Larger hotel chains could use a clear floral design strategy
to keep the brand consistent so guests always know exactly which hotel they are
in at any time. Standardised
arrangements give a clear and visible signal that the hotel is organised enough
to have thought this through without having to increase budgets or invest heavily
in new furnishings. Boutique hotels, on
the other hand, that generally prefer a more individual profile, can use
flowers in precisely the opposite way.
Unusual designs or materials serve to create interest, not just at the
first point of contact but at various stages during their journey through the
hotel. In this sense, it is perhaps
preferable not to have cut flowers everywhere, but to stage the experience of
the floral décor like a piece of music with cadences and crescendos, which
begin and end at the main ‘Wow’ moment in the entrance.
Floral arrangements also speak about the profile of the
establishment and convey a sense of their style and values. A restaurant that only uses roses and
hydrangeas in their displays is potentially making a statement about the
flowers it fails to use and which ones it considers worthy of its
investment. Many up-market
establishments prefer to use only white flowers as the quintessential marker of
good taste and breeding. Some hotel
managers tell me that they don’t care whether the customer loves or hates the
flowers as long as they talk about them.
The most notable case of this is, in fact, Le Caprice and the Ivy
restaurants. Their strategy as a ‘home from home’ crossed with a private
members club is dependent on the flowers to provide a constantly changing
talking point. This helps to stimulate conversations
amongst people who could expect to keep bumping into each other several times a
month. Others want their customers to
comment on the flowers but only in the positive; and others still prefer the
flowers to change in content but always the same sort of shape and style – a
rock of stability in an uncertain world.
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