Throne Standard for stays 2.2. Live from 3 November 2026. Every stay can carry three separate scores, Eco, Purity and People, each shown to one decimal with its evidence.
How the Throne Standard is calculated for places to stay
Eco 2.2.0 · Purity 1.0.0 · People 1.0.0 · Engine Pillar · Status Live
A score names its metric. Eco measures the venue’s environmental evidence. Purity measures what touches your body, the water you drink and bathe in, the food, the grounds, the cleaning products, the linen and the air. People measures who owns the place, who works there, and what stays in the community. They are never added together. Purity is our lead lens, and no tourism certification we reviewed measures it.
We rate, we don’t certify. Stays never pay for a score and there is no licensed badge. Every level below can be earned from public, dated evidence, and no score requires a visit from us. Guest travel is not scored, because everyone gets there how they can.
Eco, venue environmental evidence · version 2.2.0| Pillar | Weight | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
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| Nature, biodiversity and regeneration | 30 | Claim only, such as being surrounded by nature | A named area of habitat kept undisturbed, or one named native planting or conservation activity | Several evidenced systems, such as protected habitat on site, native restoration and a wildlife programme, with no synthetic pesticides on the land | Legal protection such as a reserve or conservation easement, or measured outcomes published with dates and figures (hectares restored, species monitored, nests or hatchlings counted) |
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| Energy and climate | 15 | Claim only | One specific system, such as solar hot water, a stated photovoltaic share, or buildings designed to need no air conditioning | Several systems, such as on site renewables plus at least 80% LED lighting, natural ventilation and metered monitoring; the stay's own vehicles and boats count here | Measured and published, with at least 50% of electricity from on site or directly supplied renewables, or under 88 kWh per occupied room (better than three quarters of Caribbean resorts, Cornell CHSB 2023), or a verified off grid renewable supply. Offsets and certificates earn nothing |
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| Buildings, heritage reuse and land use | 15 | Claim only | One specific practice, such as a historic building reused, local natural materials, or passive cooling design | Several practices, such as reuse of existing structures, local natural materials, passive design and a small footprint on the land | Exceptional reuse or low impact construction independently verified, or measured building performance published |
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| Food, farming and sourcing | 15 | Claim only, such as local or organic with no named source | A named own garden or named local farms supply part of the menu | Own farm or organic land supplies a large share, with named local suppliers and seasonal menus; consolidated local supply rather than daily imports | Measured share published, at least 80% from own land or named local producers, or at least 90% certified organic |
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| Water | 10 | Claim only; towel or linen reuse alone stays here | One specific system, such as rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, or taps and showers at or under 8.5 litres a minute | Several systems, such as rain harvesting plus wastewater treatment and reuse plus low flow fittings | Measured and published at or under 150 litres per guest night, or fully off the public supply on the stay's own natural source, documented |
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| Waste and plastic | 10 | Claim only | One specific system, such as composting all organic waste or sorted recycling | Composting plus recycling plus no single use plastic in rooms and food service | Measured and published, with at least 90% of waste diverted or under 0.10 kg of unsorted waste per guest night |
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| Measurement, transparency and certification | 5 | General commitments without specifics or results | Specific practices, systems and named suppliers published | A current third party certificate confirmed in the certifier's own directory, or measured data published for one year. Tiers earned by years certified add nothing | Measured data per guest night with targets and results published over several years |
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Purity, what touches the guest’s body · version 1.0.0| Pillar | Weight | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
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| Water you drink and bathe in | 25 | Claim only, such as pure water | Public supply filtered at the tap or a refill station, with no single use bottled water as the default | The stay's own natural source (spring, river, well or rain) for drinking and bathing, treated without chlorine | Own natural source with laboratory test results published |
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| Food on your plate | 20 | Claim only, such as fresh or organic with no named source | Named organic or own garden produce in some meals, and plant based meals available | Most meals from the stay's own unsprayed land or named organic farms, with a full plant based menu | Certified organic share of at least 90%, or own unsprayed land growing most of the food, documented in detail |
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| Grounds and pest control | 15 | Claim only | A specific no spray policy, such as no herbicides or glyphosate, or biological mosquito control | No synthetic pesticides or herbicides on the land, biological pest control and organic land management | Certified organic land, or a published no spray, no fogging policy with how the land and pests are managed described in detail |
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| Cleaning, laundry and fragrance | 15 | Claim only, such as eco friendly products | At least 75% of daily cleaning products named as ecolabelled or plant and mineral based | All cleaning and laundry products plant or mineral based or ecolabelled, no chlorine bleach, no synthetic air fresheners or fragrance | Full list of cleaning and laundry products published |
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| Linen, towels and mattresses | 10 | Claim only | Cotton or linen sheets named | All bed linen and towels 100% plant fibre with composition stated, natural fibre or natural latex mattresses | Certified organic plant fibre such as GOTS, or full compositions published |
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| Air and quiet | 10 | Claim only | Smoke free property with natural ventilation | Smoke free, naturally ventilated and set away from main roads, industry and airports, with no fogging | Measured air quality published |
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| Pool and bathing water | 5 | Claim only | Optimised chlorine dosing, saltwater chlorination or supplementary ozone or UV treatment | A natural pool with biological filtration, or bathing in the sea, river or spring instead of a treated pool | Natural or untreated bathing water with test results published |
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People, ownership, work and community · version 1.0.0| Pillar | Weight | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
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| Ownership and control | 30 | Ownership stated without detail | A named owner, with the share held locally or by the family stated | Locally, Black or Indigenous owned and run, family or community held, confirmed by a public record or interview | Community or cooperative ownership, or communal land, shown in a public record |
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| Local work and fair pay | 25 | Claim only, such as local staff | A stated share of staff from the island or nearby communities | A majority of local staff including management, and pay above the legal minimum | Living wage evidence or an independent labour audit |
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| Community benefit | 20 | Claim only | A named community programme, such as a school, fund or training | Several programmes plus named local suppliers and makers | Measured share of revenue staying in the local economy, published |
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| Access to beach and land | 15 | Claim only | Public access to the beach, river or land kept open | The community uses the land, through festivals, schools or an estate open to the public | Legally protected public access or community co management |
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| Culture and heritage | 10 | Claim only | Local food, crafts or language presented with named makers | Heritage conserved and interpreted with the community, makers paid | A community led cultural programme, independently recognised |
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Level 0 is dated contrary evidence, or a source we read that shows the practice is absent. Level 1 is a claim with no supporting evidence. Every finding quotes its source word for word, and every quote is checked against the live page. A certificate is checked in the certifier’s own directory; it proves the evidence is real, and years certified add nothing.
