Sending Flowers to a Hotel: How to Make Sure the Bouquet Reaches the Guest
To send flowers to a hotel, give the hotel's full name and street address, the guest's name exactly as it appears on the booking, the guest's mobile number and, if you know it, the room number. Schedule the delivery for after check-in and before the guest leaves, and add a card with your name, because the courier does not name the sender. With these details, a hotel delivery is as reliable as a delivery to a flat.
Orders to hotels come to our Saint Petersburg shops every week: a wife surprising her husband on a business trip, parents congratulating a daughter on her honeymoon, a company welcoming an important visitor. Most problems with these orders come from the same few gaps in the address, so below we go through exactly what to check before you pay, in the order our florists check it themselves.
What to write in the delivery address
Start with the full official name of the hotel and its street address, not just the brand. Large cities have several hotels of the same chain, sometimes on neighbouring streets, and a courier who arrives at the wrong one loses time the guest may not have. Copy the address from the booking confirmation rather than from memory.
The guest's name is the most important line. In Russian hotels, foreign guests are registered under the name in their passport, usually in Latin letters, so write it exactly that way. If the room was booked by a company or by a spouse, the reception may only know the name of the person who made the booking, so give both names when you are unsure.
Add the guest's mobile number. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, and in a hotel this call is what turns a delivery to the lobby into a delivery into the guest's hands. A room number is useful but not essential: many guests do not share it, and some hotels do not give it out to visitors for privacy reasons.
Choosing the right delivery time
Hotel guests are often out all day, so timing matters more than for a home delivery. Check-in at most hotels is in the afternoon, typically from 14:00, and check-out in the late morning, often by 12:00. A delivery before check-in on the arrival day risks the guest not yet being registered, and a delivery on the morning of departure leaves no time to enjoy the flowers.
The most reliable choice is the evening of the arrival day or any full day of the stay. Choose a time window that matches the guest's plans: 18-21 suits a business traveller returning from meetings, 09-12 suits a holiday guest before they head out. If you know the exact moment, for example a birthday breakfast, choose delivery at an exact time, plus or minus 30 minutes.
Time zones catch out many senders. If you order from abroad, convert the guest's schedule into local time before choosing a window: a guest landing in Saint Petersburg at 15:00 Moscow time may still be in a taxi when it is midday for you. It also helps to check the guest's itinerary for the day of delivery. A conference, an excursion out of town or a late dinner can keep them away from the hotel for most of the day, and in that case an evening window or the next morning before they leave the room is the safer choice.
Bouquets we can deliver
Which bouquets suit a hotel room
A hotel room is small, and the guest will have to pack and travel afterwards. Compact round bouquets of roses, spray roses, alstroemeria or carnations work best: they stand well on a desk or bedside table and last through a long stay. Very tall, heavy arrangements look impressive in the lobby photo but are awkward in a room with no suitable vase.
Avoid strongly scented flowers such as oriental lilies and tuberose for a hotel room. In a closed space with air conditioning their perfume becomes overwhelming at night, and some guests are sensitive to pollen. If you want a fragrant bouquet, choose garden roses or freesias in moderate quantity.
Most rooms have no vase. The guest can usually ask the reception for one, and it helps to mention this on the card or in a message to the guest. Remind them to keep the flowers away from the air conditioning vent and the heater, and to top up the water daily, since hotel air is often very dry.
When the guest is out or the hotel will not take flowers up
Hotels handle deliveries differently. Some reception desks accept flowers and send them up to the room, others call the guest down, and a few prefer that couriers do not go up to the floors at all. The courier's call to the guest before arrival usually settles this, because the guest can meet the courier in the lobby or ask the reception to hold the bouquet.
If the guest does not answer or is out, we agree a second delivery the same day, or hand the flowers to the concierge or reception, but only with your consent as the sender. It is worth deciding in advance which you prefer, especially for a short stay. Flowers left at a reception desk for many hours in a warm lobby lose freshness, so a later second attempt is often the better option for a long day of meetings.
Cards, anonymity and occasions
Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not tell the recipient who sent the flowers. In a hotel, where the guest may not expect anything, an unsigned bouquet can cause confusion or even worry, so we recommend always signing the card. The card with your text is free, and a short message in the guest's language works best.
The most common hotel occasions are birthdays during travel, wedding anniversaries and honeymoons, welcome flowers for business guests, and a simple sign of attention for someone working far from home. For a business welcome, keep the bouquet neutral in colour and the message formal; for a husband, wife or loved one, a personal line matters more than the size of the bouquet. Our earlier article on flowers to a Russian hotel room has more examples of timing and wording.
Ordering flowers to a hotel in Russia
Choose a bouquet in our catalogue, enter the hotel details as described above and pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay; foreign bank cards are accepted through Robokassa. We deliver across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB, and for hotels in remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. Full terms are on the delivery and payment page.
In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after confirmation, which helps when you learn about a guest's arrival at short notice. You can also pre-order 1-30 days ahead for a planned trip. In Saint Petersburg, where our three shops have been working since 2011, delivery runs around the clock, so a bouquet can meet a guest arriving on a late flight or a night train. For questions about a particular hotel or timing, call 8 (812) 507-67-05.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the room number to send flowers to a hotel?
No. The hotel name and address, the guest's name as on the booking and the guest's phone number are enough. The room number helps but many hotels do not disclose it.
What is the best time to deliver flowers to a hotel?
After check-in, usually from the afternoon of the arrival day, and not on the morning of departure. The evening of arrival or a full day of the stay is safest.
What happens if the guest is not in the hotel?
We agree a second delivery the same day or leave the flowers with the reception or concierge, but only with your consent.
Will the guest know who sent the flowers?
Only if you sign the card. Delivery is anonymous by default, so for a hotel we recommend always adding your name to the free card.
Can I send flowers to a hotel in Saint Petersburg at night?
Yes. In Saint Petersburg delivery runs around the clock, so you can time the bouquet for a late arrival.
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