Hotel Fragrance Secrets: What's That Scent?

what fragrance do hotel use

A signature scent is a fragrance designed specifically for a hotel or brand to use. The sense of smell is closely tied to emotions and memories, and hotels understand the impact a pleasant fragrance can have on a guest's overall experience. Many hotels invest in signature scents or use professional fragrance diffusers to ensure a consistent and appealing aroma throughout their spaces. Some common categories of smells that are frequently employed to enhance the guest experience include warm and exotic scents, clean and fresh scents, and light and neutral fragrances.

Characteristics Values
Purpose To create a safe, welcoming space for guests and provide them with the best customer experience possible
Creation Scent branding companies offer their expertise in the creation and selection of a hotel fragrance. Luxury hotels can have custom scents exclusively made for their brand
Common Scents Citrus, green tea, white tea, jasmine, rose, cedar, musk, sandalwood, eucalyptus, vanilla, bamboo, pineapple, ginger, coconut, bergamot, lemon, lavender, almond, peppermint
Examples The Ritz-Carlton, EDITION Hotel, Shangri-La, W Hotel, Westin Hotels and Resorts, DoubleTree Hotels, Hyatt, One Hotel, Baccarat Hotel, Langham Hotels, Marriott

shunscent

Hotels use fragrance to create a safe, welcoming space for guests

Hotels are in the business of hospitality, which revolves around creating a safe, welcoming space for guests and providing them with the best customer experience possible. Scent plays a significant role in achieving this.

A pleasant fragrance can positively impact a guest's experience, and hotels are increasingly recognizing this. The use of scent in hotels is strategic and carefully planned, with specific fragrances chosen to create a particular atmosphere or evoke certain emotions. For example, fresh and clean notes like green bamboo indicate safety and security, while citrus scents are energizing and uplifting, perfect for brightening up rooms and creating a welcoming ambiance.

Hotels often work with scent branding companies or perfumers to develop custom fragrances that align with their brand image and values. These fragrances are designed to be distinctive yet familiar, so guests instantly recognize and associate the scent with the hotel brand. For instance, the Shangri-La Hotel's scent, also known as the Essence of Shangri-La, reflects the brand's values of humility, respect, and sincerity, derived from Asian hospitality. Similarly, the Ritz-Carlton hotels, known for their luxurious and sophisticated experiences, have unique signature scents for each property, incorporating cultural and natural facets of the area.

The power of scent is such that it can leave a lasting impression on guests, with some hotels even offering branded candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, and other amenities featuring their signature fragrance for guests to purchase and relive the experience in their own homes.

Creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere is a priority for hotels, and scent is a key tool in their arsenal to achieve this, enhancing the overall guest experience.

shunscent

Luxury hotels have custom scents to create a distinctive aroma

Creating a distinctive aroma is an essential part of a luxury hotel's brand experience. The use of scent in hotels revolves around providing a safe, welcoming space for guests and enhancing their overall experience. A signature scent can evoke powerful emotions and leave a lasting impression on customers.

Luxury hotels often work with scent branding companies to create custom fragrances that align with their brand image and values. These fragrances are meticulously crafted by perfumers who undergo extensive training in the art of fragrance creation. They carefully select and blend raw materials, taking into account the architectural design, colours, and textures of the hotel space. The process can take several weeks or months of testing before the final fragrance is delivered.

For example, the Edition Hotel, a luxury brand catering to sophisticated travellers, collaborated with fragrance brand Le Labo to create a unique scent for their properties in London, Miami, Barcelona, and Tokyo. Similarly, the Shangri-La Hotel, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Hong Kong, features the "Essence of Shangri-La," a fresh and serene scent with black tea as its main ingredient.

In addition to creating a distinctive aroma, luxury hotels also consider the mood they want to convey. Scents can be designed to be energizing, calming, romantic, or playful, depending on the desired atmosphere. For instance, the Bernic Hotel in midtown Manhattan features a signature scent that is clean, citrusy, and fruity, evoking a sense of sophistication and luxury.

The use of essential oils and diffusers is also prevalent in luxury hotels, offering a natural and subtle way to fragrance the space without the use of harsh chemicals. Citrus essential oils, in particular, are commonly used in 5-star hotels for their light, fresh, and energizing qualities.

By investing in custom scents and carefully curating the olfactory experience, luxury hotels create a unique and memorable brand association, ensuring that guests instantly recognize their signature scent and develop a sense of familiarity and loyalty.

shunscent

Scent branding companies offer expertise in creating and selecting hotel fragrances

Scent branding companies offer their expertise in creating and selecting hotel fragrances. The process of creating a signature scent involves understanding the brand's DNA and translating that into a scent with the help of a perfumer. Perfumers train for many years in the art of fragrance creation and have access to hundreds of raw materials, allowing them to create complex fragrances that cater to the customer's objectives and expectations.

