GSTC Hotel Standard

The only indoor air text in the standard is the ventilation clause attached to designated indoor smoking rooms, quoted here, inside criterion D8 Minimize Pollution. Natural ventilation appears elsewhere as an energy measure. The document contains no criterion on filter grade, fresh air supply rate, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compound or particulate measurement, mould inspection and remediation, or combustion sources inside the building envelope.

Smoking may be permitted only in clearly designated outdoor areas or, where legally allowed, in specifically designated indoor smoking rooms that are separated, ventilated, and managed to minimize exposure to non-smokers.

Criterion D2 addresses water source legality, environmental flows, consumption measurement and risk. Pool chemicals appear only as a safety data sheet item under D7. The document contains no criterion on the treatment train applied to guest water, no filtration specification at building or room level, no tested contaminant panel or named laboratory, no pool or spa water chemistry or sanitation method, and no criterion on how drinking water reaches the guest.

The hotel ensures that its water supply originates from legally compliant sources that do not adversely affect local environmental flows.

Light is addressed only as outward pollution, in the indicator quoted here inside D8 Minimize Pollution, with the annex guidance naming wildlife-friendly lighting, directional fixtures, dimmers, timers, low-intensity bulbs and shielding. There is no separate criterion titled Light and noise pollution in the hotel set; a criterion of that name exists in the GSTC Destination Criteria, which is a different document. The standard contains no criterion on circadian or tunable lighting, colour temperature by time of day, flicker performance, blackout in sleeping areas, or daylight access and glazing.

The hotel takes steps to minimize light pollution, particularly in protected natural, sensitive, or coastal areas and in their proximity.

All 40 criteria, all indicators and the annex guidelines of the GSTC Hotel Standard v.4.01 were read. The document contains no criterion addressing radiofrequency or electromagnetic exposure, wired versus wireless network topology, shielded cabling, demand switches, field measurement in sleeping areas, or router, access point or smart meter placement.

Construction material preference is addressed in A12 and chemical management in D7, which requires that harmful substances be minimised, substituted where possible and safely managed. The document contains no criterion naming low emission materials, no VOC content or emission test method for finishes or adhesives, no criterion on mattress composition or flame retardant treatment, no criterion on linen fibre content or textile certification, and no criterion on plastics in contact with guests, food or water. Linens and mattresses appear only as waste streams.

Where new construction, renovations, or expansions take place, the hotel gives preference to the use of locally sourced construction methods and materials, as well as low-impact options or those certified under recognized sustainability standards.

Criterion A13 carries fourteen indicators on procurement, including the monitoring requirement quoted here, and A14 is a dedicated food and beverage criterion. Sourcing verification and supplier transparency are addressed directly. The document contains no criterion on on site growing, cookware or cooking oil policy, water used in the kitchen or for ice, or allergen, additive and seed oil discipline.

The hotel monitors procurement practices using key performance indicators, such as the percentage of goods and services sourced locally, the proportion of items that are environmentally friendly, or the percentage obtained through fair-trade and other verified responsible channels.

Landscape and planting are addressed in A12, and property level biodiversity management elsewhere in section D. The document contains no criterion on direct nature access from guest rooms, views, outlook or prospect, spatial volume or ceiling height, or publication of the design intent behind natural materials.

The hotel prioritizes the use of native or endemic plant species in landscaping and decoration to support local biodiversity. In all cases, invasive species are avoided.

Noise is addressed only as outward pollution from the hotel's own events and sound systems, in the same D8 Minimize Pollution criterion that carries light, with the annex guidance naming equipment noise limits. The document contains no criterion on measured background noise level in guest rooms, acoustic separation between adjoining keys, mechanical or air conditioning plant noise, or low frequency and infrasound, and no criterion on scent, fragrance or chemical load carried in the air.

Noise: equipment noise limits