Hotels around the world come in all shapes and sizes. From the world’s grandest getups to the more humble accommodations, there’s something for any type of traveller. If you have had the privilege of staying in a hotel in your lifetime, you may know of the certain magical wonder that comes with every stay. It’s a chance to break from the norm and experience something outside of your daily life.
There many reasons why hotels give guests a mystical feeling. In most cases, hotels have a choreographed, constructed and perfected experience to match the brand. The best hotels have considered each and every detail in the customer experience, down to the folds in the sheets. There is plenty of evidence of good customer service efforts like personal wake up calls, heated towels, and WIFI availability (the list is endless).
Experience is vital to a hotel as it encourages repeat stays, word of mouth, and overall great reputation. People remember their experience in a hotel and know what they are looking for (or avoiding).
This experience also includes one area often forgotten in other industries – scent. The hotel industry understands the power of scent and the effect it has on customers. Scent is important to all areas of the hotel space, from the lobby through to the penthouse suite.
Scenting in Hotels
Scent marketing for hotels is an extensive process. It is necessary that scentis a subtle part of the hotel experience, not an overwhelming element. This is especially true of customers who may have adverse feeling towards some scents. Every person has their preferences, and smells are included in this.
This is why scent diffusion through a system that allows gentle inclusion, but still covering the entire space, is best. Scent marketing companies, like BrandScents, have developed a system of diffusing scent through HVAC systems, making it easy to scent large spaces like hotels.
Scents change to suit the needs of different areas of a hotel too. Often when people complain about an overwhelming smell, it actually means that the smell doesn’t match the space it’s it.
Hotels want to influence guest experience through their sense of smell. When hotels need a memorable scent that guests will associate directly with them in the future, they will use a signature scent.
Hotel Signature Scent
Hotels often utilise the idea of a signature scent, or a unique scent that differentiates their experience from others. This scent could feature in all, or just some of the important areas of a hotel. For example, The Ritz Carlton New York on Central Park embodies the natural smells of the neighbouring scenery. It takes on the elderflower and minty scent of the park, all year round. Some hotels even sell this scent to take home. One example of this is the Westin’s White Tea Room Spray, that excudes class and elegance. You can buy this exact smell in a bottle for the same effect in your own home.
The Lobby
The hotel’s first impression influences a guest’s entire stay. You can see why it’s so important to get this just right. A guest’s reception should be inviting and welcoming. Therefore, the lobby scent should exude positivity, authenticity and create a warm atmosphere. The lobby is also the perfect space to use the signature scent.
The Rooms
Smells have the power to evoke emotional responses. This is why hotel room scent should represent calm and comfort. A guest might feel uneasy while spending the night in a strange place. A homey and relaxing smell can change that and ease a guest’s anxiety.
The Bathrooms
The bathroom scent has the power to invite or repulse. Nothing invites guests into a bathroom more than cleanliness. Clean scent makes guests feel safe, and allows them to trust the hotel. When a bathroom smells clean, it will assure guests that they made the right choice of stay.
In the early mornings when guests wake, hotels could make use of a stimulating bathroom scent. A scent like citrus in the shower or near the basin will start a guest’s day off right.
Other Areas Affected by Scent
Scent as a holistic approach is the most affective in the terms of marketing. Other areas that might contain scent marketing include:
- The Restaurant
Smell affects the way we taste and enjoy food. Therefore, a pleasant smell coming from the hotel restaurant is a no-brainer.
- The Casino
The way a space smells can affect how much time and money in spent in that space.
If your hotel has a casino, the way it smells can help improve the bottom-line. The smell of smoke is also something that often bothers guests. It is important to have smoke-cancelling scents which counteract the smell of smoke for guests who find it unpleasant.
- The Pool
Smell strongly affects emotions. The hotel pool is for guests to relax and kick back. The smell coming from the pool area should portray just that. You could do this by creating a tropical feel with notes of coconut and fruit – not just chlorine and sun cream.
A Lasting Impression
All these areas can affect the way in which guests view a hotel. With so many different options for accommodation out there, standing out from the crowd is essential. By having unique smells that embody the experience you want guests to have, a hotel can easily become the accommodation of choice for all guests.