Want to Stay at a Green Hotel? Think Cheap

The greenest hotel chain in the US isn't exactly the swankiest: A new report from Brighter Planet finds that Vagabond Inn is the most energy- and carbon-efficient, the Los Angeles Times reports. Next up: Red Lion Hotels, another mid-range offering, followed by the budget Red Carpet Inns and then Travelodge. Dead last of the 75 chains analyzed? The more upscale JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts.

Brighter Planet considered hotel age, amenities (refrigerators in the room? a swimming pool?), room size, and other information including location, since certain parts of the country use more renewable energy. "Budget hotels are generally more efficient," the report concludes. (More carbon footprint stories.)