When you're in the hospitality industry, you get to know some tricks of the trade. You've got to stay on your feet when it comes to making your hotel a welcoming place for guests, because the needs of the people who walk in the front door are always changing. I've spent my life working my way up the hospitality ladder, so I've seen these changing needs up front and personally. That's why I've come to realize there are two ways you can really try to make your hotel inviting.

The first way that I tried when I became a hotel manager was surveying guests as they checked out. They answered a few simple questions before loading up the car and in a matter of minutes, they were on their way out the door. I analyzed their answers and tried to meet every one of them. I knew that some of the guests might have been just passing through and not plan to come back, but I thought maybe I could make all their needs come true to make future guests happier as well.

This meant that I was bending over backwards to teach staff how to fold towels into animal shapes, budgeting for small candies to be left on pillows and shelling out way too much money to go as far as changing the interior design scheme. In the end, I kept getting just a few survey results that preferred things done the old way. That's why I realized there was another way to do this.

I researched the best ways to keep hotel guests happy and looked for simple solutions. Guests might not have thought to ask for them, but they were going to help way more than putting adjustable mattresses in every room. One of these simple and fantastic solutions was to use more live plants throughout the hotel. There are so many benefits you can give your hotel space just by investing in some potted plants.

  • Online Pictures Will Look More Attractive

With the expansive and popular presence of the internet, almost everyone books their hotel room by looking around online to see which one is the best for them. Price is a major factor while people are considering booking a room, but they also rely heavily on the pictures that are provided. Seeing a bland room with a bed and a TV won't spark their interest, but seeing some plants in the room shows that the hotel cares about detail and that will make the room preview pictures more attractive to visitors.

  • Plants Make Rooms Appear Fresher

The green shoots of new plant life always brighten up a room. The same greenery will make any room appear and feel fresher too. There are great plants that purify the air so it smells clean and is healthier to breathe, and most of the air purifying plants are simple to take care of too. Housekeeping staff can water the plants in each room once a day in the mornings, and if they skip a room because the cleaning service isn't requested, the plants will be sturdy enough to last another day without wilting too much.

  • ROI Will Increase

If you don't have the ability to put plants in every room, they're equally effective if you just put a few in the lobby area. Recent studies have shown that having plants in the lobby increases revenue, along with longer average guest stays and increased occupancy. You might not have a green thumb, but even investing in high quality plants doesn't mean you have to be a gardener. You can still create that increased revenue effect in a shorter time period than any renovation project with just one plant.

  • You Can Guide Guests' Emotions

The old saying goes that you offer someone great food if you want an easy way to their heart, but you don't need to add room service to your list of amenities to win the love of your guests. An easier and more budget-friendly way is to use a green-focused color scheme that takes advantage of plants. Green is the most balanced of the colors and represents prosperity and stability. It has a calming effect, which will help guests relax and feel at home after they've been on the road all day long.

  • You'll Create a Homey Feel

The best way to make a lasting connection with a guest is to make them feel at home. When they stay overnight, your hotel should feel like a second home to them. New guests might walk in with a low bar of expectations set because of previously bad hotel experiences, and those are the ones I love to wow the most. They figure they'll be happy with just a fluffy pillow and warm comforter, but I know that when they open the door to their room, their minds will be blown.

Even one night spent without the anxiety of staying somewhere new where they can't get comfortable will up the odds that they remember their stay and want to come back again on a future trip. Most people have plants in their home or around it, so finding plants in the lobby area or in their room will help them easily adjust to their new temporary space. Making a suite feel like home is what will really keep drawing your guests back in for future visits.

Using live plants in my hotel space wasn't something I originally had on my mind when I became manager, but that's why they're perfect. They quickly catch the approving eye of guests without being too much of a focal point in the overall design of a space. The color green and positive display of a tiny plant that lives and grows in the hotel will create a homey environment that welcomes and relaxes any guest.

Now that I've seen how live plants have helped increase my ROI and the positive reviews left online by guests, it's become a priority of mine to always have people watering and checking on them. Ultimately, the cost of buying or replacing the plants with new ones is worth it in the end in the hospitality business.