As Florida’s hospitality industry slowly continues its return to normalcy following the unprecedented events of the Spring, it becomes more important than ever to stand out to prospective guests. Our world is increasingly attached to social media and, as a result, increasingly reliant on visual stimulation when making decisions. In short: first impressions are everything, and they are more important now than ever. Your luxury hotel’s exterior design sets the precedent for the guest experience, giving visitors a valuable glimpse into what they can expect during their stay. This is why we’re sharing our top landscaping tips to stand out in a crowded hotel market. If you’re looking to boost your luxury hotel’s client appeal and incentivize bookings, do not underestimate the power of exterior design. Let’s dive in.

The greatest challenge of landscaping is in successfully treading the fine line between compatibility with the local landscape and brand consistency. If your hotel is one of many in a larger chain, your exterior design must rise to the standard of sophistication and elegance that guests have come to expect, all the while embracing the beach-casual ambience that is a staple of Florida life. This will likely mean foliage that evokes the spirit of summer year-round and heat-resistant pavers in light colors.

One of the most undervalued elements of exterior design is in the power of pavers: paver color, texture, and layout are an instrumental part of setting the stage for your hotel’s look and feel. They can make the difference between embracing your hotel’s landscape and missing the mark. When it comes to exterior design, start with the pavers: they’ll quite literally set the foundation for everything else.

Whether your hotel’s brand is rooted in urban sophistication, understated charm, or timeless elegance, there is room in its exterior design for making a bold statement. In fact, it’s what we recommend. Our world is more image-oriented than ever before: 55% of the billion people on social media are inclined to make a purchase after seeing an appealing photo or video. There’s a reason why the Royal Hawaiian, Miami’s Fountainebleu, and NoLa’s Hotel Monteleone are among the most famous and easily recognizable in the world: their exteriors make a statement. Don’t shy away from interesting colors and designs, both in your foliage and your pavers, in order to stand out.

Your exterior paver design is an excellent place to get creative: play around with unique patterns, color combinations, and textures. Elevate your hotel’s exteriors from something guests can easily take for granted to something they consider part of their luxury experience. Make guests stop and stare at your exterior, showing them the innovation and attention to detail they can expect to experience during their stay.

No matter what bold designs you’re installing or what creative statements are being made by your hotel’s exterior design, the most important factor determining their success is the immaculacy with which they’re carried out. Guests don’t see imprecise pavers by the millimeter, but they do notice when these small imperfections combine to create a less-than-perfect whole. The more statements your design makes, the more important it becomes to strive for (and achieve) perfection in its execution.

Of course, the quality of your installation boils down to your paver installer. It’s easy enough to say “find a great paver installer,” but what qualities does that entail, exactly? The key is to find a provider who will strive to get to know your hotel: your landscape, your brand, and – most importantly – your guests and your goals. On top of this, an excellent paver installer will contribute their expertise to help elevate your vision, making sure your paver design complements your hotel’s surroundings while remaining true to its brand. In short: your paver installer should approach this as a partnership, not just as a job. They should make your vision come true, but they should not shy away from making recommendations in your hotel’s best interest. On top of it all, they must execute every single step of the paver installation process with the highest level of precision and perfectionism.

Our top landscaping tips to stand out in a crowded hotel market boil down to making sure you set a beautiful, bold foundation with your pavers. Give guests the luxury experience they want from the moment they set eyes on your hotel and set your property apart from the rest.