The lobby gets most of the attention when a hotel thinks about flowers. It's the first impression, so it makes sense. But your guests spend far more of their stay in their room and walking the corridors to reach it. Those are the spaces that decide whether a hotel feels cared for from the moment the lift doors open until checkout.
I've designed faux floral schemes for hotels of every size, from boutique hotels in London to country house hotels in the Midlands, and the rooms and corridors are where I see the biggest gap between what a hotel could be and what it is. Here's my guide to getting them right.
Why faux works so well beyond the lobby
Fresh flowers in a lobby are one delivery and one person's job. Fresh flowers in sixty bedrooms and four floors of corridor are a logistics problem. Faux florals remove that problem completely:
- Housekeeping time stays on housekeeping. No water to change, no wilting stems to clear and no spills on polished furniture between turnovers.
- Every room looks the same on day one and day three hundred. The guest in room 412 gets exactly the experience you designed, whatever day they arrive.
- No pollen and no scent. Guest rooms are sealed, personal spaces. Faux florals suit every guest, including those with allergies or a sensitivity to fragrance.
- They thrive where plants struggle. Most hotel corridors have little or no daylight. Faux greenery and flowers look just as lush under artificial light as they would by a window.
- One investment. Spread across hundreds of rooms, the saving on a weekly flower bill adds up quickly, and the pieces last for years.
Faux flowers in hotel rooms
Think small, low and stable
A bedroom is a working space for your guest. They'll put down keys, laptops, glasses and room service trays, so every arrangement needs to earn its place. I keep room pieces compact and low, with weighted bases that stay put when a case is swung onto the desk or a housekeeper wipes around them.
Where to place them
- The desk or dressing table. The best spot in most rooms. A single orchid or a slim bud vase catches the eye as the guest walks in.
- The bathroom vanity. One of the most photographed spots in any hotel room. A small piece of greenery or a single stem looks fresh in a humid space where real flowers fade fast.
- The window or a side table. Lovely for a reading corner, but keep pieces out of strong direct sun, which will fade any material over time.
- The bedside. Keep this clear, or use something very small. Guests want space for their phone, book and water.
Match the piece to the room type
I usually design two or three tiers. Standard rooms get a single elegant stem or a small arrangement. Superior rooms get something a little fuller. Suites get a statement piece in the living area, the kind guests photograph and share. It's a simple way to make an upgrade feel worth every penny.
Take your colours from the room
Look at the headboard, the cushions and the artwork. The most successful room florals pick up one accent colour from the scheme and add natural greens. When a guest notices the flowers belong to the room, the whole space feels designed.
Faux flowers in hotel corridors
Corridors are long, often dark and usually forgotten. They're also the walk every guest takes at least twice a day. A few well-placed pieces turn a passage into part of the experience.
Anchor the key moments
- Lift lobbies. The first thing guests see on their floor. A console with a generous arrangement here sets the tone for every room beyond it.
- The end of a long corridor. A piece at the end of a sightline draws the eye and makes the walk feel shorter.
- Alcoves, niches and landings. Ready-made frames for florals, and often the only spots in a corridor with space to spare.
- Staircases. A tall arrangement on a landing gives height and drama where guests slow down.
Use rhythm and repetition
Repeating the same piece at regular intervals, or on every floor in the same position, looks deliberate and calm. It also makes refreshing easy, because every piece follows one design.
Help guests find their way
A lovely idea for larger hotels: give each floor its own colour. Blush on the second floor, white on the third, deep green on the fourth. Guests remember where they are, and the building gains a quiet sense of character.
Fire safety and practicalities
Corridors are escape routes, so florals there need extra thought. Keep every arrangement clear of the walking line, doors and fire equipment, and check your plans against your hotel's fire risk assessment. For commercial spaces I recommend fire-retardant plants and trees, and I'm always happy to talk through what your venue or insurer needs.
A few more things I plan for on every hotel project:
- Stability. Luggage, trolleys and vacuum cleaners all pass through corridors. Weighted vessels and secure fixings keep everything upright.
- Lighting. Position pieces under or near a downlight. Faux florals come alive with a little light on them.
- Cleaning. A quick dust with a soft brush, or a hairdryer on a cool setting, during the weekly clean keeps everything looking freshly delivered. A deeper clean once or twice a year is plenty.
Planning your scheme
The best place to start is the guest journey. Walk it yourself: out of the lift, along the corridor, through the bedroom door and into the bathroom. Note every point where your eye lands on an empty surface or a blank wall. That's your plan.
From there, I'd suggest:
- Start with the lift lobbies and corridor ends, where one piece is seen by every guest on the floor.
- Add a room design per room type, so housekeeping has one simple standard to follow.
- Finish with statement pieces in the suites.
- Plan a seasonal change for the corridors. My seasonal refresh service swaps your designs through the year, so returning guests always find something new.
How I can help
I design faux floral schemes for hotels from the lobby to the smallest guest room, and my team installs them around your occupancy, floor by floor if you need. Take a look at the blossom ceiling at The Mount Hotel and the hanging florals at Buckle Street Studios, or see how I work with hotels on my hotel florals page.
If you're planning your rooms and corridors, I'd love to hear about your hotel. Read more about faux flowers for business, or start your project and I'll come back to you personally.
Sharon Demmery
Founder & designer, Demmerys Faux Floral Studio
