The Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago has partnered with city’s Garfield Park Conservatory to create what they are calling a plant pop-up hotel—a selection of rooms that will be loaded with indoor plants.
The idea emerged after a recent survey conducted by travel booking site Orbitz revealed how much millennial travelers appreciate foliage and want to see more of it in their hotels.
According to Orbitz, 63 percent of millennial vacationers reported that the hotel amenity they would most like to see more of is plants in their rooms, based on a survey that was conducted online between May 30 and June 6, 2019, of 1,028 U.S. travelers age 25 to 44. The survey also revealed something we have known for a while: that plants can make people happier—61 percent of respondents said that plants boost their overall mood. But nearly half said they would also be more likely to book a hotel that features photos of plants in rooms, and 24 percent said that they would spend $50 to $100 more for a plant-filled room.
Consequently, Orbitz has collaborated with the Kimpton Gray and Garfield Park Conservatory to produce flora-filled rooms for a limited run.
There are 10 plant-themed rooms that are available to book now until September 20, 2019, for overnight stays on the weekend of October 18 through October 20, 2019, and they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The rooms are inspired by popular collections at the conservatory, which helped conceive and oversee the design of the rooms in addition to suggesting which plant species are best suited for each, based on the environment of the rooms and seasonality.
You can sleep in your own personal rain forest–inspired room covered in aroids.
Courtesy of Orbitz
There will be five types of rooms (with two available in each category): a fern room featuring a collection of ferns in either a king spa or king deluxe room (ranging from $368 to $563 per night); a palm room bedecked with palms and tropical plants in a spa or king deluxe room (for $368 to $563 per night); a king deluxe room with fruit-bearing plants and trees such as vanilla orchids (for $368 per night); a desert room, which will be a king deluxe or queen deluxe room that incorporates a wide variety of cacti and succulents ($368 per night); and an aroid room, a king deluxe or queen deluxe room full of aroids, plants that often grow wild on the rain forest floor ($368 per night).
Each room will feature labels identifying all the different plant species, as well as books about plant care, daily care instructions for the plants, plant-themed art, and other flora-related educational materials. The rooms will offer green amenities for guests, such as aloe face masks and green juices.
Guests staying in the rooms will also get tickets to attend Fleurotica, an annual fashion event hosted at the Garfield Park Conservatory, on October 18 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., featuring runway looks designed by Chicago-based landscape artists, floral professionals, and fashion designers.
Beyond the 10 plant-themed rooms, all guests staying at the Kimpton Gray during the plant pop-up weekend will be able to pick a plant for their room at check-in.
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