Smell is the Superman of the senses

I have an obsession with scents. Moreover, descriptions of scents which drive me crazy with the desire to own that scent. Today while watching Las Vegas CSI, well, just barely watching, I have found this season pretty weak ... anyway, I digress, they were talking about individual fragrances that are pumped into the hotels. They were going to solve the mystery by discovering which hotel was the scene via the ingredient from the "scent" sample. I havaen't stayed in a fancy Las Vegas hotel in a long time so I thought "is this true, and if so, very intriguing". And searching commercial hotel scents ... came up with many interesting websites. The hotels now sell their "designer scents" and the industrial-size-to-small fragrance diffusers to the general pubic for a good amount of money.

This is an interesting article: The 12 Best Scents For Hotel Lobbies & Hospitality Brands. "Creating scent memories is a delicate, complex and difficult art, as these selected wisps of recall become permanent, indelible layers that build emotional loyalty to a favored place. Scent branders for hotels specifically have to consider such factors as: architectural design of the space; colors and textures and whether or not doors and windows will be open or closed which might require the chosen scent to blend with outside aromas.

In the words of Caroline Fabrigas, chief executive officer of Scent Marketing: “A good scent enhances the wood that you’re standing on, the stone on the wall. It’s almost as if the environment is breathing with you. It becomes intrinsic to the space.”

Hotel scent branders must also keep in mind the mood they want to convey in their lobbies as well as their guest rooms. Should the scent be energizing or calming with wisps of peppermint? Would it be more successful if it blended comfort with quiet sexiness or playful and flirty with almond-like qualities? Or should the scent contain some of one aspect, some of another, or all of the above? The following represent a sampling of some of our most popular fragrances for hotels and motels.

Aloe Blossom: This cleansing, light and refreshing bouquet is marked by top notes of sharp, invigorating citrus and green herbs. These facets drift into a floral middle note featuring sensual and intense night-blooming jasmine, fresh, sugary and slightly pungent coriander, dewy, herbal aloe and sweet, green clover. A green and sappy base note completes this calming, soothing scent.

Apple Jack: The moniker of this classic fall/winter scent dates back to colonial times when apple brandy was made via the process of freeze distillation or “jacking.” It is a flavorful blend of apple brandy comprised of Winesap apples and neutral grain spirits. The fragrance opens with a top note marked by facets of cozy, inviting cinnamon stick, warm, mulled apple cider and minty, fresh and cooling menthol.

These aspects soon surrender to a spicy middle note heart of fruity cinnamon, sweet, piquant and hot clove, herbal, waxy and fruity apple skins. A base note of warm ground cinnamon, slightly metallic cream of tartar and elegant, vanilla-nuanced cream cheese icing completes this fragrance.

Laundry Fresh: This unique formulation captures fleeting summer moments and conjures images of clotheslines and sheets fastened with wooden clothes-pins swaying in a soft, languid breeze. It opens with a top note of fresh, clean laundry, soft cotton and refreshing cool water. These elements soon fade into a heart note featuring woody, floral violet, sweet, bitter, salty and sour anise seed and the skin of crisp apples. A musky, powdery driftwood base note completes this nostalgic scent.

Fresh Raine: Evoking the deep, natural darkness of a forest night after a rainfall, this invigorating fragrance opens with a top note of soft, dry cotton, woody, green fir needle/pine, sour-sweet lemon and sharp lime zest. These aspects soon meld into a heart note of sugary, powdery and woody night-blooming violet, earthy, musky and fresh rain and sea-inspired aqua marine. The scent completes with a base note of dark and sensual patchouli.

Tropicana: This tropical scent whispers of leafy, emerald lagoons and the shimmering white sands of far away places. It opens with streams of almond nuances, sweet and piquant cherry, green, spicy strawberry and milky, lush coconut. These aspects fuse into a floral heart note featuring fresh, sweet orange blossom, dusty violet and clear, leafy and green waterlily. Base notes of woody, elegant vanilla and creamy rich caramel complete this enticing fragrance.

