Some recent news from the hotel/accommodation world: the hostel chain StayOkay has apparently become the first institution in the tourism industry to be given the eco-friendly label.

Yes, ecofriendly! They use cleaning products that don't contain harmful chemicals, they use hotel supplies that are environmentally sustainable, they offer bike rental, they use minimal garbage, smokefree communal spaces, etc. There is a whole long list of criteria that StayOkay and its 30 hostels in the Netherlands have fulfilled in order to be granted the European Ecofriendly Label.

So keep that in mind next time you're thinking, "Yes I want to go on vacation to the Netherlands but I want to stay in a place that cares as much about its environmental impact as I do." Now there is a place... oh if only more institutions would follow their lead.