What’s one way to feel good about the environment while traveling to different cities? “Green” hotels are popping up all over the United States - if you’re feeling eco-friendly and want to bring a little bit of green from home on you next trip, book a hotel at one of our top 10 U.S. green hotels.

1. Seattle: Hyatt at Olive8: This city-chic hotel is located in the heart of Seattle and close to all the top tourist attractions, including the famous Space Needle. Each room features light controls, dual-flush toilets and water-reducing showerheads. Can’t quite place the smell after the the cleaning crew has made up your room? That’s because the housekeeping staff uses chemical-free cleaners - which means all natural scents waft through this Seattle hotel.

2. Miami: The Four Seasons Miami Hotel Brickell Key: This five-star hotel is make our list of top green hotels thanks to its efforts to reduce water consumption, and improve indoor air quality through proper air conditioner maintenance and efficient filters. For the environmentally-conscience guests, the Miami hotel also has recycling programs and uses non-toxic cleaners, high-efficiency equipment and low-mercury light bulbs.

3. San Francisco: Orchard Garden Hotel: Sleep well at this San Francisco hotel thanks to ergonomically correct mattresses, feather pillows and 100 percent combed cotton bedding. All of the rooms at the Orchard Garden Hotel are decorated with low emission paint and carpet.

4. Chicago: Allegro Hotel: If there’s one thing we love about Chicago hotels, it’s the plethora of options along the famous Magnificent Mile. The Allegro Hotel - a downtown Chicago hotel - has water recycling programs and uses non-toxic cleaning agents. Need a cup of coffee before you head out shopping for the day? Pick up a cup of organic, fair trade coffee in the lobby.

5. Las Vegas: The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino: Who would have thought the self-conscience kind can find a place in Sin City? If we know anything about Las Vegas hotels, it’s that they cater to just about every type of traveler, even the green kind. The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino is Las Vegas’s first eco-friendly property and the largest LEED-certified building in the world.

6. New York City: 70 Park Ave: One of two New York properties on our list, the 70 Park Avenue hotel isn’t just a fancy address - it’s one of the city’s most green-friendly New York hotels. The rooms feature eco-friendly products including in-room recycling bins and non-toxic cleaners.

70 Park Avenue Hotel Room

7. Portland, Oregon: Avalon Hotel and Spa: There’s something to be said for the fresh air of the West Coast. The open roads, the acres of untouched land and the majestic landscapes make up a portion of the scenery that surround this Portland hotel. The Avalon Hotel and Spa is a 99-room luxury boutique that also features 8,000 square feet of protected green space, which also serves as a butterfly house.

8. Jackson Hole, Wyoming: Hotel Terra: It’s no secret Jackson Hole is one of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the U.S., but we’re happy the Jackson Hole hotels have catered to the area. The Hotel Terra offers eco-friendly amenities including refillable aluminum bottles for bath products, and 100 percent organic cotton mattresses, bed sheets and towels.

9. Greensboro, North Carolina: Proximity Hotel: Traveling on the Eastern seaboard has its benefits, including some of the most glamorous luxury hotels. But when we saw this North Carolina hotel combines luxury and eco-friendly amenities, we couldn’t resist adding it to our list. Each guestroom at the Proximity Hotel features extra-large windows to let in the natural light, which results in efficient air quality circulation and a cleaner space in all the guestrooms.

10. New York City: New York Westin: The second New York hotel on our list, the Westin New York at Times Square is green-seal certified and was the first New York City hotel to achieve the recognition. “Green” features include paperless guest registration, and 100 percent recycled and biodegradable room keys.

Have a favorite eco-friendly hotel in the U.S.? Let us know about it!

There’s more t0 Miami than South Beach and Collins Avenue. Miami hotels are as diverse and unique as the people who inhabit the city, so finding a Miami hotel that suits your needs is as important as the first cocktail you order at the beach.

The hotel, like the pretty pink umbrella placed in your drink, will be the first impression you’ll remember on your Miami vacation.

On a recent trip to Miami, we checked out the Mandarin Oriental Miami - a 5-star hotel located in Brickell Key, near downtown Miami and only a short cab ride from South Beach. Here’s our review:

Location: If you’re looking for a Miami hotel away from the chaos of the city center, but close enough to see it all shake down from your hotel room balcony, the Mandarin Miami is the place to stay. Each of the rooms feature balconies or terraces that overlook either Miami Bay or the Miami city skyline. Brickell Key is a 1.3-mile island accessible via bridge from downtown Miami and only a few blocks away from the the restaurants, shopping and conveniences of downtown Miami.

