Hotel Feng Shui Tips: Bringing The Practice To Your Property
Let’s start with the basics. Feng shui (pronounced fuhng shway and roughly translated to “the way of wind and water”) is an ancient Chinese philosophy centered on conscious occupation in spaces where we live, work and play. Feng shui looks at space design to encourage the unobstructed flow of the fundamental life force known as qi (pronounced chee). Done right, it promotes well-being, prosperity and overall happiness.
5 Feng Shui Elements
If you’ve ever read about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), you’ll already be familiar with the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal and water. They also play a foundational role in feng shui, where each element exerts a unique influence on energy. Achieving the proper balance of the five is key to your hotel’s design.
Basic Feng Shui Tips For Your Entrance & Lobby
Your property’s entrance and lobby deliver that all-important first impression and sense of arrival for guests. There are some simple feng shui design guidelines and elements you can introduce in these spaces to welcome guests and enhance their well-being. A water fountain or feature conveys tranquility and prosperity while natural light and healthy, live plants instill feelings of vitality and renewal.
Feng Shui Hotel Room
Even for guests unaware of feng shui, its design and placement principles work together to create a sense of safety and security. We begin in the space where those feelings are most important — the guestroom.
Bed Time: Begin by placing the bed against a wall in what’s known as the “command position.” This simply means the guests can see, but are not in a direct line with, the door. That negative placement is known as the “coffin position” — fans of Schitt’s Creek may recall the “you get murdered first!” argument between David and Alexis. Watch the clip on the show’s official YouTube channel here.
Conducive Colors: A neutral, Earth-toned palette is preferable to deliver a sense of grounding. When adding accents, be sure to strike the right balance between Yin-inspired relaxing tones (blues, greens, purples and black) and Yang-inspired energetic hues (yellows, oranges, reds and white).
Extra Touches: Live plants bestow a sense of vitality — with bamboo and money plants thought to bring good luck and peace lilies and aloe vera absorbing negative energy.
Bathroom Feng Shui Tips
In feng shui, bathrooms are seen as a drain, so your design needs to offset this energy outflow as well as bring balance to this space’s water element.
Drain Decrease: Upon the guests’ arrival, close the toilet lid and all drains as well as the door between the bedroom and bathroom.
Elemental Approach: Earth and wood elements recalibrate the harmony in this water element-forward room. Think: stone, ceramic and pottery materials as well as wooden towel racks, soap dishes and cabinetry.
Energy Boost: Place mirrors so they reflect light within the space (energy amplification), but do not reflect the toilet (energy loss). Ensure the room is decluttered for the free flow of qi.
Light & Airy: Natural light is always preferred, but often unavailable in hotel bathroom design. Ensure bulbs emit a warm, ambient glow. Infuse fresh energy through proper ventilation and the addition of plants.
Feng Shui For Dining Tips
If you have an on-site restaurant, you can employ feng shui to create spaces that invite guests to enter and linger.
Free Flow: The eatery’s entryway should provide an open area for energy to come in and gather before circulating throughout the space.
Path to Perfection: Although it’s logical to think of the room layout like a grid, it’s actually curving pathways that allow qi to travel unobstructed.
Table Talk: Round or oval tables create unity and connection and should be ringed by an even number of chairs. Seating a party of five? Simply add a chair while those guests are dining, then remove it after they leave.
Kitchens For Keeps: The kitchen should be located at the back of the restaurant. Just as your guests get the command position in their beds, your chef should take the command position behind the stove within sight of the entrance.
More Décor: Incorporate materials such as wood, stone and metal as well as live plants. Artwork should channel positive energy with imagery that includes cuisine, nature or smiling people.
Easy Feng Shui Tips For Any Space
When evaluating your property, there are some feng shui Dos and Don’ts to follow:
Do …
- Let in natural light where available
- Create balance between the five elements
- Incorporate feng shui symbols such as wind chimes or water features
Don’t …
- Overdo sharp corners
- Install harsh, cold lighting
- Bring in too many mirrors
Feng Shui Tips For New Properties
If you have the good fortune of building your hotel from the ground up, you can incorporate feng shui from the start. Your designer can consult the modern Bagua Map to align your floor plan with its nine sections representing parts of life: personal health & well-being, career, knowledge & self-cultivation, health & family, love & marriage, creativity & children, people & travel, wealth & prosperity and fame & reputation.
Feng Shui Around The World
Looking for inspiration within the hospitality space? We identified three properties across three continents that stand as shining examples of feng shui. They are:
- Viana Hotel & Spa in Westbury, New York
- Avalon Hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden
- Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong
Ready to inject fresh energy into your hotel marketing? Turn to Dana, the Hospitality Business Review 2025 Travel Marketing Agency of the Year. To get the conversation flowing, contact Lynn Kaniper at 609.466.9187 ext. 117 or lkaniper@danacommunications.com today.