Hotel scent marketing fragrance guide:
Luxor’s Asian Garden Fragrance Oil "Luxor’s Asian Garden is a floriental blend of Jasmine, Lily of the Valley and Tuberose with Vanilla, Amber and Soft Woods. Sub Family Vanilla with top notes of Green leaves, Jasmin, Lily of the Valley; mid notes of Gardenia, Tuberose, Vanilla; and base notes of Soft Woods, Amber, White Musk".

Hotel Scents Discovery Set, $199.95 USD

Hotel Series 4-Pack Bundle (180ml), $149.99

While on my search, I also found some more fun scent sites. 

Homesick, "bringing you back to your roots" sort of smell.

Arizona: Scents of the Grand Canyon with touches of desert sand, blue agave, lime, and orange citrus fill your home with the great Arizona outdoors. To use with diffuser. Top Notes: Musk, Orange, Lime Mid Notes: Blue Agave, Sand Base Notes: Amber, Tonka Bean

Virginia: A soft rainfall mixes with notes of pine needles, sandalwood, and honeysuckle blossoms. This blended fragrance drifts from the mountains to the bay. To use with diffuser. Top Notes: Fir Needle, Orange, Pine Mid Notes: Honeysuckle, Rain Water Base Notes: Clove, Sandalwood, Musk

Texas Car Freshener: Recall the Lone Star State with leather, pine, and citrus. Notes of cyclamen and musk are balanced by the invigorating energy of the Rodeo. To use with diffuser. Top Notes: Pine Needles, Lime Mid Notes: Leather, Cedarwood Base Notes: Moss, Musk, Cyclamen

Found Californian™ on the Magic Candle Company, captures the Magic of a beautiful California Resort nestled amongst giant Redwood trees with our Californian™ fragrance. Featuring top notes of fir needle and lavender; middle notes of vetiver, patchouli and redwood resting on base notes of sandalwood, spicy leather and warm cedar.

Aromatech offers Vancouver "Exploring a lush peninsula full of thriving greenery and cool fresh air; the breathing forest swayed next to the modernly designed city. Bold trees and elegant skyscrapers stretched to the sky in unison. The rain slowly fell as the atmosphere became foggy and refreshing. I continued down the path toward the sound of crashing waves along a jagged shoreline. My soul revitalized by the scents of sea salt and minerals. The wind blew gently and mixed the falling aromas of fern, juniper, pine, and cedar into the air. Behind the abundant ocean, powerful snow-capped mountains framed my view. Mesmerized by the natural landscape surrounding me, there I stood, truly at peace." Key Notes: Juniper, Pine, Cedar, Ocean Water, Sea Salt

On Etsy found Camping Set of 6 Premium Grade Fragrance Oils - Campfire, Smores, Dirt, Fresh Cut Wood, Night Air, and Cedar. Sounds fun!

Make Your Home Smell Just Like Your Favorite Hotel With These Scented Products

"Smell is used in branding because it increases the customers’ recognition of the brand. Smell is the sense most linked to our emotional recollection. It can create instant connections between a brand and other memories. Neuromarketing studies show that 75% of emotions are triggered by smell. Smell is linked to pleasure and well-being, emotion, and memory. Therefore, it can influence customers’ emotional state and mood to make the customers more susceptible and even impact customer behavior."

Scent Branding 101 "I’m battling my way through the pungent masses of Times Square in August when I’m suddenly transported: a cliff jump into a turquoise cove, fiery sunsets from a hotel balcony, fire-twirlers beneath the stars. The vivid memories flash rapidly through my mind, stopping me in my tracks. The trigger? The scent of lemongrass drifting from the windows of a Thai restaurant.

I took hundreds of photos in Southeast Asia. I brought back piles of silks. But nothing brings me to that time and place more viscerally than the tangy scent of lemongrass.

The nose, it turns out, is the fastest way to the heart. And hotels these days have caught the scent, commissioning signature fragrances that they hope will transport guests long after their stays, feeding an estimated $300 million scent-branding industry, say industry experts. The Science of Smell

Strong, sensitive, and always flying under the radar, smell is the Superman of the senses. You may think you understand the world primarily through sight or sound, but your sense of smell is the only one that comes fully developed at birth. It remains the primary way children define the world until the age of 10, at which point—finally—sight takes over. It’s the only sense directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, areas of your brain that process emotion and memory."