The influence of nine small organic molecules on the phosphorescence properties of cyclodextrin (CD)/1-naphthol/1,2- dibromoethane (DBE) and CD/2-naphthol/DBE ternary inclusion complexes are examined by means of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) measurements. It was demonstrated that the rigidity of -CD/naphthol inclusion complex, RTP intensity and lifetime could be enhanced when different small organic molecules (less than 1% v/v) were added respectively; the analytical characters of two kinds of naphthols in host–guest stabilized-RTP were improved. The linear range of 1-naphthol become broad in the presence of n-propanol, methanol, ethanol or 2-propanol and its detection limitwas reduced from 4×10−6 to 7.5×10−8 mol l−1 in the presence of 0.6% (v/v) methanol. Likewise, for 2-naphthol, the detection limit was reduced from 2.0 × 10−6 to 2.8×10−7 mol l−1 and to 8.1 × 10−7 mol l−1 after 0.5% (v/v) glycol and 0.2% (v/v) 2-propanol being added, respectively.