tastes run towards the looks of yesteryear, pop by Commune (Capital Hill) and Retroactive Kids (Columbia City) for beautiful vintage finds.

Stay & Eat Why shop 'til you drop when you can savor the experience? Check into the Four Seasons in Seattle or Westin in Bellevue one-night getaway {don't miss our overnight-cation packing guide}. Allow yourself to take your time and wander the shops. Grab a mojito and pernil slider at La Isla’s kid-friendly happy hour (Ballard) or dig into Pink Door’s mouthwatering pesto lasagna (Pike Place).

PS - Shop 'n stay in style with the Westin Bellevue's shopping package. Rates from $209 include a $100 gift certificate to the Bellevue collection {aka, the mall}, plus free parking.

More KinderHop How To Keep Kids Occupied On A Plane Family Road Tripping Tips How To Pack Less With Kids In Tow Family-Friendly Big Island Making Hotel Rooms Work With Kids KinderHop – Meet The Columnist 

[photos by keryn]

Miles :: To Free Or Not To Free

[trip style = any]

At TS, we love using "strategery" {as George W once said} to choose when and where to redeem the air miles we accumulate flying around the world toward free travel, but there's an art {and science} to air miles redemption.

How To Calculate The Value Of An Airline Award Ticket The generally excepted miles-versus-dollars calculation {according to Travel+Leisure} is "use the 1.4-cents-per-mile rule to calculate the value of an award ticket. If the cash price is considerably cheaper than the award ticket calculation, save your miles. For example, if a flight will cost you $300 cash or 50,000 points, you'll get more value paying cash as 50,000 points equals approx $700."  Here are some examples of my recent travel that will help provide miles-versus-dollars insight:

When It Makes "Cents" To Use Airline Miles

• Colorado/Spring 2012: used 25,000 Aeroplan miles instead of booking a $1,100 ticket
• ABC Islands/Fall 2011: used 25,000 American Airlines miles, instead of booking a $1,000 ticket
• Eastern Canada/Summer 2010: used 25,000 Aeroplan air miles, instead of booking a multi-city $1,500+ ticket

When It DOESN'T Make "Cents" To Use Airline Miles Thailand/Spring 2012: I didn't use air miles because I got a business class fare on a super sale, tilting the scale in favor of a cash purchase. To add value, I chose a carrier that would add to my American Airlines miles accumulation efforts. Not only did I fly business class for a heavily discounted rated, but got 22,000 AA miles in return---just 3,000 short of getting from Vancouver to Aruba AND achieving elite status. Win!

Saving Points {Dream Trip Anyone?} Looking ahead, like any wonderstruck world traveler, I'm pining for a trip to the Maldives, saving my Alaska airline miles to get there. On business class {hey, it's a long flight!} the trip costs $9,180 from Seattle on Emirates {it's $14,000 from Vancouver!}, or 115,000 miles. The points trump the cash purchase because any ticket costing more than $1,610 {115,000 miles x 0.014} is good value.

Are you saving your air miles for a Maldives-esque dream trip? Do you use air miles when it makes sense, or all the time?

More 'Free Travel' Tips The Six-Week Rule {When to buy airline tix} Free Travel 102 Free Travel 101 Going The Distance With Your Air Miles

[photo by wallpaperswide.com, text overlay @tripstyler]

Overnight {Without The Baggage}

[trip style = quick weekend getaway]

Baggage weighs us down {in more ways than one}.

Lately I've been doing a lot of overnight-cations, a travel dance {of sorts} where two days tango with one night. Last week alone, I took two separate overnight getaways with only the clothes on my back. In other words, I didn't pack {except for any toiletries and undergarments that could fit in my purse or pocket}. In lieu of a multi-option travel wardrobe, I layered, downsizing my overnight duffel for a my purse.

Trip Styler Tip: maximize your trip style = weekend getaway {and your dollars} leaving early Saturday morning and returning later on Sunday night. Cutting out a hotel on Friday night means you just saved $150+.

I realize the no-pack overnight-cation sounds crazy. First we told you how to pack 50+ items in one carry-on, and now this? The self-imposed 'efficiency' challenge sounded a little nutso to me too, but once I tried it on for size, I realized it wasn't a challenge at all. Layering right meant I could go from day-to-night without the fuss of packing or lugging a bag!

In part, I drew inspiration from my artsy Grandma {aka, "Gram"} who used to pick outfits in two-day blocks. Once I asked her why she wore the same thing two days in a row, to which she responded "if I'm going to take the time to craft a great outfit, why wouldn't I wear it twice?" Sound advice from a well-traveled woman.

Making It Work :: Overnighting Sans Baggage:
1/ Choose your trip style, check the weather, and plan your outfit accordingly.
2/ Pick shoes and bottoms {pants, a skirt or a dress} that can go from day-to-night with ease.
3/ Layer your top half to 'reveal' a whole new look at night.
4/ Think of your clothes as the canvas and your accessories as the color.
5/ Want to bring a bathing suit too? No worries, throw it in your purse with some flip flops.

*When I was away, the weather hovered between a breezy 15 - 22 Celsius, so I chose a midi skirt and cashmere-blend sweater for day, accented by a scarf to combat the early morning and late night chill. In the eve, I ditched my sweater for a tank top, adding a belt and a necklace to switch the look.

Trip Styler Tip :: Believe it or not, as we move into fall, the no-packing weekend becomes MORE and MORE possible with the layering-potential cool weather affords.

More Packing Tips
Men's Packing :: The Go-Anywhere Chambray Shirt
A Sky-vival Kit
Packed :: A Summer Urban Weekend
Fashionable Flashpacking
Fitting 50 Garments Into A Carry-On
Q&A With “How To Pack Like a Rock Star” Author
Packing 103 // Packing 102 // Packing 101
Size Matters
Travel Essentials for Any Trip Style
High Rolling :: To Roll or Lay Flat?
A Summer Weekend Packing List
The Art of Carry-On TravelGoing Away? Packing and To Do List

[photo by @tripstyler]