Foundational Accreditation and the Four Gold Leaves

WellHotel Accreditation starts with a foundational standard: twenty core requirements covering governance, risk, training, environment, data privacy, and sanitation.

From there, properties earn Gold Leaves in the areas where they excel, at their own pace and in any order. Gold Leaves are not amenity upgrades. They measure how deeply wellness practice is embedded across operations and the guest experience.

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GHA WellHotel®
for Medical Travel

An optional Certificate of Excellence for properties hosting guests who travel for medical care.

It covers the support these guests actually need, before treatment and during recovery: appropriate safety protocols, accessibility, dietary and cultural accommodation, and coordination across the continuum of care. It can be added to WellHotel Accreditation at any stage.

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GHA WellHotel®
for Corporate Wellness

An optional Certificate of Excellence for properties whose staff well-being shapes the health of the whole enterprise.

It recognizes properties that run structured workplace wellness practices for their own teams, and that meet the standards corporate buyers apply when selecting venues for their people. Add it to WellHotel Accreditation at any stage.

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GHA WellEstates™ for Residential and Mixed Use

WellHotel accredits transient guest environments.

When wellness moves into residences, branded homes, and mixed use developments, the buyer is not a guest for a week. They are an owner for a decade. WellEstates™ is the companion program built for that: a residential governance layer over hospitality excellence, with an optional clinical longevity tier. Governed separately from WellHotel and founded on the same principles.

Where Hotel Standards Prioritize Safety, Health, and Guest Experience

Accreditation tells your guests something a brochure cannot. It says an independent body examined how your property runs, and confirmed it holds up. Not the promise. The practice behind it.

The Accreditation Process

The process is hybrid, part virtual and part onsite, and it is performance based. Online training is included at no additional cost. The goal is not a certificate on a wall. It is a set of work practices your team can sustain after the reviewer goes home.

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A Trusted Accreditation Body

GHA is the only accreditation body focused entirely on medical travel and well-being practice, accrediting and certifying hospitals, clinics, and individuals for medical travel services. WellHotel® extends that work to hotels, resorts, and rental properties serving wellness and medical travel guests.

GHA Standards for Medical Travel 5.0 are accredited by ISQua, the international body that accredits accreditors. That matters here for one reason: it means the rigor behind the WellHotel seal is itself independently examined.

Accreditation Elements

Foundational Standards

WellHotel Accreditation is built on best practice standards and measurable elements. Each requirement is stated plainly, with interpretation guidance beneath it, so your team knows what is being asked and why. Twenty standards form the foundation. Every accredited property meets all twenty.

The Four Gold Leaves

Once Foundational Accreditation is earned, a property may pursue up to four Gold Leaves, in any order, based on its specialty and its pace. Gold Leaves recognize depth, consistency, and durability of practice, not additional amenities. Where standards overlap between Leaves, work is not repeated: if a property earns a second Leaf within a year of the first, the shared requirements carry across.

GOLD LEAF

Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellbeing

Fitness, Spa, Recovery, Nutrition

Properties with governed fitness, spa, sleep, culinary, and restorative programming that hold up under review.

GOLD LEAF

Social and Spiritual Wellbeing

Community, Culture, Spiritual Inclusivity

Properties that build genuine community connection and accommodate cultural and spiritual practice with intent.

GOLD LEAF

Intellectual, Financial, and Occupational Wellbeing

Growth, Literacy, Corporate Hospitality

Properties supporting professional development, financial literacy, and the needs of working guests and their employers.

GOLD LEAF

Environmental and Cultural Wellbeing

Sustainability, Cultural Integration

Properties advancing environmental practice and integrating local culture into the guest experience.

The Well programs behind the Leaves

Each Gold Leaf draws on a defined set of Well programs. WellPrograms and WellSleep are required across every Leaf. The remainder map to the Leaves they serve.

Physical, Mental, and Emotional Wellbeing

WellPrograms
(Required)

Integrated wellness programming across the full guest stay. Required for every Leaf.

