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Editor| I have been been a huge fan & advocate of this. JW Marriott does a superb job of this in the lobby (the bakery is just to the right & you are welcomed with the comforting aroma of freshly baked goods!)
In addition, some other techniques like Ozone generators can also be applied.
Let me know what you think!
PHOTOS, music, food and souvenirs are all triggers which help us relive our favourite holiday moments, but hotels have a new strategy.
"Stimulating all five senses greatly impacts how our guests feel and behave," said Andrew Loader from Sofitel Hotels and Resorts in Australia.
"We have created an exclusive signature Sofitel scent for all of our hotel foyers. This scent complements three other fragrances our hotels now use in guests rooms and during functions, ideally as part of a specially tailored scent 'menu' that can be personally selected by our guests."
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) have also embraced the trend and are using different aromas to capture the essence of their hotel's surroundings. "The use of lemongrass scent in hotel cars, restaurants and guest-room hallways at InterContinental Bangkok helps to convey a tangible sense of Thailand, where fragrance is such an integral part of daily life," said Karin Nielsen, IHG's director of sales and marketing for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific.
"InterContinental Hong Kong and InterContinental Singapore also use scent to provide guests with a taste of the cities in which they're based." Mr Loader said
Sofitel Hotel's decision to create scented rooms came from research that revealed the sense of smell accounts for more than 70 per cent of what our emotions are based on. And while he explained the notion of using fragrance in hotels was not new, Mr Loader believes the diffusion technology and application of Sofitel scents for meetings and events purposes is pioneering. "Luxury hotels are about creating memorable experiences, so in essence what we're offering is a 'fragrance journey' that both our leisure and corporate clients can enjoy and customise, depending on their needs."
It's not just about making guests feel relaxed when on holiday, the IHG's Crowne Plaza hotels are using scent as one way to keep business guests energised during meetings. "We provide each professional meeting with a toolkit that includes an aromatherapy burner and a range of fragrant oils that are carefully selected to stimulate the senses," said Ms Nielsen. One scent that guests at IHG's Holiday Inn on Flinders in Melbourne are happy to be without is smoke, as the hotel enjoyed "resounding approval" with their decision to become a smoke-free zone. So next time you check-in to your hotel, ordering your favourite aroma to create the perfect holiday ambiance is something not to be sniffed at. "Our vision is for guests to select their preferred fragrance as easy as they would room service or the morning paper for a personalised stay," said Mr Loader.
source| Hotels knock scents into guests By Lee Taylor