This article by Emily Keats appeared in a recent trade
publication, GCI (Global Cosmetic Industry) and demonstrates
the incredibly powerful association between scent, experience
and recollection. Our clients often comment that Sedona Spa
products remind them of their treasured visits to the stunning
landscape of Sedona, Arizona where they often first experience
our products.
Luxury hotels, resorts and casinos scent environments for
memorable, emotional and multi- sensory experiences.
You're strolling down the beach-white sand between your
toes, ocean waves crashing at your feet and a tropical breeze
carries the scent of driftwood, salty sea spray and citrus.
Bring back memories of a fantastic getaway you would like to
recapture? Luxury hotels, resorts and casinos -as well as
retailers and spas- worldwide are betting you would, and are
both adding to the experience of their space and reinforcing
their brand through the use of specially created environmental
fragrances.
According to Sue Phillips, president of Scenterprises Ltd.
and featured speaker at Fragrance Business 2008, environmental
scenting originated in Europe approximately 15 years ago. The
Wynn Las Vegas quickly picked up on the trend, and many other
top Vegas resorts followed. She says scent is the strongest
sense we have. When guests have a positive experience at a
hotel, resort or spa, they likely want to repeat it. Scent
recognition reinforces memorable past experiences and
satisfies positive expectations.
As noted by Chandler Burr, perfume critic for The New York
Times, in an article on his website, The Park Hyatt Vendome in
Paris sought to add another layer of luxury when its
gouvernante-generale, Marie-France Rey, hired perfumer Blaise
Mautin to create a signature scent that would help communicate
the extravagance of the environment and allow guests to form
an emotional tie to it.
And the move makes sense. Luxury locations invest an
immense amount of time and money into innovative architecture
and materials in addition to utilizing unique lighting
fixtures and proprietary designs, music and customized fabrics
for furnishings. Incorporating a scent customized to reflect
such sensory delights, says Phillips, creates an identifiable
brand message and gives guests a multi-sensory experience.
IFF perfumer Christophe Laudamiel agrees that fragrance can
facilitate a connection between a person and a place. In an
interview with GCI magazine in March 2008, he notes that scent
invokes memories, such as celebrating a family holiday with
loved ones, and that aromas are linked to a time and place.
Phillips notes that today the language of scent includes
what "you want your environment to communicate." Creating a
successful fragrance for a space or location has a lot to do
with the design elements present in the environment in which
it will be placed. The scent must be consistent and harmonious
with the interior design. For example, a romantic, floral
fragrance would never fit with the sharp, crisp elements
present in modern architecture, it would be better suited for
a softer environment featuring plush velvet couches and
drapes.
And she believes the trend of environmental scenting as a
method for establishing brand identity is here to stay. The
Obernoi Grand in Calcutta, the Conrad in Tokyo, the Park Hyatt
Milan and Hotel Costes in Paris are several (of the many)
hospitality savvy locations to succeed in matching a signature
scent to their posh furniture, gourmet cuisine and lavish
atmospheres.
Phillips echoes the sentiments expressed in Laudamiel's
interview, noting the future of perfumery will include more
customization of fragrance. "I think perfumes are going to
become 'scent architects,' if you will, in terms of the
environmental fragrance category," says Phillips. Equating the
job of a perfumer to that of an artist, she believes scent
sculpting should be a creative process that reflects the
personality and originality of the artists. That concept and
up-and-coming scent architects bode well for the future scent
of luxury locals.
