Spa & wellness
potted plants. Thousands of miles away, the Grand Mercure Agra bills itself as an oasis in the city, boasting elegant water features and a shaded courtyard setting. At the same time, Accor’s work is being echoed by
hospitality at large. Wyndham, Marriott and IHG are just three of the industry titans to bring greenery into their properties, even as the global biophilic design market could reach $3.1bn by 2028. That, of course, still leaves the question of why biophilia is blooming. As Perrot’s allusion to “guest needs” implies, part
Previous page and below: Botanika Osa: where stargazing rooftops blend with medicinal gardens.
Top far right: The Hilton Conrad D.C. where luxury meets nature through light and greenery.
Top and Middle right: Mercure Osaka: luxury and nature seamlessly blend throughout.
Below far right: Eden Restaurant, Pullman: fi ne dining and nature.
$3.1bn
The estimated size of the biophilic design market by 2028. Budwing
Back to nature Few insiders are better placed to consider the opportunities – and challenges – of design biophilia than Damien Perrot. A hospitality veteran, he began at French hotel giant Accor back in 1998. Over the subsequent two decades, he’s worked in a variety of roles, from equipment services to design and innovation. In 2023, meanwhile, these varied roles crystallised into Perrot’s most current role, where he currently serves as Accor’s global chief design, technical services and innovation officer for premium, midscale and economy brands. To put it differently, Perrot is someone able to reflect on biophilia in the round – and as he explains, these principles are central to Accor as a global brand. “Biophilia,” he says, “is definitely very important for us. It’s much more than a trend or an aesthetic. For us, it’s a design process, so we really take that into account to answer guest needs, as well as the challenges we’re facing today.” This enthusiasm is obvious if you take a tour of Accor brands. In Los Angeles, for instance, the Fairmont Century Plaza has clean lines and thick
of the answer lies with customers. Once again, the numbers are revealing, with 79% of guests in one 2018 survey declaring they’d rather sleep in environmentally friendly properties. Covid-19, for its part, is a factor too: a 2022 survey of 507 hotelgoers found that the depression and anxiety pushed many to reconnect with nature. Even so, it’d be foolish to suggest that biophilia is simply giving customers what they want. One important factor is doing good by the planet, with Traxler suggesting that nature-first design can “improve air quality” – as well as “create a strong local connection and message about sustainability and our focus on delivering world-class hospitality.” Perrot dovetails the green agenda with staying in the black, noting that with careful placement of walls or windows, hotels can reduce the need for air conditioning and drastically cut energy bills, even as they make their rooms and restaurants more beautiful places to be.
Green space Visit the Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba, and you get a pretty good idea of what hotel biophilia looks like. Flanked by power lines and overpasses, its setting oozes Japanese urbanism. Even before you go inside, though, you’ll notice a change. Guarding the entrance are flowers and trees, with more poking up from the windows above your head. Inside, it’s more of the same: plants, on simple black shelves, line walls towards the ceiling. More green sprouts up from vast black pots, even as nearby paintings continue the naturalistic theme too. It seems fair to agree with Perrot when he says the aim at the Mercure Tokyu Stay Osaka Namba was to create an “immersive” natural experience. For if greenery is certainly part of the equation here, both executives agree biophilia is about far more than plant life. “This trend is not just about aesthetics but should embrace all five senses – sight, touch, sound, smell and taste,” is how Traxler vividly puts it. “This delivers a multi-sensory experience for
our guests that reduces stress, improves their mood (physical and mental health) and elevates their overall willingness to return to our hotels. It is key not to lose sight of touching all five senses and not just stop at a few potted plants in the lobby.” Certainly, that’s apparent in Osaka: all those plants don’t exist in a vacuum, but instead are lit by elegant
14 Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Accor; Hilton
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