The gardens stand out to the naked eye and are spaces that give identity to a hotel that seeks to preserve its natural side and at the same time generate new sensations among its guests.
by Duván Chaverra
The guest is by nature observant, he stops his gaze in places where the smallest detail makes the difference. The lights, a piece of furniture, a mirror reflect the identity of a hotel and lead the client to have valid elements to make a correct selection of the place where he will rest for one or several nights.
And if that happens with the small details, many can already imagine what could happen to the large, colorful, vivid and natural spaces that some hotels have in their structures. These spaces are summarized in hotel landscaping.
There fit all kinds of natural areas that, accompanied by a great planning in the design, adorn the surroundings of the hotel and give the environmentalist and colorful touch to a space designed for the enjoyment of tourists and the relaxation of business travelers.
There are huge places with golf courses, hectares of green areas, recreation, etc., and there are also small hotels that spare no effort to attract the attention of their guests looking for a novel design in their garden.
On this occasion, HOTEL MANAGEMENT will address the issue of hotel landscaping based on the knowledge of an expert in the field. Her name is María Elena Acuña, an Argentine who currently lives in Barcelona, Spain, where she has done important work in gardening and outdoor spaces through her brand Mae-land.
Thanks to his broad view within the hotel field, his opinions will be a reference for the Latin American environment. Initially, María Elena talks about the main trends in hotel landscaping, highlighting the "green" as the key point to exalt the visitor's senses.
"The resources to achieve this goal are usually diverse, although I could say that today vertical gardens, pendants, suspended, landscaped terraces, etc., in combination with various materials, plus the different uses of water and furniture, allow to generate really very interesting spaces," said the guest.
Our guest adds on this subject that the previous study of what you want to install and the spaces you have is key: "Each space to be projected deserves a study of the situation and from this will come the general design parameters. It is very important that the client feels in a comfortable environment and the landscaping, well applied, more than covers these needs by offering a range of resources in this regard".
Aspects to analyze
There are many issues that must be studied before designing a landscaping for hotels. In addition to seeking the advice of an expert in the subject, the hotel manager must also be clear that the aesthetic issue is one of the many aspects to take into account.
María Elena talks about characteristics such as the place where the hotel is located, the spaces that surround it, the climate, the environment of the building is what allows us to analyze the complexity of the project that you want to carry out.
"It is very different if we talk about a resort or an urban hotel, although the common premise is always the function that this space will have in the dynamics of the building, depending on the type of hotel the relationship may be close, intensive in terms of use or only contemplative," said the expert.
In addition, a good selection of species (plants, animals) will allow to develop a more responsible work, highlighting that landscaping does not always involve vegetation. "The selection of species is fundamental, it is a very important work, since we are talking about a living element, with the capacity for change, with which it will evolve over time. If this step is not done with knowledge, this new landscape will fail miserably. Personally I prefer to work with native species or adapted to the site, trying to minimize the impact on the environment, "explains María Elena.
According to our guest, the results of a good garden will be seen over time, there is the key, because its conservation and self-sustainability will allow us to deduce that a good job of design and creation was done.
María Elena, with a very literary speech, explains the elements that must be combined once a hotel landscaping is finished: "A good garden is surely one that as time goes by is getting better, a place where the conjugation of species allows to evidence the seasonal change, where its condition of living and mutant being is manifested, where the vegetation evolves finishing the original idea and the spaces are lived according to their original needs. Where new uses are discovered that are evident over time."
The success of a good space, in addition to the ideas designed from the design experience, also goes in the good selection of materials, which must be according to the style created. "In terms of materials, new products are constantly being incorporated that were previously perhaps unthinkable for gardens such as mirrors, various metals, textured concrete, materials from recycling, pallets, rubbers, etc. There is also something very important in hotels that may not be essential in other projects: furniture, "explained the Master in landscape architecture.
The importance of a garden
If we recapitulate what has been said so far, we can deduce that for a successful project the type and style of hotel must be taken into account, that the positive results will be known over time and that the well-selected materials will contribute much more to the result.
But what is the importance that hoteliers are giving to this type of decorations? María Elena says that it is an aspect that is growing. "Fortunately, more and more hoteliers understand this need and seek professional advice. Green "sells" warmth and quality, although it implies investment in maintenance and management in the intervention".
The architect highlights the relevance of maintenance, a factor that must be taken into the budget if you want to renovate and design a garden for your hotel. "Whoever makes the decision to incorporate green, takes a responsibility: to maintain it correctly. Maintenance management is almost as important as the project itself, it is what ensures that the space evolves correctly."
Furniture as a complement
The furniture, by design and necessity, is the perfect complement to some gardens, according to the intention you have with this space. This type of elements must have certain characteristics to coexist in a space in which the climate plays a determining role when talking about performance and duration.
Materials such as aluminum, PVC treated with ultraviolet light are important for places with constant rain or humidity. In dry places, the implementation of wood is best.
Color also plays a determining role in the design, and for outdoor spaces, according to the style of the hotel, colors such as beige or brown are the most recommended by experts, although in the spaces most designed for tourism blue or green predominate for their brilliance.
* Photo: courtesy of Cancun Palace
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