SEATTLE—Are you looking to market your property, creating an experience that will make sure the guest returns over and over again? Well, you may not have to look any further than scent—using a distinct aroma that will, ultimately, create a connection between the guest and the hotel brand or property. This idea is certainly not new, the idea of creating familiarity through smell: Just like the scent of chocolate-chip cookies, let’s say, reminds you of Grandma’s house, a custom fragrance will automatically let guests recall your hotel. Association is a powerful marketing tool—and scent, a powerful association.
During any renovation or new development, a lot of detail goes into the look and feel of a hotel: design, colors, texture, etc. But, it’s also the sense of smell that can positively impact the guest experience.
“It’s a design element that hotels are beginning to utilize a lot more of as part of the overall design,” explained Roel Ventura, ambient designer for Ambius, noting that scent branding is a good way to help relax guests and can add to the overall experience, particularly as a sense of arrival in the lobby. “If it’s done correctly—not too strong—and you do it as a design element, the design comes alive and it enhances the unwinding process.”
Londa Narmita, sales coordinator for the Warwick Seattle Hotel, noted that she’s had experience with scent branding in a previous property as well. “We’re still working on bringing some scenting over to where I am now, but I can tell you, at my previous hotel, guests were very much aware of it,” she said. “Some described it as a more relaxed check-in, especially after traveling. In hospitality, you never have a second chance to make a first impression.”
Both Ventura and Narmita acknowledged that, in the past, the scents used had a janitorial smell as opposed to aromatherapy. “A lot of the smells before were associated with disinfectants,” explained Ventura. “With what’s available now, we do have scents that really speak to the design portion of the space, bringing it to life. Instead of that orange citrus base, there are notes of exotic woods, for example.”
Rod Lapasin, general manager, Salish Lodge & Spa, agreed. “We believe that the ‘senses’ in general are an essential part of the overall guest experience. The obvious things hotels connect with are the visual senses and aesthetics. What many overlook are the subtle but powerful messages, which is that sense of smell,” he said. “It is the same principle that takes place in other facets of your life, memories from smell that take you back to your favorite bakery or perhaps that tropical vacation where the aromas of tropical flowers reconnect you with a location. For us, it is the fresh scent of evergreens and pine that match perfectly to our location and the complete guest experience.”
Ventura noted that Salish Lodge & Spa is located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, so it was critical to the experience to bring the outside in. “When done correctly, it helps the hotel to tell their story,” he said.
Of course, when it comes to scenting, many brands have their own signature scents these days. “Once you have a brand strategy, there’s no room to wiggle,” said Ventura. But, for independents and branded hotels without a signature scent, the possibilities are endless. “There’s a process of understanding who they are as hotels, what experience they’re trying to create,” he said. “If they’re remodeling, we look at what the design firms put together, so we know what direction they’re going in and understand what it is they’re trying to do. Is it a nice scent to blend into the existing environment, transforming the guest experience to something totally exotic, or, if it’s an older hotel, do the guests really want to feel that old-world charm? If I understand what they’re creating, then I can start choosing recommendations based on that.”
Demographics are also a factor. Ventura noted that, while many hotels appeal to a large portion of the population, there are certainly ones that cater to younger travelers that might want a hip, cool scent, and others that are luxury properties geared toward older travelers, who might prefer a more classic aroma.
Narmita noted that one thing she liked about going through the process was that Ventura “really read the hotel and listened to what we had to say. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Similarly, Lapasin called the process collaborative. “We had an idea—and maybe it was too obvious—that the fresh pine and outdoors was really our target,” he said. “The team at Ambius helped us reach that target by holding multiple ‘scent-smelling meetings’ with lots of different team members and opinions to help us choose the final scent.”
Ventura noted that the scenting machines have a diffusion process and, for the most part, can be designed to go through the HVAC system. Ambius works with the hotel’s engineers to make sure that the machines only scent the areas of the hotel that the property wants. “However, where we can’t use HVACs, we have other units designed to diffuse scent right into the space,” he said, noting that the units can be discreetly hidden in the decor. The machines can also be programmed according to how long they should be running each day. Ventura added that, since Ambius has a nationwide presence, it could service all of the units that are installed.
“Once we selected the scent, which took a little over a month, the implementation was within a week,” said Lapasin. “There were no disruptions to the guest, and only a little work with our engineering team and the air-handler system, and we were up and running… Ambius came with a great proven reputation that had cost-effective solutions that didn’t require new systems, just the use of the air-handling systems in place and that great Pacific Northwest air.”
Lapasin noted that some adjustments had to take place for increasing strength in some areas and dialing it back in others, “but, ultimately, what we selected in the scenting process came to life.”
And, he added, “The results are more positive than I anticipated. While the team has grown accustomed to the scent, most guests that enter the Lodge immediately connect with it, so much so that guests want to know where they can purchase the scent to take home—stay tuned for that option. You would be surprised at the impact a program like this has on creating a unique difference.” HB