One of the reasons for booking a hotel room is to live like you can't at home. You don't worry about tossing dirty towels on the floor, eating in bed, or taking longer showers. Even conscientious folks like to indulge by running the AC with the windows open if possible.

This carefree mindset poses a problem for hoteliers who are trying to make their facilities more green. The New York Times asks, will Americans care to compromise their luxury at all when on holiday?

Around the globe hotels with "master switches" that turn off the air conditioning and all electricity when vacationers exit a room are becoming popular. American hotels have been reticent to embrace the idea for fear that consumers won't tolerate entering a dark or hot room. It is understandable that asking people to think about sustainable behaviors when they are attempting to escape the daily grind makes some hotel managers nervous.

Automating the process such as through a master switch simplifies things because it is passive on the part of guests. But perhaps a compromise model is needed for now. Why not have a higher threshold for the AC so that it will kick back on to make sure the room never exceeds a temperature of say, 80 to 85 degrees, and allow one small safety light near the door (preferably powered by a compact fluorescent light) to remain on? Another option would be to install a timer that approximates when the consumer will be returning, so the AC starts to cool the room in advance, a feature that is already available on some cars.

Shutting off the TV and excess lights when the room is vacated is a no-brainer, and hotels have a strong financial reason to save energy.

More eco-friendly hotels are on the way. Marriott is greening its hotel conference rooms here, while friend to the animals Pamela Anderson is participating in building a green hotel in Abu-Dhabi.

While we may not have reached the tipping point in thinking green while we are traveling yet, we are getting close. Hotels that lead on this issue may lose a few customers today, but by standing out they will probably gain loyalty in the long run while saving considerably on their power and water bills.