Why scent
Smell is the one sense wired straight into the parts of the brain that handle emotion and memory. Sight and sound are routed through a relay station first, while scent goes straight there, which is why a smell can bring a place back years later.
Herz and Schooler, American Journal of Psychology, 2002.
What the research says
Scent marketing attracts a lot of big numbers with no source. These are the findings we'd stand behind, each from published, peer-reviewed work.
3 to 15%Average lift
Across 671 measured effects from published studies, a pleasant ambient scent raised customer responses, from satisfaction to spending intentions, by between 3 and 15 percent on average. Effects were stronger in service settings, like hotels and restaurants, than in shops.
Roschk and Hosseinpour, "Pleasant Ambient Scents: A Meta-Analysis of Customer Responses and Situational Contingencies", Journal of Marketing, 2020. doi.org/10.1177/0022242919881137
+14Minutes at the table
In a French restaurant, diffusing lavender lengthened the average stay from 91 to 106 minutes and lifted spend per head from €17.50 to €21.10. A lemon scent made no difference, which is why choosing the right fragrance matters as much as having one.
Guéguen and Petr, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2006. One venue, so we treat it as a strong indication rather than a rule.
24hBrand recall
People shown brands in a scented room remembered and recognised more of them a day later than people in an unscented one. The scent held their attention for longer.
Morrin and Ratneshwar, Journal of Marketing Research, 2003.
90%Of hotel guests noticed
In a survey of 326 guests at a luxury hotel, more than nine in ten noticed the scent. Most welcomed it in the lobby and washrooms, and most preferred it absent in guest rooms and restaurants.
Guillet, Kozak and Kucukusta, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2019.
How we plan scent in a hotelWhat it means for your space
The research points the same way as our experience. Scent works best when it suits the space and stays consistent from one day to the next.
That's the job we take on: a fragrance chosen or made for you, machines set zone by zone, and a monthly visit to keep it right.