Hotel Chocolat

The lush retail planting scheme draws directly from cacao’s origins. Tropical species, layered textures, and tones that feel unmistakably “cacao-adjacent” combine to echo the richness of the rainforest. More than decoration, this indoor planting design creates a living narrative. A green thread connecting the tropics to the heart of Manchester.

The brief

The luxury chocolatiers had a few really key ideas in mind for just how they wanted this planting scheme to work in symbiosis with the retail experience:

• To celebrate cacao’s origins, by creating a planting scheme inspired by the tropical habitats where cocoa first flourished.

• Keep the theme natural and authentic. To select species, tones, and textures that feel truly “cacao-adjacent,” enhancing the store’s rainforest narrative.

• Integrate planting with the brand environment: Hotel Chocolat uses a soft 'mocha' palette that our bespoke furniture needed to reflect.

• Enhance the customer journey by using planting to shape zones of prospect and refuge, especially in the store’s Velvetiser Café, offering calm, green spaces for customers to pause and enjoy.

Hotel Chocolat sought more than decoration, they wanted a living, breathing environment that reflected the journey of chocolate through history. This required a bespoke biophilic design approach: integrating greenery into luxurious furniture, suspending planting overhead, and carefully selecting species that work with the space, complimenting the rich, earthy tones that drew customers deeper into the retail experience.

The challenges: indoor retail planting design in a low-light environment

Recreating the atmosphere of a tropical rainforest inside the Arndale Centre meant working against one of the site’s biggest limitations: light. The lower levels had very little natural daylight, which presented a potential problem: without intervention, the lush planting scheme we envisioned would not survive.

In response to this challenge, we adopted a blended approach. Every live species was chosen for its ability to tolerate low light, and was supported by auxiliary lighting to encourage growth. In the darkest areas, where conditions could not sustain live plants, high-quality replica plants were introduced. This ensured the rainforest aesthetic stayed consistent across both levels of the store, textured and authentic without compromise.

The challenge was one of balance: blending real and replica planting with lighting to capture the richness of a rainforest within an indoor retail space.

Biophilic design solutions: blending live and replica planting

To meet the challenges of light, space, and brand integration, the planting scheme was carefully designed to feel both authentic and immersive.

Planters were chosen in soft mocha tones that echoed Hotel Chocolat’s signature palette. Planting was not confined to the floor: ceiling-hung arrangements cascaded above. Around the store’s structural columns, planters were wrapped to soften the architecture and maintain a sense of flow throughout the space.

Lighting played a critical role. With natural daylight limited, an auxiliary lighting system was integrated to support live planting where it was needed most. This allowed us to keep tropical species thriving upstairs, where customers first encounter the indoor jungle. Downstairs, where conditions were harsher, planting design became more playful and dramatic, with carefully selected arrangements that could withstand the environment while still delivering the desired sense of abundance.

Stepping inside the Arndale rainforest

As you move deeper into the store, peace lilies stand sentinel at your side, guiding you towards clusters of monstera and aglaonema, lush pockets of planting set against chocolate-toned benches.

You take a sip from the hot chocolate in your hand. The rich flavours of the rainforest erupt across your palate as your gaze drifts over the greenery weaving its way throughout the space. For a moment, the Manchester rain fades away; the sounds of the rainforest stir, and you find yourself transported to another world.

Conclusion: rainforest and retail intertwined at Hotel Chocolat Manchester

This project was more than a planting scheme; it was a story woven into the fabric of the store itself.

At Hotel Chocolat’s new Manchester flagship, rainforest and retail intertwine. Every leaf, frond, and flower was selected to echo cacao’s tropical origins and the brand’s rich narrative. The result is a space that doesn’t just sell chocolate – it immerses you in its living story.

If you’re looking for a retail planting scheme in Manchester, or anywhere across the UK, get in touch!