ENCINITAS, CALIF.—The Inn at Moonlight Beach announced that it has been awarded WELL Certification at the Platinum level by the International WELL Building Institute’s (IWBI) collaboration with Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). Going a step further than LEED certification, the prestigious distinction was awarded through IWBI’s WELL Building Standard (WELL), which is the premier building standard to focus on enhancing people’s health and wellness through the buildings where we live, work and play.
The Inn, an intimate 4,000 square foot boutique hotel on a third of an acre lot, is nestled in a residential neighborhood in historical downtown Encinitas, a short walk from Moonlight Beach and two blocks from the train station. This “Conscious destination in the heart of Encinitas” offers five modern, tranquil suites, 10 distinct gardens, and an owner’s quarters. The entire property is a biodynamic urban farm that yields beautiful vistas and productive landscapes of medicinal herbs, cut flowers, succulents, and vegetables, fruits, and teas that the Inn shares with its guests. Designed to support health, wellbeing and a sense of community, the property includes spiritual elements and a serene yoga deck and meditation garden.
The WELL Building Standard: Created through seven years of rigorous research and development working with leading physicians, scientists, and industry professionals, the WELL Building Standard is a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research. The Inn at Moonlight Beach earned the distinction based on seven categories of building performance—Air, Water, Light, Nourishment, Fitness, Comfort and Mind—and achieved a Platinum level rating.
Concept Aligns with Intention of Hotel
“I was inspired and grateful for the effort that was put into the creation of the WELL Building Standard and excited about having an opportunity to implement it in a built project. The concept of WELL aligns with the intention of our boutique hotel, which is to nourish life and encourage people to experience the joy of connecting with nature, one’s self, and the broader local community,” says Shangwen Chiu Kennedy, Owner.
Project features that helped The Inn at Moonlight Beach achieve its WELL Certified Platinum rating include:
Air Feature 23—Advanced Air Purification: High quality air filters in every suite and the shared guest lounge.
Water Feature 36—Water Treatment: Purified water from every tap with the inn’s whole-house water filtration system.
Nourishment Feature 45—Food Advertising: Signage that encourages guests to select from the fresh, healthy, organic foods offered daily in the Breakfast Basket and as snacks in the Guest Lounge.
Light Feature 61—Right to Light: Over 75 percent of all regularly occupied spaces are within 7.5 m (25ft) of view windows.
Fitness Feature 70—Fitness Equipment: The Inn provides cardiorespiratory and muscle-strengthening equipment to encourage guests and employees to engage in exercise.
Comfort Feature 76—Thermal Comfort: Occupants can adjust the temperature according to their preferences, which positively impacts mood, performance, and productivity.
Mind Feature 88—Biophila I: Biophilia happens throughout the building in every moment and every view. Each room was designed for the guest to experience dwelling in nature, and the California environment allows for an indoor-outdoor living experience of the biodynamic urban farm featuring 10 distinct garden areas.
“By achieving WELL Certification at the Platinum level, the Inn at Moonlight Beach demonstrates to its guests that their health and wellbeing are a priority,” said IWBI CEO and Chairman Rick Fedrizzi. “This achievement also marks an exciting milestone for WELL in hospitality and is evidence of the inn’s outstanding leadership in the industry.”
WELL is grounded in a body of evidence-based research that explores the connection between the buildings where we spend approximately 90 percent of our time, and the health and wellness impacts on the people inside these buildings. To be awarded WELL Certification by IWBI, the Inn at Moonlight Beach underwent rigorous testing and a final evaluation carried out by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which is the third-party certification body for WELL, to ensure it met all WELL Certified Platinum performance requirements.
