INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Do you smell that? It’s the aroma of a custom scent developed by Andaz Hotels & Resorts and The Society of Scent to give hotel guests a memorable stay long after check-out.
“Andaz Hotels and Resorts offer distinctively local, immersive experiences that stimulate the senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, scent and community, the brand’s ‘sixth sense,’” said Heather Geisler, VP of global brands, Hyatt. “With a desire to deliver on the sense of scent in a unique way, we sought out a partner with experience in high-end scent creation to collaborate with us closely on producing custom scents for our hotels across the globe, pulling from local culture and distinct elements of each property.”
While customized scents are not new to the industry, the team at Andaz sought a fresh approach that focused on scent’s role in elevating the guest experience, impacting mood and eliciting positive memories.
“The Society of Scent, an olfactory collective with a proprietary fragrance creation laboratory, became our scent agency,” said Geisler. “The Society of Scent shares our vision to bring the scent sense to life in custom, experiential ways.”
Scent is tied to memory, making it one of the most powerful senses. The right scent at the right time can encapsulate the atmosphere of a space instantaneously, and according to Geisler, this connection is what the team seeks to capitalize on for the Andaz hotel experience.
“Our scent exploration process with The Society of Scent allows us to prepare an authentic ‘scent story’ for our properties, and as a result, the custom scents we develop will capture the unique story and culture of each hotel destination,” she said. “With our distinctive scent experiences, we hope to evoke memories of our guests’ visits long after they have departed.”
The process of developing scents tied to the locale and the brand started with members of The Society of Scent collective making an immersive visit to Andaz hotels in 2018 to learn what makes each property distinctive.
“They experienced the local culture and meeting with local partners and purveyors, and the greatest influencers of the guest experience: Andaz colleagues,” said Geisler. “From chefs and spa directors to general managers and event planners, Andaz colleagues are architects of the experience, and as such, are critically important stakeholders in the curation of the property’s scent story. Before creating any scents for our hotels, we knew it was important to start with a blank page, dedicating time and attention to understanding the cultural nuances in the communities where each property is located, as well as the unique experience each hotel brings to life. As inspiration for scent design can come from any source, we wanted to be sure our custom scents would derive from authentic local experiences.”
Fragrance experts from The Society of Scent are in the process of going deep into communities and neighborhoods of Andaz properties, exploring what makes them unique to create custom scents that connect to and take inspiration from each individual hotel.
“By the end of 2019, the collective will have visited Andaz properties globally to complete their research and create the custom scents,” she said. “The scents will be developed and launched on a rolling basis, beginning in Q2 2019. True to the brand, the scent experiences will come to life uniquely at each Andaz property. Our scent exploration visits so far have uncovered the spirit and storyline of each Andaz hotel, reflective of the property’s own twist on the surrounding culture. No two visits or scent journeys are alike; all have been unscripted and will inspire imaginative, stimulating applications unique to each location that will offer our guests a meaningful sense of place and enhance experiential stays.”
