HotelChatter

Open Thread / Hotel Bathrooms / Hotel Toiletries / Fairmont Hotels / Hotel Scents / Boston Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Amenities / → All Tags

Would You Choose A Hotel Based On Toiletries?

Earlier this month, we learned about a new partnership between New York-based perfume house Le Labo and Fairmont Hotels—the biggest hotel undertaking Le Labo has ever attempted. We know how particular everyone can be about their hotel toiletries. Some like them sweet-smelling, some like them eco-friendly, and some don't bother with them at all.

But today, while reporting on the new Le Labo line at Fairmont, MSNBC happened to interview an individual who admitted he and his fiancee chose Boston's Liberty Hotel as the site of their wedding "in large part because they provide Molton Brown products in the rooms." Nevermind the actual, like...you know, beds.

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Hotel Scents / W Hotels / eBay / → All Tags

W Hotels' Proprietary Citron Scent Can Now Be Yours, Thanks to eBay

So remember last year when we finally tracked down the original scent that wafts through W Hotels? You know, W Scent No. 5 which no one can buy, let alone see? Well, a tipster just let us know it's now for sale...on eBay.

Yup, if you just happen to be perusing some of the 20,000 Missoni for Target items on eBay, you can also throw in this "rare" bottle of W for just $150. Or you can place a bid for it starting at $125.

All we know about this scent is that it's a citron scent and it's what housekeeping uses once they cleaned up the room after a guest leaves. It doesn't sound that special but apparently, some folks have gone gaga over the smell like this reader.

While we're all about owning unique, one of a kind items, we're not so sure the scent of a W is worth upwards of $125. We'll just settle for the Sicilian Fig candle for 25 bucks instead.

Hotel Scents / Hotel Openings / Santa Monica Hotels / → All Tags

The Shore Hotel Will Sure Smell Festive When It Opens

Where: 1515 Ocean Ave [map], Santa Monica, CA, United States, 90401

What's that smell? Well, it depends on what month it is!

It's no secret here that HotelChatter is a little obsessed with hotel scents as we've been chronicling who smells like what for some time now. And now we've got a whiff of what the upcoming Shore Hotel in Santa Monica will smell like.

According to our top nose, the hotel is going to use a different scent each month. This immediately had us wondering if the hotel would smell like a Pumpkin Spice Latte since opening day is October 1, prime fall time.

But alas, the hotel is going to start off with "fresh" scents for the opening and then transition into seasonal ones. So will the hotel smell like turkey and cranberry in November and pine trees in December? We can only hope!

If you want to sniff out the Shore Hotel when it opens, rooms are currently avail on October 7 for a special grand opening rate of $220 a night. (That's actually down a lot from when we last looked too!)

Hotel Scents / Dream Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Lobbies / → All Tags

Nothing Like A Little Oudh To Take You To That 'Different Place'

Where: 355 West 16th Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10011

Now, this is something that's been on our minds for a while now, ever since we first visited the Dream Downtown. Though at the time, it was more like a nagging thought in the back of our minds—call it a persistent unease—that something wasn't quite right.

We're talking, of course, about the cloying, slightly church-like fragrance that permeates every corner of the Dream's bubble-icious lobby. If you've walked through those heavy wooden doors, even just for a second, then you'll know what we mean...

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Interviews / Le Meridien Hotels / Carlos Becil / Hotel Art / Hotel Scents / Hotel News / → All Tags

What is Le Meridien's 'Creative Class' and Do You Belong?

The other week we got hotel key card collectors in a tizzy over the UNLOCK Art key cards from Le Meridien Hotels which not only open the hotel rooms to guests but also gives them complimentary access to art museums and cultural centers near by.

This is just one of the ways that Le Meridien has been reaching out to what they call the "Creative Class." But what exactly is the Creative Class and who would feel most at home at a Le Meridien hotel? We put forth these questions and more to Carlos Becil, vice president of North American brand management for Le Meridien. Check out what he has to say about Le Meridien's artist roots, the signature LM01 scent and the brand's plans for "creative hubs" in the lobbies in our Q&A below.

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Hotel Jobs / Four Seasons Hotels / Maui Hotels / Hotel Spa / Hotel Scents / → All Tags

More Cool Hotel Jobs: Perfume Melangeur at Four Seasons Manele Bay

Where: 1 Manele Bay Rd. [map], Lanai City, HI, United States, 96763

HotelChatter contributor Eric Rosen will be telling us about some of the coolest hotel jobs out there. He reached out across the globe to talk to the dynamic folks who do everything from wrangling elephants (and guests!) to designing the latest high-tech gadgetry for your next guest room. So check back every day to see who he’s talking to next.

Last week we told you about the Director of Astronomy at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. Today we take you to the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i Manele Bay.

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Hotel Gifts / Hotel Swag / Hotel Gift Cards / Hotel Bathrobes / Hotel Blankets / Hotel Scents / Hotel Keychains / The Points Guy / → All Tags

10 Holiday Gift Ideas For The Hotel Lover in Your Life

You've got 12 days until Christmas and if you're still struggling to find the perfect gift for the hotel lover in your life, we've got some good gift ideas for you. Once again, we've gone through some of our favorite hotel products from the past year and picked out the ones we'd like to receive er, we think would make great gifts--whether for stocking stuffers or to open on Christmas morn. So let's get shopping!

1. Keychains from "Hotel" Marc: : We kicked off 2010 coveting, and eventually owning, these Hotel Marc keychains from fashion designer Marc Jacobs. Sadly, there is no Hotel Marc...yet but with the proliferation of fashion hotels these days, we don't think Hotel MJ is far behind. Until then, you can buy leather versions for just $13. You can choose from the script lettering or the bolder print. Both keyrings say "Since 1984" on the back.
Where to Buy: MarcJacobs.com.

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Hotel Scents / HotelChatter Questions / Pure Rooms / → All Tags

What to Do When a Hotel Scent is Making You Sick?

For some, this ScentWave system is a torture device.

Yesterday, we got all excited to learn that we could make our own home smell exactly like a Westin Hotel by buying a crazy ScentWave system that would pump white green tea all day long. But not everyone loves these hotel scents we keep huffing. Here a reader shares her odoriferous pain:

Please help: I'm dying: I have asthma and I'm running out of places to stay.

Westin Hotels spray cheap perfume in their lobby (Madrid), Ritz Carlton Miami Beach has cheap perfume in the air conditioning in ALL public areas... more and more hotels are doing this....

I was in MB on business and emailed ahead to make sure NO perfume was used and was told it was "safe" for me to come... when I went to check in I almost brought up!! (Ed. Note. We think she meant "throw up.")

What can be done, it is an epidemic. I will write letters if you can tell me who it is that I should write to at the Ritz Chain and the Starwoods chain.

In Madrid, at least, the hotel manager was able to disengage the odour, but at the Ritz they said they could not disable the airconditioner atomizer (OMG) Thank you for your help.

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Hotel Scents / ScentAir / Westin Hotels / Hotel Swag / → All Tags

Who's Responsible for That Hotel Smell? These People

We know some of you are obsessed with the scents that waft through hotels, so we were tickled to get an email from a company that's responsible for scenting these places, Scent Air. Their tagline is: "Aromas trigger memories. Memories influence emotions. Emotions dictate reactions."

While hotels usually get to come up with their signature scent, ScentAir is the company that's responsible for pumping the smell throughout the hotel. Here's a bit on their website of how they make all those Westin Hotels smell so good:

Strategically positioned at entrances to greet guests as they arrive, ScentWave scent delivery systems offer a light and refreshing White Tea welcome in Westin hotels worldwide. Westin has taken the idea of sensory branding and signature scent to a whole new level. They now offer candles, oils and even a home version of the ScentWave system to consumers; all of which deliver their custom developed White Tea fragrance.

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Hotel Scents / W Hotels / Hotel Housekeeping / → All Tags

The Secret to the W's Custom Room Scent: REVEALED!

Last month, we fielded a question from a reader about that signature W scent and we found that there were two scents pumped through W Hotels--a Sicilian Fig candle which can be bought from the W store and a proprietary custom room scent which no one can buy, let alone see. Except for us.

Thanks to the most amazing tipster we have this stealth snapshot of the W Room Scent No. 5 which is actually a citron scent. This is what we gather housekeeping is spritzing all over the room once they've made the beds, vacuumed the floors, wiped down the windows, replaced the towels, restocked the minibar and replenished the Bliss toiletries in the bathroom.

Again, this is not something you can buy but um, maybe you could give a housekeeper a generous tip and she will "loan" it to you?

HUGE thanks to N!

W Hotels / Hotel Scents / Hotel Swag / HotelChatter Answers / → All Tags

This is the W Signature Scent and Here's Where You Can Buy It

Earlier this week a reader was desperately seeking the name of the W Hotels Signature Scent as well as where he could buy it. We put forth the question to you readers and got some great answers, including a particularly detailed one from W Wuvver, MichaelSDacko. But behold, we have the final answer straight from W Hotels Headquarters.

The smell is actually from a W Hotels candle and its scent name is Sicilian Fig. It's described as "infused with rich cypress then finished with fresh lemon blossom and delicate heliotrope." It will burn for 50 hours and comes in a custom glass W vessel.

W tells us the scent is a custom W Hotels Worldwide scent used in all W Hotels (with some exceptions at international locations due to availability/shipping/customs, etc.) The candle can be bought for $25 in all 12 W Hotels stores. If you'd like it in a gift box, that will cost an extra $10.

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HotelChatter Questions / W Hotels / OpenThread / Hotel Scents / → All Tags

Desperately Seeking the Scent of W Hotels, Can You Help?

Something smells good at the W Montreal and apparently at the other W Hotels as well.

A few years ago, one of the must-have trends that emerged for hotels, especially chain hotels, was the signature Hotel Scent.

These are powerful, carefully selected smells that waft through the lobby, "greeting" you at check-in and sometimes, following you all the way up to your room. They are all supposed to enhance your hotel experience as well as give you a strong olfactory reminder of your stay. So that whenever you smell a similar smell, you will be reminded of that hotel. (Tricky!)

Some of our fave scents include the jasmine scent at The Palazzo, the white green tea scent at Westin Hotels and the floral perfume that permeates throughout the Le Meurice in Paris.

But we weren't aware that W Hotels had their own scent until a very concerned reader wrote into to us. Here's what he asked:

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