In this exclusive interview we talk to Emma O’Neil, Founder of La Rue Verte, about spearheading ‘La Chambre Verte’, the immersive hotel room spa-experience centred around the principles of CBD rituals and biophilic design on which Benholm were delighted to collaborate by adding our very own lush planting.
Tell us about La Rue Verte and your philosophy.
La Rue Verte is a CBD skincare brand launched in February 2020 by my company Hashtag Organics Ltd. We are the industry leader, specialising in the development of CBD based products as the result of many years of dedicated CBD research, cutting-edge science and increased demand by the public who see CBD as a potential answer to achieve an optimum state of health.
At La Rue Verte, we craft luxury skincare products using safe, active ingredients from the Cannabis Sativa plant that stimulate the body’s natural endocannabinoid system, providing optimum management of qualities such as sleep, inflammation, mood, appetite and much more – for the body to thrive.
La Rue Verte’s journey with CBD (cannabidiol) started with an immense passion for a natural alternative for making humans feel well. La Rue Verte explore these natural practices and their relative products, celebrating the source plant of CBD – Hemp. We then extend the ethos of living a more “Green Life’’ to elevate how your body and mind responds to the environment around you.
How did the idea for a biophilic hotel room begin?
The idea of creating a biophilic room actually began in my own home during the first lockdown. Like most of us, I was suddenly forced to work full-time from home, running a business whilst simultaneously home-schooling my children and dealing with the daily pressures that come with that. I have always been a huge advocate of having plants around me – knowing their natural benefits for creating cleaner air – and I decided to clear out one room in my own home that was just for me to retreat into for meditation, breathing and mindfulness.
There is an undeniable connection with humans and nature and, like with the science of CBD and how it biologically works, which I understand very well, I began to further explore ‘Biophilia’ and just how strong that connection can be.
I initially thought that La Rue Verte would be a natural fit for the spa industry. There were no CBD spas in the UK at that point, and I knew the concept had worked successfully in the USA. The World Health Organisation published a report green-lighting CBD and interest and confidence began to grow in the UK.
I immediately saw a gap in the market but wanted to take it a step further by incorporating our CBD skincare rituals with spa therapies and introducing carefully selected plants, sounds and fragrances to create the first biophilic spa experience. I approached IHG Hotels & Resorts with the idea and yourselves at Benholm Group – with whom I had a previous knowledge of your expertise in using plants for biophilic design.
How did La Chambre Verte evolve?
IHG Hotels & Resorts absolutely loved my concept, but due to restrictions caused by Covid-19 upon re-opening after lockdown, we decided that a more suitable idea would be to create an immersive, multisensory, luxury hotel room experiment – how to curate the perfect night’s sleep! Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow was chosen as the perfect location.
We decided to design a fully biophilic bedroom filled with lush plants with health giving benefits, CBD rituals including La Rue Verte skincare, CBD infused cocktails, an audio soundtrack for meditations designed by DJ Brian D’Souza and natural Hemp based bathing garments – using nature’s beauty to feel stress levels reduced, happiness increased, and a better night’s sleep.
We invited specially chosen guests to stay one night in a standard hotel room and the second night in ‘La Chambre Verte’ (The Green Room) then to give us their feedback on both experiences to test if biophilic design had helped them have a more restful night’s sleep. We will soon know the results!
What was Benholm’s involvements in La Chambre Verte?
I had previously connected with Benholm Marketing Director, Adrian Byne via LinkedIn, and whilst undertaking my research into biophilic design, remembered Benholm Group and their expertise in using plants as part of biophilic designed spaces. Adrian has been incredible – he and his team created stunning designs that overcame many obstacles inside the hotel room such as not damaging the expensive wall coverings, and they have maintained the plants beautifully ready for every guest.
What’s next?
I really want to take the concept of ‘La Chambre Verte’ to the wider hospitality and spa sectors. The CBD market is growing at a substantial rate in the UK and biophilic design is more relevant now than ever before – as people emerge from lockdown, they are craving nature and greenery – both indoors and outdoors, and recognise the need to take better care of their mind and bodies.
My mind is constantly coming up with new ideas on how to share the many benefits of CBD with the world and I hope Benholm Group will come on the journey with us!
TO READ MORE ABOUT LA CHAMBRE VERTE VISIT OUR BLOG: www.benholm.com/biophilic-planted-paradise-in-la-chambre-verte/
LEARN MORE ABOUT CREATING A BIOHPILIC DESIGN WITH BENHOLM: www.benholm.com/plants
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LA RUE VERTE AND CBD SKINCARE VISIT THEIR WEBSITE: www.lrvskincare.co.uk TO STAY AT ‘LA CHAMBRE VERTE’ BOOK HERE: www.kimptonblythswoodsquare.com/la-chambre-verte
