Kimpton Hotels Launches ‘Plant Pals’ Program Ahead of Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day next month, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will be rolling out its new “Plant Pals” program next month, a new first-of-its-kind global guest amenity offering that provides guests with regionally sourced plants to enjoy in their rooms.

Studies now suggest that having plants in their environment can both boost people’s moods and increase productivity. Based on such research, a recent hypothesis has emerged that “posits an innate biological and genetic connection between humans and nature, including an emotional dimension to this connection.”

So, this April, the hospitality brand will begin offering guests an in-room mood booster during their stays, courtesy of Mother Nature herself. The Plant Pals program was born of Kimpton’s evolving ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) commitment to sourcing its offerings locally and working with like-minded labels, the company partnered on this initiative with Brooklyn-based, Black, non-binary, queer influencer Plant Kween.

With expertise in many varieties of vegetation, Plant Kween helped Kimpton curate unique selections of plants indigenous to the global region in which each property is situated and procure them in a sustainable way. Taking into account her advice and recommendations, each property worked with local vendors to source appropriate plant species.

Upon request, guests can select a botanical buddy off of their Kimpton hotel’s native plant menu, with species available according to each property’s location, to enjoy in their room. Each one comes complete with care tips with a unique name tag, like Morgan Treeman, Snake Gyllenhaal and Nagini (The Snake Plant).

To take advantage of the complimentary program, guests can simply call the front desk any time before or after check-in to request that their choice of Plant Pal be placed in their room to help brighten up their stay.

Here are some examples of indoor foliage available at Kimpton hotels around the world:

—Guests checking into the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Salt Lake City can check out foliage like the Maidenhair Fern, which is native to the Midwest region.

—Guests at California properties, including Kimpton Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara or Kimpton Alton Hotel in San Francisco, can request a range of native plants, including White Sage and Prickly Pear Cactus.

—Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia will feature Ostrich Ferns, while guests staying at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC will find Plant Pal options like New York Ferns.

—Guests staying at Kimpton’s Southern properties, like Miami’s Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami and Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in Grand Cayman can choose from among a variety of tropical plants, including Coral Bells, Nevius Stonecrop, Southern Shield Fern and Saw Palmetto.

—When traveling internationally, guests can enjoy such species as English Ivy and Baby’s Tears at European locations, like Kimpton Vividora Hotel in Barcelona; or Pothos, Ficus Audrey, and Chinese Evergreen plants at properties in the Asia/Pacific region, like Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo.