More Smelly Hotels

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
May 31st 2006 at 10:00AM

We first saw this at the Westin with the white tea scent that many of you found so beguiling. Now other hotels are following suit with their own signature scents. UPI reports that the Sheraton has new fig, bergamot, jasmine and freesia scent and that their Four Points hotels use apple cinnamon for a homey approach. The Omni chain has chosen the clean scent of lemongrass and green tea for their lobbies. The scent is just part of Omni's new Sensation offerings which include the Sensation Bar, a minbar that includes a moleskine notebook, deck of cards, CD, mojito jelly beans, pomegranate lip balm and a lavender pillow mist.

Tags: hotels, omni, scent, sheraton, westin, white tea scent

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

m Jun 2nd 2006 2:42PM

They were better how they were, just clean. that perfume shit stinks. It's probably allergenic too.

Vanessa Jun 2nd 2006 2:52PM

Hotel should be just clean and if a smell to be added that should be a smell of fresh air.

Wade Jun 2nd 2006 2:53PM

I think its a great idea because people associate smeel with different things.. When I am traveling I look forward to getting to my hotel and pouring some wine. Know when I waklk into that Omni , I will know im home by the familiar smell. Its much better than the over powering smells of cleaning solutions and bleach...

DKet Jun 2nd 2006 2:56PM

What a great comment the first one is...best giggle I've had yet today...lolol. There aint nothin' like an honest poster!!!

M wrote:
1. They were better how they were, just clean. that perfume shit stinks. It's probably allergenic too.

Posted at 2:42PM on Jun 2nd 2006 by m

Francesca Jun 2nd 2006 3:03PM

I agree that the perfumes should be left out. I am allergic to many perfumes and I always ask if the hotel uses any type of scents in the lobby and/or rooms before I make the reservation. I also wonder what it is that the hotels are trying to hide with the perfumes that they use. Molds...mildew perhaps?

HMU Jun 2nd 2006 3:18PM

There's nothing I hate more than walking into a hotel lobby and being slimed with some heavy, ugly scent. And I'm also very allergic to perfumes, so having a noticeable fragrance in my room would rule out my staying there. If a room is clean, no extra scent should be needed. I wish hotel management would do a little research into the chemistry of perfumes and how negatively they affect our health. It's really pretty frightening.

Joan Bristol Jun 2nd 2006 3:21PM

Please do not add smells to hotels. How about some clean fresh air? An air purifier comes to mind.... I get sick when I just enter a scented candle store or walk down a soap aisle in a grocery market.

fubar the great Jun 2nd 2006 3:21PM

I wish they had one specifically for weed cover-up because after a show before we shower,we always de-stress.

Linda Moeller Jun 2nd 2006 3:23PM

I don't like perfume smells and they irritate me. I hope they offer the option of "no smell"- simply clean and fresh.

Michelle Jun 2nd 2006 3:25PM

Good point, Francesca...what odor is the hotel attempting to mask? Typically, hotels have experienced an issue with excess water accidents at one time or another due to pipe malfunctions, exterior weather conditions or even a guest leaving the bathtub faucet on too long resulting in an overflow. This over saturation of an area can make for a stinky situation. Additionally, the ventilation systems, if not properly and frequently cleaned out, can literally spray mold spores, allergens and germs throughout the entire building. Personally, I love scents and probably would enjoy smelling the ones these hotels are starting to use. However, I believe that a business which houses the public should not impose a specific aroma on guests no matter how "nice" they believe it is. After all, everyone HAS to breath. Open a window, huh?

melisa Jun 2nd 2006 3:45PM

I agree that hotels who use scents are trying to mask something rotten. Fresh air is best.

bammawama Jun 2nd 2006 3:48PM

I really gag when we walk in some roadside hotels that are owned by families from India...the people are very nice but the whole place including the rooms smell like curry. I like curry but I don't want to stay in a room that smells like that. I never realized curry had such an overpowering smell. Am I the only one that has noticed this?

housewife07 Jun 2nd 2006 3:50PM

I really don't care for any kind of perfume scents. They make me sick because I have really bad allergies. If people want perfume smells let them bring their own and spray their room themselves.

Sue Jun 2nd 2006 4:16PM

bammawama....You aren't the only one! The folks from India also reek of curry and some religions don't allow bathing but maybe once a month too. That would add up to a lot of bad odor, don't you think?
I am soaking up all the comments here since I have a candle and scent company and do rely on helpful comments from people. I know a lot of people out there have allergies too.

Nancy Jun 2nd 2006 4:16PM

I am highly allergic to chemicals including perfumes. It's difficult to go anywhere these days.

Ima Sosure Jun 2nd 2006 4:21PM

I just hate it when you request a non smoking room and it reeks of smoke. They can't cover that up with perfume. I carry "smells begone" and "smoke buster" with me always. The curry that was mentioned makes me think of an Indian owned Dunkin doughnuts near me. Imagine, if you can, fresh doughnuts overpowered by the smell of something that was cooked in the building with curry. I almost got sick and never went in there again.

Diana Jun 2nd 2006 4:24PM

I'd rather smell a fragrance than a musty room scent or cigarettes! I think if your romm will be fragranced you should have the option to choose the scent. Overall, I think the smell of a freshly cleaned room is best!

Nicole Jun 2nd 2006 4:44PM

This is a horrible idea... people like me who are born with acute heridetary asthma will no longer be able to safely stay at hotels without fearing for their life from noxious chemical perfumes. The type asthma I have makes it so that I'm normally very healthy and have no problems until I run into a cold virus or strong chemical type of perfume or bug spray etc... then I have a lot worse problems breathing than other people to the point that it can mean hospitalization.

It really hurts emotionally when I'm made very ill by something totally avoidable like someone's idea of "perfume" which has on occasion forced me to leave jobs where I had to interact with a coworker who insisted on wearing heavy perfume despite the fact that it made me quite ill.

Asthma is an invisable illness so people think it must be all in our head and they're very insensitive about it... if *they* can breathe fine with the perfume smell why can't everyone else? If it was them, or someone they dearly loved, who couldn't breathe they would understand. People really need to think about people with respiratory illness on things like this. How many asthmatics will become ill at hotels due to all this new scent stuff... and no one even thought to voice it as a concern in the article. Asthmatics read things like this and think nobody cares if they kill me!!!

Kathy Jun 2nd 2006 4:45PM

Nothing beats the smell of clean... which has no smell, it is just fresh.

I do not have allergies, but I checked into a Hilton Hotel in DC and while the room was clean, the perfume smell was overwhelming.

I asked to have the window opened and that the maid not spray what ever it was she sprayed.