Step Into Hilton Carter’s Four Seasons Jungle in Baltimore

The plant-adorned suite offers guests a calming, nature-filled retreat right in the middle of the city.

Scrolling through Hilton Carter’s Instagram, it’s easy to fall into a dream-like state admiring the lush and jungle-like aesthetic of the Baltimore-based plant expert, interior stylist and author. His impressively abundant, plant-filled spaces are full of life and vibrancy, and you can see them in person now at a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, which will run through August 31.

“I wanted to take the ideas and designs of my own greenhouse and incorporate them into the suite,” Carter says of the Live Wild with Hilton Carter Suite Experience. “My overall goal was to provide guests with a lush home away from home; a canopy of green, if you will.”

Hilton’s team is in the room once a week to care for plants, but that requires him to work within a once-a-week watering schedule with southwest exposure. He had to consider which plants could tolerate that level of sunlight without drying out between waterings. Once a shortlist was selected, he then chose plants based on which would create the most abundant, natural, tropical feel. 

While designing the room, Carter moved around the luxe suite, which overlooks the inner harbor from expansive wall-to-wall windows, with the mindset of a guest. He wanted to create a lush, jungle-inspired room, but in a way that maintained the relaxing, clean, unintrusive character of a hotel room. He couldn’t just add plants anywhere there was a blank surface. Eating, access to outlets and floor space all had to be considered, and the feeling needed to evoke calm and settling into nature. The result is a suite that feels like an indulgent, fresh botanical retreat.

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Baltimore.

“When entering the space, I want guests to let their hair down, and let all of the stress from the outside world be swept away,” Carter says. “I want them to feel at ease and at home. To truly feel like they have escaped on a tropical vacation without ever having to leave their room.”

And he’s delighted to bring this experience to Baltimore, where he was born, raised and where he eventually chose to come back to.

“Baltimore is such a special place for me and my family and I’m proud to be able to assist in creating memorable moments that allow people to take a piece of my life and provide inspiration in their own lives after they leave,” Carter says.

A stay in the Live Wild with Hilton Carter Suite includes a botanical cocktail, lavender bath soak, a signed copy of Hilton’s book “Living Wild,” and a one-on-one call with Carter to chat about all things plants and interior styling.  

During those calls, the question he’s most often asked is perhaps not surprising. Guests want to know how long it takes to water and care for such a large number of plants. 

Carter doesn’t want to intimidate others from indulging in a plant-filled space, but he also offers a realistic answer.

“Many are curious because they want to replicate the look into their own home but are afraid they won’t have the time to do so,” he says. “For context, the suite has approximately 50 plants styled throughout the entry, living space, bedroom and bathroom. It typically takes my team an hour and a half to care for them during the weekly care visit.” 

Look at that hour and a half as meditative time to water the plants — or just visit them in Baltimore.

Check out more of Hilton Carter’s work at thingsbyhc.com and follow him on Instagram @hiltoncarter.

Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore: 200 International Dr. Baltimore, MD; fourseasons.com/baltimore // @fsbaltimore 

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Heather Bien