The power of scent branding lies in its ability to form immediate and powerful emotional connections with customers. A distinctive smell becomes something that customers instantly associate with a brand. For example, the scent of freshly baked cookies at DoubleTree Hotels or the exotic woods and floral notes at the St. Regis Hotel create a unique and memorable experience for guests.

When developing a hotel fragrance, scent branding companies consider various factors, including the architectural design of the space, colours, textures, and whether doors and windows will be open or closed, which may require blending with outside aromas. The mood that the hotel wants to convey is also essential, whether it should be energizing, calming, or a blend of comfort and playfulness.

In addition to enhancing the customer experience, scented environments have been shown to have practical benefits. Research has found that scented environments can reduce typos made by office workers, improve the perception of product quality, increase purchase intent and average unit sales, and boost consumers' willingness to pay more for a product.

By partnering with scent branding companies, hotels can create exclusive fragrances that not only elevate the guest experience but also become a powerful tool for brand recognition and differentiation in the highly competitive hospitality industry.

shunscent

Hotels use essential oils and diffusers to create their signature scents

Creating a signature scent is an important part of a hotel's brand experience. The use of essential oils and diffusers is a popular way to achieve this. A signature scent is a fragrance designed specifically for a hotel or brand, and it can be used to make a statement about the brand and evoke a specific mood among guests.

Hotels use scent branding companies to create custom fragrances that reflect their brand identity and values. For example, the Shangri-La Hotel derived its name from the mythical place Shangri-La, based on the novel Lost Horizon. The Shangri La Scent, or the Essence of Shangri-La, was designed with black tea as the main ingredient, creating a fresh and serene scent. The W Hotel Scent, on the other hand, was designed to reflect the energy of the brand experience, with citrus notes such as lemon, neroli, and bergamot balanced with the freshness of green tea and hints of fruity peach.

Essential oils are often used in diffusers to create a consistent and desired smell throughout a hotel property. These oils are crafted specifically for large spaces and are designed to be light and free from harsh artificial ingredients. High-quality essential oils are crucial in imparting feelings of comfort and luxury. Diffusers can be used with scent branding guides to ensure that the chosen scent blends with outside aromas and complements the architectural design, colors, and textures of the space.

Hotels may also offer their signature scents for sale to guests, in the form of private label candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, and bathroom amenities. This allows guests to relive their hotel experience and creates a sense of brand loyalty.

shunscent

Hotels consider architectural design, colours, and textures when choosing a fragrance

Hotels are increasingly embracing "olfactory branding", where a unique, mood-boosting fragrance is used to enhance guests' experiences and create a lasting impression of the hotel brand. When choosing a fragrance, hotels consider various factors, including architectural design, colours, and textures, to ensure the scent aligns with the overall aesthetic and atmosphere they wish to convey.

Architectural design plays a crucial role in selecting a fragrance for a hotel. The layout and design of the space influence how the fragrance will be experienced. For example, an open and airy lobby with high ceilings may call for a different scent compared to a more intimate and cosy library or lounge area. The architectural style of the hotel, whether it is modern, traditional, or eclectic, will also influence the choice of fragrance to ensure it complements the overall design aesthetic.

Colour is another important consideration in fragrance selection. Colours and scents are closely linked in our perception, and certain colours can evoke specific associations and moods. For instance, warm colours like pink are often associated with sweet and floral fragrances, while cool colours may lean more towards fresh and aquatic notes. Hotels may use colour psychology to inform their fragrance choices, ensuring the scent and the visual aesthetics of the space are in harmony.

Textures in fragrances refer to the tactile sensations they evoke. Some fragrances may be described as soft and plush, like wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket, while others can be hard and metallic, resembling the sensation of touching glass. Hotels may consider the desired ambiance they want to create through texture. For example, a spa in the hotel may opt for fragrances with softer, more soothing textures to promote relaxation, while a vibrant cocktail bar may lean towards crisp and invigorating scents.

The choice of fragrance is a critical aspect of a hotel's brand identity and guest experience. By considering architectural design, colours, and textures, hotels can create a holistic sensory experience that delights guests and sets them apart from their competitors. Scent branding companies and perfumers work closely with hotels to develop custom fragrances that encapsulate the unique essence of the hotel brand, ensuring that the scent becomes an integral part of the guests' memory of their stay.

Frequently asked questions

The sense of smell is closely tied to emotions and memories. Hotels use fragrances to create a welcoming and memorable atmosphere for their guests.

Common fragrances used by hotels include cedarwood, sandalwood, pine, cotton, jasmine, and vanilla. Some hotels also use fragrances that are specific to their location, such as orange blossoms in Greece or lemon blossoms in Positano.

Hotels use a variety of methods to diffuse fragrances, including scent diffusers, nebulizing diffusers, and HVAC technology. HVAC diffusers are considered one of the best ways to improve the quality of a hotel's smell and create a unique atmosphere.

Hotels consider factors such as architectural design, colours, textures, and guest demographics when choosing their fragrances. They may also adapt their fragrances based on seasonal changes, special events, or emerging consumer preferences.

Written by
Reviewed by

Explore related products

Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment