Are you 'Greening Up' your hotel?
Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic. It’s the word on everyone’s lips these days. You can’t pick up a newspaper (OK, a digital one) or open up a social media feed without the terms ‘Pandemic’ or ‘Covid-19’ popping up somewhere. Aren’t we all sick and tired of it? Of course!
Flywire predicts a travel spike in 2022, as more people get vaccinated and scratch that itch to travel that almost everyone – yours truly included – is waiting to maddeningly scratch.
One of the things that travellers would like to see in hotels, particularly urban concrete box ones, is an increase in “Greening”. No, I’m not talking about Going Green in terms of sustainability, but rather more literal Greening, and that is greenery; Plants. Trees. Succulents. Flowers. After all, there is a significant amount of people who would have spent the lockdowns in tiny apartments that are just one among hundreds in similar concrete buildings. They will want to see some greenery when they travel. Even business travellers would like to see some, as we’ve all been told that looking at greenery is great for relaxing our eyes and calming our minds.
I’d like to see more foliage in hotels. Lobbies should have some lush plants and ideally a water feature. The reception desk can host a nice succulent alongside the computer screens and guest check-in forms (which you should have nixed by this stage in favour of contactless options). Perhaps a plant on the guest room window-sill or in the washroom next to the sink and soaps/shampoos. Some nice flowering bushes by the poolside or on the rooftop bar, for example.
There is no single formula for this. You need to identify the best “Greening” strategy for your hotel, whilst ensuring that the increased watering and care regimens can be accommodated by your Housekeeping Department. Try to select plants that purify the air as well. Also bear in mind that certain plants can emit allergens or cause injury to touch (like cacti, for example) or be poisonous. Remember that there is a chance that small children may break a leaf and place it in their mouth, for instance. So choose your plants carefully.
Why not go even further, and offer a ‘rent-a-plant’ service? Much like the Belgian hotel that offers guests the chance to rent a goldfish for their stay, you could offer a ‘plant menu’ and let guests pick their choice of greening!
Green is here to stay...
Ashraaq Wahab -Technical Director Hospitality Sri Lanka, Automotive Journalist, Marketer and Writer, who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics.
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