Green roofs have emerged as a key nature-based solution for improving environmental quality, strengthening urban resilience, and enhancing human wellbeing. In the hospitality sector—where sustainable design and guest experience increasingly intersect—the incorporation of green roof gardens is particularly significant. Urban hotels face heightened challenges related to elevated temperatures, reduced green space, and the growing need for restorative environments within dense urban settings. This study aims to examine how green roof gardens function as integrated ecological, social, and psychological infrastructures in hotel environments. It evaluates the extent to which rooftop green spaces contribute to environmental sustainability, enhance guest experience, and foster community connections. The research adopts a qualitative design combining a comprehensive literature review conducted at selected five-star hotels in Greece. Data from secondary sources and field-based assessments were thematically analyzed to identify recurring patterns in environmental performance, social use, and psychological benefits. Findings indicate that hotel green roof gardens act as multifunctional systems that deliver significant ecological benefits—such as improved microclimate regulation, stormwater retention, and biodiversity support—while simultaneously enriching social interaction and guest experience through accessible, esthetically appealing spaces. Observations further highlight their contribution to psychological wellbeing by offering restorative environments characterized by greenery, natural light, and panoramic views. The study concludes that green roof gardens represent an effective design strategy that integrates sustainability, hospitality experience, and urban wellbeing. Their application in hotels provides both conceptual insight and practical guidance for the development of more resilient, livable, and guest-centered urban environments. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating green roofs into contemporary tourism and urban planning practices.
In modern times, most of the population in the world lives in urban environments. A modern urban lifestyle has separated individuals from the natural world. The modification of landscapes, along with rapid growth in urban areas and other human activities, has resulted in many negative environmental impacts. These include global warming, air pollution, stratospheric ozone depletion, intensification of the urban heat island effect, enhanced noise levels, and a reduction in biodiversity
[1][2][3][4][1,2,3,4]. Urban nature is becoming increasingly significant for individuals’ mental wellbeing
[5][6][5,6], as various studies evidence social and psychological benefits of reduced stress, improved attention capabilities, and increased vitality
[7]. Therefore, the design of urban green roofs is increasingly shaped by goals that seek to promote the social and psychological wellbeing of urban inhabitants
[8].
Green roofs—variously termed living roofs, ecological roofs, rooftop gardens, roof gardens, or cool roofs—are engineered roof assemblies that support vegetation above a waterproofed structure
[9][10][11][9,10,11]. Their core layered build-up typically includes vegetation, growth substrate, a filter layer, drainage layer, thermal insulation, root barrier, and waterproofing membranes
[12]. Each layer contributes to performance and longevity; suboptimal specification or installation can lead to costly failures over the service life
[13][14][13,14]. The range of design expressions on roofs is limited more by the interdisciplinary design team’s imagination than by typology—provided that the technical constraints of roofing assemblies are respected.
Green roofs are commonly distinguished as extensive (shallow substrate, lower loads, and low-maintenance planting) and intensive (deeper soils, diverse planting palettes, higher loads, and amenity use). Systems may be multi-layer—with discrete filter and drainage strata—or monolithic/single-layer with integrated functions
[15]. Multi-layer systems generally demand higher upfront cost but offer superior energy performance and hydrologic control; single-layer systems are more commonly employed in cooler, maritime climates (e.g., parts of Northern Europe). For hospitality settings, intensive or semi-intensive assemblies are often favored to provide accessible guest amenities without compromising building envelope integrity.