The calculation
Score = 1 + 4 × P, where P = earned points ÷ evidenced weight, and each pillar earns weight × level ÷ 4
- So 0% evidenced performance is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. Scores are shown to one decimal, like 3.3/5.
- Coverage = evidenced weight ÷ applicable weight. We read every stay’s own pages for every pillar. A pillar the stay does not disclose counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. A pillar that does not apply (no pool at the stay) leaves the applicable weight.
- Below 85% coverage, or below 70% performance, the score is held at 3.4 or under.
- If less than half of the applicable weight is at level 2 or above, the score is held at 2.4 or under, so a page of claims cannot score well.
- A score of 4.5 or more needs at least 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight, and the key pillar (nature, water for Purity, ownership for People) at level 3 or above. Otherwise it is held at 4.4.
- A documented red flag holds the score at 2.4 or under.
Green flags and red flags
Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4, listed at the top of each report with the finding, the exact quote and the source. Red flags are documented harms, shown with the finding, the exact quote and the source, and they hold the score at 2.4 or under.
Rules for every metric
- The stay’s own FAQ or policy outranks homepage marketing. Where they conflict, the lower level applies.
- Operator wide or group wide statements cap a pillar at level 1 unless the property is named.
- Purchased offsets and renewable energy certificates earn nothing.
- Each pillar on a listing shows its level, the exact anchor sentence it met and the source, so anyone can check the score and reach the same answer.
- Evidence older than two years is re-checked before it counts.
Eco red flags.
- Guest travel is not scored. Everyone gets there how they can.
- The stay's own FAQ or policy outranks homepage marketing. Where they conflict, the lower level applies.
- Operator wide or group wide statements cap a pillar at level 1 unless the property is named.
- Purchased offsets and renewable energy certificates earn no credit.
- Red flags cap the result at 2/5: building in a protected area or a UNESCO site concern, documented mangrove or reef clearing, captive dolphin or wildlife shows.
Purity rules.
- Level 0 is documented contrary evidence, such as routine fogging, glyphosate on the grounds, polyester or microfibre bedding, or bottled water as the only drinking water.
- Routine pesticide spraying or fogging in guest areas caps the result at 2/5.
People rules.
- Level 0 is documented contrary evidence, such as displacement, denying locals public beach access, or listing on the BDS boycott list.
- Documented denial of public beach access or displacement caps the result at 2/5.
A worked example with the Eco score of Balenbouche Estate
Real evidence from Balenbouche’s own mission, FAQ and dining pages, checked 29 October and 3 November 2026.
Balenbouche Estate, Eco| Pillar | Weight | Level | Points |
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| Nature, biodiversity and regeneration | 30 | 2 | 30 × 2 ÷ 4 = 15 |
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| Energy and climate | 15 | 3 | 15 × 3 ÷ 4 = 11.25 |
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| Buildings, heritage reuse and land use | 15 | 3 | 15 × 3 ÷ 4 = 11.25 |
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| Food, farming and sourcing | 15 | 2 | 15 × 2 ÷ 4 = 7.5 |
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| Water | 10 | 2 | 10 × 2 ÷ 4 = 5 |
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| Waste and plastic | 10 | 2 | 10 × 2 ÷ 4 = 5 |
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| Measurement, transparency and certification | 5 | 1 | 5 × 1 ÷ 4 = 1.25 |
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Calculation| Step | Result |
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| Coverage | 100 of 100 weight evidenced, 100% |
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| Performance P | 56.25 ÷ 100 = 56.25% |
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| Score | 1 + 4 × 0.5625 = 3.25, held under 3.4 because performance is below 70% |
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| Result | 3.3/5 Accommodation Eco Score |
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Evidence we use
Venue disclosures, certifications confirmed in certifiers’ own directories, published measurements, laboratory results, product lists, independent reporting and our own visits when they happen. Every finding keeps its source address and check date.
What we learned from the certifiers
We reviewed Green Globe, Green Key, EarthCheck, GSTC, Travelife, the EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, Biosphere, Green Tourism, LEED, EDGE, Costa Rica’s CST, Ecotourism Australia, Fair Trade Tourism and Preferred by Nature. We adopted their must haves (red flags), Green Key’s and Nordic Swan’s bans on pesticides and harsh cleaners, CST’s laboratory tested drinking water, the EU Ecolabel’s flow limits, Nordic Swan’s water and waste limits, Cornell’s Caribbean hotel energy benchmarks and Green Globe’s living wage. We left out points for writing policies, tiers for years certified, self assessment and secret benchmarks.
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