In the Greening of Hospitality, Deloitte LLP researchers put it like this: "No color has more cachet these days than green in its new role as the symbol of the environmental movement. But lest we forget, it's still the color of money. And in the hotel industry, green will soon come to symbolize both at the same time."

In a survey specifically focused on the US business market, Deloitte found travelers are increasingly making daily choices to reduce their environmental impact and have specific expectations about the green practices hotels should adopt. Nearly seven of 10 business travelers (69 %) say they always turn off the lights and one out of three (31%) always adjusts the heating or cooling system when leaving the room, the survey found. About a third of travelers or 34% also say they "seek out hotels that are environmentally friendly."

A total of 38% say they've researched green lodging either online or by asking friends and relatives, and 28% say they are willing to pay 10 % more to stay in green lodging. "Green concerns have made their way on to the business traveler's agenda," says Adam Weissenberg, the Deloitte Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure leader. According to the survey, business travelers expect hotels to:

• Recycle (77 %)
• Use energy-efficient lighting (74 %)
• Use energy-efficient windows (59 %)
• Give guests the option to reuse sheets and towels (52 %)
• Use environmentally safe cleaning products (49 %)

"We found there is often a discrepancy between what travelers expect of hotels and the green initiatives that hotels ultimately undertake," says Neale Redington, the Deloitte Hospitality leader. "Those that do the best job of delivering on their promises of sustainability will win the day with tomorrow's increasingly discerning business travelers."

Contrary to popular expectation, Generation Y business travelers are the least likely to travel green. They were the least likely to reuse bedding, turn off the lights when leaving the room, adjust temperature when leaving the room, conserve water or use public transportation when leaving a hotel. "Yet, ironically, this same group was the most likely to consider themselves green while on business," Weissenberg says.

Aging baby boomers are most likely to act green while traveling--and women are greener than men are. Females are more likely to turn off the lights when leaving a room, adjust the heat or air conditioner or use public transportation.

For more information: Environmentally Friendly Hotels contains links to more than 2,600 hotels worldwide, mostly in the United States and the tropics.