OWW Certified · Published Methodology

Every point. How it's earned.

Most wellness seals never publish what they measure, which is how they end up meaning nothing. This is the whole rubric. Read it, score yourself, and decide whether we're measuring real things before you spend a dollar.

40HEI · Space
25CEI · Textiles
20FEI · Food
15REI · Culture

The commercial property composite. 100 points, four indices, weighted by hours of exposure.

The rubric

Four indices. Sixteen measures.

Weighting follows contact time. A guest breathes the room air for every hour of the stay and touches the bedding for eight of them — so space and textiles carry the most weight. Nothing is scored on opinion; every measure below has a defined instrument or a documented input.

HEI™ — The Space

40 pts

Measured on site with equipment, room by room. Common areas are sampled and averaged into the property composite.

12Air qualityParticulates, VOCs, CO₂, ventilation rate, and whether a window opens.
8Electromagnetic loadField readings at the headboard, desk, and seating. Router and panel placement.
8Water & moistureWater tested at every consumption point. Humidity and moisture intrusion behind fixtures.
6LightDaylight access, spectrum and flicker of installed fixtures, blackout capability.
6SoundAmbient decibel floor, mechanical noise, and transmission between units.

CEI™ — The Textiles

25 pts

Everything that touches skin. Scored from materials documentation, laundering protocol, and physical inspection.

10Bedding materialsFiber content, treatments and finishes applied, certifications held.
7LaunderingDetergents, softeners, and any fragrance or antimicrobial agent in the process.
5Mattress constructionCore materials, flame-retardant approach, age and replacement cycle.
3Uniforms & service textilesWhat staff wear for a full shift, plus towels and robes.

FEI™ — The Food

20 pts

Scored from menus, supplier documentation, and a kitchen walkthrough. Properties with no food service are scored on beverage and water alone, with the composite reweighted.

8SourcingWhole versus processed inputs, additive load, supplier transparency.
6PreparationOils and cooking methods, cookware, storage materials.
4Beverage & waterDrinking water treatment, containers, and what's stocked in the room.
2TransparencyWhether a guest can find out what's in what they're served.

REI™ — The Culture

15 pts

The only index scored from people rather than instruments. Assessed through structured staff interviews and observed guest interaction, never from management self-report alone.

7Staff conditionsBreak environment, scheduling practice, and whether the team has a way to raise problems.
5Guest interactionObserved arrival and service encounters. Presence over script.
3ContinuityTenure and turnover. A field is built by people who stay.
What a score unlocks

The number is yours. The badge is earned.

0–59UnlistedPrivate report · no display rights
60–74Certified ClearProperty badge · no unit plaques
75–84Certified ChargedProperty badge + unit plaques
85–94Certified RestorativeFull display rights + directory feature
95–100Sanctuary CertifiedTop tier · rare by design

No index may score below 50% of its allocation and still reach Restorative or above. A property cannot buy its way to a high composite by excelling in one dimension while neglecting another.

Standing rules

The rules that make the number worth showing.

  1. We score. We don't remediate.

    Corrective work is done by licensed practitioners. OWW takes a royalty and never the invoice. The grader has nothing to gain from your gaps.

  2. Scores expire in twelve months.

    Re-audit or display rights lapse automatically. There are no permanent badges.

  3. Revocation is real and public.

    Conditions that fall below the certified tier between audits end the license. Revocations are published.

  4. Money never buys a score.

    Payment covers the audit and the license. Below 75 you receive a report and no badge, regardless of what was spent.

  5. Auditors don't set their own pay.

    Audit fees are fixed by unit count and published. No auditor's compensation varies with the score they issue.

  6. Appeals are heard.

    Any measure can be contested within 30 days with documentation. A second auditor reviews. Successful appeals are re-scored at no cost.

What this is not

The honest edges of what we measure.

This is not a health assessment.

The rubric measures environmental inputs against a defined rubric. It does not diagnose, treat, or predict any health outcome for any individual, and no score should be read as a medical claim.

This is not a building inspection.

We are not structural engineers, electricians, or code officials. A high score says nothing about structural soundness, fire safety, or code compliance. Those require licensed inspectors, and certification never substitutes for one.

A score is a snapshot.

It reflects conditions on the audit date. A property that changes suppliers, renovates, or lets a protocol slip has changed its score, whether or not the plaque has caught up. That's why they expire.

Some measures are judgment.

Air and water readings are instrument data. REI is assessed by trained people observing other people, and reasonable auditors can differ by a point or two. We publish that rather than pretend otherwise — which is also why the appeal exists.

Rubric version 1.0 · Effective 2026 · Changes published here with 90 days' notice before taking effect

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