What's That Smell in Your Hotel?

[Guest guest]

More chemicals in the indoor environment....

But they are supposed to be "hypoallergenic". How do they know what chemicals people will be sensitive to?

ST

What's That Smell in Your Hotel?

It's sneaky. But it might just work. Hotels are using aromas to lure you in and then bring you back for a return visit.

These aren't just any old smells. They are "signature scents" meant to bombard guests with a full-fledged olfactory assault. Spewed by inconspicuous vaporizers, the scents are subtle but meant to be potent enough to inspire brand loyalty.

USA Today reports that if you walk into an Omni hotel in North America, you'll smell lemongrass and green tea. Visit an Omni coffee shop and you'll catch the unmistakable scent of chocolate coffee. It's all supposed to create a "sense of place," says chain spokeswoman Connelly.

Omni isn't alone. Starwood's Westin Hotels are brewing up a white tea scent with geranium and freesia that is supposed to be calming, relaxing and sophisticated. Meanwhile, Sheraton Hotels are wafting aromas that are a mixture of fig, bergamot, jasmine and freesia to create a feeling of belonging, while Four Points is capitalizing on its down-to-earth attitude with the scent of apple cinnamon. Hotels aren't the only ones after your nose. High-end retailers, such as Coach and De Beers Diamonds, are also getting in on the act.

This is all very subtle. It's not like walking down the perfume aisle of your favorite department store where the pungent, competing scents make your eyes water and your head ache. What's more, the hotels have worked hard to make sure the scents are hypoallergenic. After all, it wouldn't do if the guests have a sneezing fit just from breathing the air.

In addition to making the place smell good, these signature scents have a subliminal job: to build the brand and inspire customer loyalty.

Why do they think scent will inspire brand loyalty? Theresa Molnar, executive director of the Fragrance Foundation in New York told USA Today that smell is processed by the same part of the brain as memory and emotions, which means that scents can impact our mood and create mental associations. These signature scents are a kind of "sensory branding"--used just like the hotels use their corporate logos, architecture and uniforms to define themselves.

So the next time you stay in a hotel, put down your suitcase and breathe deeply. Like what you smell?

Source: Netscape Communications