New booking platform GoKinda fuses style with sustainability

GoKinda makes it easy for travellers to find and book stylish yet conscious accommodation that’s kind to both people and the planet.

GoKinda is a new online booking platform that promotes design-led properties that are genuinely committed to having a positive environmental and social impact on the planet. Founded by Australian travel expert, Alison Greer, GoKinda offers a carefully curated collection of 455 hotels from across the globe, including boutique properties and better-known brands, covering a variety of locations and price points.

The Hoxton, Southwark, London. Image courtesy of GoKinda.

“We launched GoKinda to help bridge the gap between what the post-pandemic traveller wants and what they actually book. I’ve worked in the travel industry for more than two decades and even I struggle to find the kind of hotels I want to stay at – those that are equally conscious as they are stylish, and that agree with my budget, whether I want to save or splurge. So, it’s no surprise that many others are facing these same difficulties and it’s preventing them from making better travel decisions,” said Alison.

Cretan Malia Park, a member of Design Hotels, Greece. Image courtesy of GoKinda.

How does GoKinda work?

Hotels featured on the GoKinda platform are categorised into ‘certified’ and ‘non-certified’. Those hotels that have opted to be formally recognised for their conscious efforts by a third-party certifier, with standards recognised by the G lobal Sustainable Tourism Council, appear on the website with a ‘certified’ tag. Hotels that have chosen not to be certified feature in the collection without a ‘certified’ tag and have instead been evaluated by the GoKinda team based on their individual commitment to becoming better.

The Calile Hotel, Queensland. Image courtesy of GoKinda.

“Sustainable travel is one of those terms that has become so over-used it’s almost meaningless, and the world of eco-certifications for hotels is a very complicated one. While many hotels use buzzwords and big claims to suggest they’re eco-friendly, very few stays are actively working to improve their social and environmental impact,” said Alison. “And then there are the hotels that are doing positive work but not publicising their efforts.”

Alila Villas, Uluwatu. Image courtesy of GoKinda.

Alison continues, “For those seeking more purpose-led stays, decoding all of this information can feel overwhelming and more often than not, too hard. And so that’s where GoKinda comes in. We help more people to travel in a kinder way by doing the hard work for them. We search high and low looking for the kind of hotels our travellers, like me, will love, whilst also providing the reassurance that they’re making better decisions for our planet and community.”

ME Barcelona, Spain. Image courtesy of GoKinda.

To further increase the positive impact of every traveller booking their stay via GoKinda, the platform also contributes to One Tribe Global’s rainforest protection project and preserves five trees for every hotel reservation made.