Hello! Thank you for expressing interest about our site, charities, and hotel partners. We do our best to keep you informed and make your experience on our site as rewarding as possible. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions by our users. If you still have a question for our team after reading these responses, please notify us at [email protected].
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT KIND TRAVELER'S NEW EVERY STAY GIVES BACK COMMUNITY IMPACT PROGRAM?
Kind Traveler's Every Stay Gives Back community impact program, launched in September of 2023, shares a new opportunity for participating lodging and destination partners to mobilize funding for local charities advancing community & environmental well-being with every guest stay, regardless of where or how one books. Learn more about the program in the following links:
- Kind Traveler's Every Stay Gives Back Collection & Directory
- Every Stay Gives Back Launch Announcement
- Every Stay Gives Back FAQs
FOR ALL OTHER FAQS REGARDING KIND TRAVELER, PLEASE SEE BELOW:
HOW MUCH OF MY DONATION WILL GO TO THE CHARITY?
100% of your donation. Kind Traveler does not receive a commission from donations or processing fees.
HOW DOES KIND TRAVELER MAKE MONEY?
Kind Traveler receives membership fees from our hospitality and Tourism Board partners, We also have a corporate sponsorship program that keeps the wind blowing in our sails. Charities never pay to be part of the program.
IS IT TRUE THAT GIVING ACTUALLY MAKES YOU HIGH?
Yes, there is scientific data that suggests that giving activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, known as the "helper's high." Learn more about why giving back makes you feel good from Scientific American: 'How To Be Happy By Giving To Others'
HOW ARE THE HOTELS VETTED ON THE KIND TRAVELER SITE?
Kind Hotels are invited and agree to align with a local charity partner in its community, giving the traveler an opportunity to make a local impact to the place they are visiting. Kind Traveler faciliates the partnership, ensuring that both the hotel and local charity are doing their best to promote the fundraising opportunity.
Additionally, Kind Hotels must also exhibit what we call Kind Factors, e.g., a certain measure of initiatives in place to advance positive impact within their community, sustainable practices, and individual wellness. Such measures are identified through an intake form which helps Kind Traveler communicate a hotel's Kind Factors. As of 2022, hotel partners must also agree to have transparent sustainability initiatives in place as listed on their website, communicating how the hotel is making a positive impact within its community and with environmental sustainability.
HOW IS KIND TRAVELER DIFFERENT THAN OTHER HOTEL BOOKING SITES?
Kind Traveler is unique in that it's the only travel platform that empowers travelers to give back and positively impact the communities they visit. Through the vetted local charity alignment in every destination and the charity profile that informs travelers on why such charities are integral to the health and wellbeing of communities while encouraging travelers to get involved beyond donations, Kind Traveler is different than any other hotel travel platform.
In terms of the hotel profile, Kind Traveler highlights the property’s local charitable affiliation and ‘Kind Factors’ – the term we use to explain how the hotel is impacting individual wellness, sustainability, and community. This unique way of telling the hotel’s story communicates a commitment to corporate social responsibility, at a time when transparency is expected from today’s travelers and consumers.
Another major distinction between Kind Traveler and other travel booking sites is our desire to educate. According to Phocuswright “three of 10 giving travelers were prompted to volunteer or donate because of something they read, heard, saw or experienced.” Kind Traveler’s blog provides stories that inspire travel while underscoring the importance of giving back, living consciously, and choosing with purpose.
Learn more about why we are different than other hotel booking sites here.
HOW CAN OUR HOTEL BECOME A KIND TRAVELER HOTEL?
Kind Traveler curators hand-select the properties that we feel will best resonate with our core values and the interests of leisure travelers interested in social responsibility and sustainable tourism. If you are interested in speaking with one of our amazing Kindness Curators please EMAIL us for an invitation request.
CAN I DONATE TO ANY CHARITY THAT I WANT?
Users can only donate to charities on the Kind Traveler site while on Kind Traveler. If you have a favorite charity not represented on our site, we'd love to hear about them. Please feel free to have the charity EMAIL us their information so that we can consider them for future opportunities.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE CHARITIES FOR POSITIVE IMPACT ON KIND TRAVELER?
Learn more here about how the local and global charities are chosen on Kind Traveler. Please EMAIL US for partnership inquiries.
IS KIND TRAVELER A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION?
Although we raise money for charities and causes, we are not a non-profit organization. We are a social enterprise and legally we are a designated a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), which means we are a for-profit company with a goal of creating a benefit to the public and environment (through supporting charities and their causes) in addition to profit.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOTELS IS NOT ON YOUR SITE. HOW CAN A HOTEL BE PART OF KIND TRAVELER?
We are always on the lookout for the world’s best hotels and unique properties committed to making the world a better place. Hotels can request an inviation to join our platform, please EMAIL us a request.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY HOTEL RESERVATION?
For cancellations, please email or call the hotel you booked with. We do not facilitate the booking nor have your booking information.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
If you need help beyond these FAQs, please EMAIL us.
HOW DO I RESET MY PASSWORD?
If you forgot your Kind Traveler password and you already attempted password retrieval through the “forgot password” function in the user log-in box, you should receive an email to reset. If, for some reason, you did not receive a reset link, please click here to request a new password.
CAN I MAKE A DONATION TO A KIND TRAVELER CHARITY WHEN I CHECK IN/OUT OF MY HOTEL?
We love your generosity and your charitable spirit. Unfortunately, you cannot make a donation at hotel check-in or check-out on Kind Traveler, however, we encourage you to donate directly to the charity on its website should you be feeling so kind.
DO YOU WORK WITH TRAVEL AGENTS?
If you are a travel agent, please EMAIL us.
DO YOU WORK WITH CORPORATE/BUSINESS TRAVEL ACCOUNTS?
If you are a corporation or business looking to utilize Kind Traveler for your corporate hotel bookings that deliver positive impact in local communities, please EMAIL us and one of our representatives will share more information with you.
CAN I SUGGEST HOTELS AND LOCATIONS?
Absolutely. In fact, please do so as much as possible. We always love to hear what our Kind Traveler members want to see more of. Your suggestions are very important to us and will be researched for our program.