InterContinental Phuket Resort earns GSTC sustainability certification

InterContinental Phuket Resort in Phuket has become the first InterContinental hotel in Thailand to win GSTC certification, adding an internationally recognized sustainability credential to the resort’s LEED Gold and Two MICHELIN Key status. The milestone also makes the property the third IHG hotel in Thailand to receive the certification, underscoring a broader push around responsible luxury and lower-impact operations.

Why it matters: - InterContinental Phuket Resort now has independent verification of its sustainability practices across management, social, cultural and environmental impacts. - The certification strengthens the resort’s position in a luxury market where environmental performance is increasingly part of the guest experience. - The milestone also adds to IHG Hotels & Resorts’ sustainability footprint in Thailand, where only two other properties had reached the same standard.

What happened: - InterContinental Phuket Resort in Phuket, Thailand, earned Global Sustainable Tourism Council certification in August 2026. - The resort became the first InterContinental hotel in Thailand to achieve GSTC certification. - The property is now the third IHG Hotels & Resorts hotel in Thailand with the certification, joining Six Senses Yao Noi and Six Senses Samui. - Control Union Certifications, a GSTC-accredited certification body, independently audited and certified the resort.

The details: - GSTC certification evaluates sustainable tourism practices in four areas: sustainable management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts and environmental impacts. - The resort’s sustainability work includes energy and water management, food-waste innovation, ocean conservation, community engagement and responsible gastronomy. - The Oklin Food Waste Composter processes about 125 kilograms of food waste per day. - The composter reduces waste volume by 80% to 90% within 24 hours and turns it into fertilizer. - The system can generate about 360 kilograms of fertilizer each month. - The fertilizer goes to local organizations, schools, the resort’s gardens and farms. - AI-powered food-waste monitoring gives culinary teams real-time data on discarded food. - The resort uses that data to refine portion sizes, purchasing and inventory management. - Proud Kamala is a long-term initiative focused on keeping about three kilometers of Kamala Beach clean. - The program helps reduce pollution, prevent waste from reaching the ocean and support local employment and community participation. - The Ocean For All Foundation’s “License to Clean” catamaran collects waste from waters around Kamala. - Collected materials are brought ashore for recycling, reuse or disposal. - About 80% of the resort’s landscape irrigation water comes from treated wastewater. - Rainwater harvesting and other conservation measures also reduce potable water use. - The resort’s LEED Gold design was built to deliver about 25% energy savings. - Energy measures include LED lighting, motion sensors, lighting controls and ongoing energy monitoring. - The resort works with more than 19 farmers and communities across Thailand. - Local farms in Phang Nga grow organic vegetables using fertilizer made from food-waste compost. - Sipping Tiger, the resort’s bar, works with Chulalongkorn University and Kasetsart University on zero-waste cocktails using locally sourced plants and botanicals. - The resort says the approach turns underused or surplus plant materials into drinks while reducing waste. - InterContinental Phuket Resort has long held Two MICHELIN Keys, which recognize the quality and character of the guest experience.

Between the lines: - The certification links day-to-day operations to broader destination protection, not just back-of-house efficiency. - The resort is using circular systems across food, water, energy and sourcing, which suggests sustainability is built into the operating model rather than added as a marketing layer. - The combination of GSTC certification, LEED Gold and Two MICHELIN Keys positions the property around a specific luxury message: high-end hospitality and lower-impact operations can coexist.

What's next: - The resort said GSTC certification is not an endpoint and will serve as a framework for continued improvement. - Management plans to keep measuring and improving resource use, food systems and beach-to-ocean protection efforts. - The property will continue positioning responsible luxury as part of its identity in Phuket and across the IHG portfolio.

The bottom line: - InterContinental Phuket Resort has turned sustainability into a core operating credential, not a side project.