WellSleep
(Required)

Restorative sleep environment, amenities, staff training, and sleep quality monitoring. Required for every Leaf.

WellFitness
(Required)

Facilities, programming, trained staff, guest engagement, and health assessments.

WellSpa
(Required)

Facility standards, service range, certified practitioners, and guest safety protocols.

WellCuisine
(Required)

Culinary wellness, nutrition, and dietary accommodation.

WellMind
(Required)

Mindfulness, mental and emotional support programming.

WellAqua
(Optional)

Aquatic environments, water safety, and hydrotherapy practice.

WellBreath
(Optional)

Air quality, breathwork,and respiratory wellness.

WellRestore
(Optional)

Recovery and restoration practice.

WellSpiritual
(Optional)

Spiritual inclusivity and practice.

WellPets
(Optional)

Accommodation of animals in the guest experience.

WellTech
(Optional)

Technology governance across the wellness offering.

WellAdventure
(Optional)

Environmental practice and sustainability.

WellNature
(Optional)

Nature access and integration.

Social and Spiritual Wellbeing

WellPrograms
(Required)

Integrated wellness programming across the full guest stay. Required for every Leaf.

WellSleep
(Required)

Restorative sleep environment, amenities, staff training, and sleep quality monitoring. Required for every Leaf.

WellSpa
(Optional)

Facility standards, service range, certified practitioners, and guest safety protocols.

WellMind
(Required)

Mindfulness, mental and emotional support programming.

WellAqua
(Optional)

Aquatic environments, water safety, and hydrotherapy practice.

WellBreath
(Optional)

Air quality, breathwork,and respiratory wellness.

WellRestore
(Optional)

Recovery and restoration practice.

WellCommunity
(Required)

Community and member involvement.

WellCultural
(Required)

Cultural experience and integration.

WellSpiritual
(Required)

Spiritual inclusivity and practice.

WellPets
(Optional)

Accommodation of animals in the guest experience.

WellAdventure
(Optional)

Environmental practice and sustainability.

WellNature
(Optional)

Nature access and integration.

Intellectual, Financial, and Occupational Wellbeing

WellPrograms
(Required)

Integrated wellness programming across the full guest stay. Required for every Leaf.

WellSleep
(Required)

Restorative sleep environment, amenities, staff training, and sleep quality monitoring. Required for every Leaf.

WellMind
(Optional)

Mindfulness, mental and emotional support programming.

WellCommunity
(Optional)

Community and member involvement.

WellCorporate
(Required)

Corporate hospitality and workplace well-being.

WellLearning
(Required)

Education and professional growth.

WellFinance
(Required)

Financial literacy and transparency for guests.

WellTech
(Required)

Technology governance across the wellness offering.

WellEco
(Required)

Environmental practice and sustainability.

Environmental and Cultural Wellbeing

WellPrograms
(Required)

Integrated wellness programming across the full guest stay. Required for every Leaf.

WellSleep
(Required)

Restorative sleep environment, amenities, staff training, and sleep quality monitoring. Required for every Leaf.

WellFitness
(Optional)

Facilities, programming, trained staff, guest engagement, and health assessments.

WellCuisine
(Optional)

Culinary wellness, nutrition, and dietary accommodation.

WellCommunity
(Required)

Community and member involvement.

WellCultural
(Required)

Cultural experience and integration.

WellLearning
(Optional)

Education and professional growth.

WellTech
(Optional)

Technology governance across the wellness offering.

WellEco
(Required)

Environmental practice and sustainability.

WellAdventure
(Optional)

Environmental practice and sustainability.

WellNature
(Required)

Nature access and integration.

Who Is This Accreditation For?

From a single boutique property to a global brand, WellHotel® gives hoteliers a framework that holds at any scale.

Luxury hotels, business hotels, boutique properties, inns and bed and breakfasts, short term rental properties, real estate projects, airport hotels, family hotels, beach and vacation hotels, suite hotels, spa hotels, extended stay hotels, chain hotels, resort hotels, and more.