Alight Launches Sustainable Hotel Booking Platform to Reduce Carbon Emissions

News from CTO Allied Members

Wayaj, a tech startup providing earth-friendly travel solutions is pleased to announce the launch of alight.travel , the only sustainable booking platform that allows travelers to book their hotel while calculating and offsetting their trip’s carbon footprint instantly.

Now that travelers can take flight again, Alight delivers the resources, tools, and expertise to empower travelers to make more informed choices to travel sustainably. Using a ground-breaking Carbon Footprint Calculating Engine (CFC Engine), and proprietary Hotel Sustainability Ratings (HSR) tool, Alight aims to inspire ethical wanderlust and support travelers on their sustainability journey.

2019 BC (Before Covid) saw record amounts of carbon emissions in the air from passenger flights. Meanwhile, experts predict that demand for international travel coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic will exceed years prior. Alight now makes it easier for leisure and business travelers to seamlessly book from a collection of 88+ sustainably-minded hotels across 50+ countries, calculate their trip’s carbon emissions, and offset against verified Carbon Offset Projects (COPs) available around the world.

Nelly Gedeon, serial entrepreneur and Founder of Alight shares, “The world is on the front line of vulnerability due to climate change. This past year, as travel has resumed the focus on sustainable travel has taken a backseat to the pandemic but as travel returns Alight can get conscious minded travelers back out there using our proprietary Carbon Footprint Calculating Engine (CFC EngineTM) to offset their travel and protect the planet.”

At launch, travelers will have eight international Carbon Offset Projects (COP’s) to choose from, which were obtained through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Such projects include the reforestation of degraded land and the development of renewable wind power.

More than a hotel booking platform, Alight aims to be the go-to vehicle for positive impact travel, helping globetrotters make more conscious and sustainable choices from reducing carbon emissions to supporting environmentally-friendly accommodations. The platform’s collection of properties are rated and vetted using its proprietary Hotel Sustainability Ratings (HSR) system which scores them across seven categories, which include community relationships, use of water, energy and waste, building materials and resources, as well as quality of the indoor environment, and corporate management.

Logan Cohen, Alight Sustainability Director shares, “The U.S. books over 1 billion hotel rooms each year alone. Based on our data of an average night stay of about 0.0236 tons of carbon emissions, this totals about 23.5 million tons of carbon from hotels in the US alone. Offsetting just 1% of these emissions through Alight would be nearly equal to turning all of New York City back into forest land."

Featured Properties:

Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa, Greece HSR Score: 82

With sleek, minimalist architecture stepped into a bluff overlooking the Mediterranean, this brand-new, ecologically-minded resort blends seamlessly into the Cretan landscape. Built just north of the seaside town of Elounda, the property’s terraced design allows each of its 74 guest rooms, suites, and villas to enjoy its own private swimming pool and sun-washed terrace with views over Plaka beach and the UNESCO-nominated islet of Spinalonga.

Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, Costa Rica HSR Score: 85

Finca Luna Nueva Lodge is a farm first, a hotel second. The property to the southeast of the Arenal volcano hosts a collection of bungalows, suites and the 3-bedroom Casa Luna welcome travelers for eye-opening farm stays. On-site tours focused on farm operations, its reforestation program and bird-watching. Off-site excursions include adventure activities often associated with Costa Rica: white-water rafting, zip-lining and visits to national parks. The hotel also has a restaurant that, not surprisingly, serves farm-to-table dishes and can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary requests.

Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba HSR Score: 93

The Caribbean’s first carbon-neutral resort uses greener, eco-friendly paper, purchases goods from suppliers on Aruba to reduce its carbon footprint and supports local environmental organizations like a donkey sanctuary. The green aspects of the resort don’t mean you will have to forgo luxury, however. Casual and fine-dining restaurant options are complemented by a beachfront bar, while activities range from yoga and Pilates classes to horseback riding and scuba diving.

Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal HSR Score: 82

Overlooking the serpentine curves of the Douro River, this gracefully renovated, 19th-century brick manor house sits amid the terraced vineyards of one of the world’s oldest and most famous wine regions. A draw here is the prime access to local wineries, which produce some of the globe’s best-known ports. But Six Senses is also its own luxurious—and ecologically sensitive—destination. The property itself is Edenic, with ten acres of carefully maintained forests punctuated by walking trails, and expansive organic gardens where produce, herbs, and edible flowers are harvested for use in the four dining venues.

How does the Carbon Footprint Calculating Engine (CFC EngineTM) work:

When a traveler selects a property on Alight, the carbon footprint of their stay will be automatically calculated based on room type and category, the number of persons in the room, and length of stay. Travelers will also have the option to calculate the transportation component of their trip including flight, taxi, bus, train, ferry, and yacht. They can then immediately offset the impact of their entire trip in one place against a range of projects in international communities and receive an instantaneous shareable e-certificate as proof.

About Alight:

Alight empowers mindful travelers with a one-stop booking platform of vetted sustainable hotels and carbon offsetting capabilities. Providing expert information and inspiration for ethical wanderlust, Alight features properties with an eco and socially conscious ethos and offers programs to contribute to that will make a lasting difference in the future. Alight aims to inspire ethical travel around the world and knows that small acts can create big change by those who are committed to protecting the planet. To join the sustainable journey visit alight.travel .

About Wayaj:

Wayaj is a global leader in providing innovative and effective solutions to the hospitality industry to reduce its impact on the environment, and foster sustainable communities. With over 470 hotel members in 109 countries, Wayaj delivers the resources, tools, and expertise to empower the accommodations sector and travelers to make more informed choices to support sustainability. As the originators of the ground-breaking Carbon Footprint Calculating Engine (CFC Engine ), and proprietary Hotel Sustainability Rating tool, they are pleased to announce the anticipated launch of Alight, a dynamic new booking website April 2022.

For Media Inquiries:

Alexandra Avila | REYA Communications |[email protected]