Rooms: The rooms in this Miami hotel are decorated Miami-style with Asian-influences. The white flowing drapes, white bed linens, white sofas and chairs, and white towels and robes - symbolic of luxurious Miami Beach - are flanked by dark wood furniture and bamboo bath amenities. The rooms, which range from standard size to suites, are roomy and open, allowing two people to co-habitate comfortably without stepping over each other’s luggage and dirty laundry. Our favorite part: The LCD TV that swivels so you can watch TV from any area — in the bed, on the sofa, in the bath…

Customer service: Luxury hotels pride themselves on personal attention to their guests and the Mandarin’s customer service is no exception. Immediately upon walking into the hotel, we were greeted by employees, offered iced tea and asked what paper we wanted in the morning (New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal or a local Miami paper).

Amenities: You don’t have to leave your room at the Mandarin Miami if you don’t want to - everything you need to survive is located within arms reach. The refrigerator is stocked with food including chips, power bars and candy, and a variety of soft drinks and bottled water. The TVs come complete with Spanish and English channels, including HBO and pay-per-view movies, so you won’t feel bad about staying in bed a little longer. The bath robes and slippers are a perfect addition to the home-away-from-home atmosphere and each room has an in-room hairdryer, iron and ironing board.

Should you choose to leave the room, the Mandarin Miami has plenty to offer. The spa has been rated one of the best in the nation and we can attest to this rating - take advantage of the steam room, sauna and showers that can easily host a disco party with your 10 closest friends. If you’re seeking some sun time, head to the pool or Mandarin’s man-made private beach, both overlooking the bay.

Downside: If you plan to work while you’re here you’ll pay for your Internet access. Prepare to pay $15 for 24-hours. On the flip side, the WiFi was fast and reliable.

Lifestyle: The Mandarin Oriental Miami is a luxury hotel meant for the luxury traveler. There weren’t a lot of kids running through the lobby, and we wouldn’t expect there to be - this hotel is romantic, sensual and intoxicating; few emotions we don’t expect the underage to understand.

Overall rating: If you’re looking for an island getaway that is still close to the city lifestyle, the Mandarin Miami on Brickell Key is a great choice. Hint: Ask for a corner room and you’ll get a bigger balcony and better view.

Thousands of New York hotel rooms are up for grabs at any given night, but finding one that fits all your needs can be overwhelming. Luxury, budget, family-friendly, pet-friendly, room-service, WiFi, location, location, location. The options are endless, but on a recent trip to New York, we checked into the Roosevelt Hotel New York, a 4-star 20-story hotel that spans an entire New York City block in midtown Manhattan.

Location: You can’t beat the location of the Roosevelt New York. Located at 45th and Madison Avenues, the hotel is only blocks away from Times Square, Fifth Avenue shopping and Grand Central Station. The midtown location is perfect for families, singles and corporate/business events.

Double room at the Roosevelt

Rooms: The Roosevelt New York looks pretty good for 80-years-old. The room decor is a flashback to the 1920s with gold, blue and brown colors. The walls are bare and simplistic but the room is big and spacious.  There are no fancy frills to these rooms, which make it perfect for families (read: the kids can’t break anything, bump anything or destroy anything).  Depending on the floor and which side of the hotel you’re facing, your views will either be the city, the street or the building next door. However, this is standard of New York City hotel rooms.

Customer service: Everyone we met, with the exception of the front desk check-out attendant, couldn’t be nicer. The Roosevelt New York is a massive hotel in the middle of a massive city, so the massive amounts of people that come through this hotel on a daily basis can be overwhelming. However, the staff manages everyone with ease and courtesy. There is a concierge on duty 24-hours and room service is always available - in both cases, the staff was polite, prompt and courteous.  The only problem we ran into was when we checked-out: either the check-out attendant at the front desk hadn’t had her morning coffee, or asking for a print out of our bill was really a wrinkle in her day. Regardless, we got the bill printed and didn’t let her frown ruin our New York hotel stay.

Room service

Amenities: The Roosevelt New York offers room service, restaurants, bars, and shopping all within the hotel. Mad46 is the hotel’s seasonal bar and worth a visit if you’re here when it’s open. Easily the best mojitos in the city, and probably one of the best views from the rooftop, Mad46 is see-and-be-seen hotspot. We opted for room service one morning and were delighted with the results: a full fruit bowl, English muffin, pot of coffee and orange juice was delivered within 30 minutes for a total of $15. We probably could have spent a little less had we ventured out of the hotel, but breakfast in bed was worth the $15.

For business travelers, the Roosevelt New York has an entire floor dedicated to conference rooms and web access. Internet access costs per day, and the service was spotty. If you’re here to work, you might be better off at the cafe across the street.

Lifestyle: We give this hotel two-thumbs up for families. If you’re in New York with the kids, the Roosevelt New York is a great place to stay. The location is perfect, the rooms are perfect, and on a rainy day you can waste hours with the kids exploring the hotel. Business travelers will enjoy the location of the hotel, as well, but we wouldn’t recommend this hotel for those on a romantic visit to New York.

Overall rating: This is a no-frills 4-star New York hotel with good rates, and some really cool history. The Roosevelt is perfect for those New York travelers who like a nicer hotel, but don’t plan to spend the entire time in the room.  It’s clean, it’s comfortable, it’s convenient and it’s got everything you need in one city block.

Think You-Tube is just for crazy wedding videos and stupid human tricks? Think again. Hotels - like the Las Vegas hotel Hotel32 - have started offering ‘virtual services’ via iPod’s and in-room technology. But one San Juan hotel has taken it one step further: the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino recently introduced a ‘You Tube Concierge’.

The San Juan resort convinced an employee to go viral and get hotel guests to share their vacation experiences with the world. The “concierge” spends time meeting guests thorughout the resort and asks them to record a quick 30-second video to send to friends and family as a virtual post-card from the beach. Before your mind goes to amateur videos with handheld cameras (ahem…) let’s be clear: this video clip is professionally licensed and uploaded to the San Juan Marriott Live’ YouTube Channel, for guests to share with the world.

The resort director of marketing said, “Most of us has posted a picture to Facebook with a camera phone or recorded a quick video on their digital camera while on vacation to show family and friends,” said Julian Cable-Treadwell, director of marketing for the San Juan Marriott. “We wanted to find a way to help guests chronicle the great time they are having without having to worry about bringing a camera to the pool or the beach and make it simple for them to share this experience through the popularity of an on-line web channel.”

It’s an interesting concept… but we suggest you keep the camera away from Mom after she’s had too many pina coladas. Trust us: no one wants to see Mom re-create her favorite scenes from “The Graduate.”

It’s hot, it’s sexy, it’s shaped like a sailboat, it’s the new W Hotel Barcelona, and it’s taking Western Europe by storm. Ok, we exaggerate, but the opening of this new Barcelona hotel with direct access to the beach gets us a little excited for our next trip to Spain.

After years of planning, the W Barcelona is finally accepting reservations for its Barcelona Nova Bocana location. The new W hotel stands 26 stories and has 473 rooms, all with either a sea or city view. From what we can tell this Barcelona hotel offers the same sex-appeal as its sister W hotels around the world. WET, the hotel’s infinity-edged pool and bar, comes complete with lounge decks and cabanas (how do you say, “cabana boy” in Spanish?); there’s a rooftop bar and on-site spa, courtesy of Bliss; and of course, there’s the signature W BAR. Cozy up to your cabana boy…err, um, take a load off with a cocktail in the W Living Room, complete with access to the W BAR and the WAVE restaurant. If all that drinking and dining did you in, don’t worry — you can work off last night’s calories at SWEAT, the hotel’s fitness facility.

Barcelona is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe, thanks to its history, culture and nightlife. Brush up on your Spanish, live la vida loca, and book a Barcelona hotel - we did a quick check of prices on the W Barcelona site and found rates starting around €249 (~$360). Que bueno!

New York City takes its fashion very seriously. Bryant Park Fashion Week. Manolo Bhlanik. Tribeca Film Festival. Fifth Avenue… Now, fashion comes in the form of a 4-story New York hotel in Chelsea.

Fashion 26, A Wyndham Hotel, is the new four-star New York hotel scheduled to open in December 2009. Located on West 26th Street, Fashion 26 is directly across the street from the Fashion Institute of Technology (a good choice for those New York travelers who constantly mismatch their socks, and no, the brown shoes do not go with your black suit).

New York’s Fashion 26 has 280 guestrooms, as well as public and private spaces all designed by local interior and architectural designer Glen Coben. Hotel guests can enjoy a meal at RARE, a new restaurant featuring endless options of hamburgers, or sip cocktails on the rooftop bar and lounge. If you do indulge at RARE, we highly recommend the french fry trio platter and the BBQ burger. Don’t worry, burgers are totally ‘in’.

The New York hotel is located close to the Empire State Building, where fanny packs are more common (but still a completely unacceptable fashion accessory).