Why do dumplings taste best at an alpine hut? Why does the wine from your Italian holiday lack that certain something back home? And why does fresh bed linen in a hotel always smell so much of holidays? It’s obvious: the incomparable ambience. Fresh air, nature and mountains at the hut; beach, sea and salty air in Italy; a feeling of arriving and switching off at the hotel. And the deciding factor in all of this: 30 million olfactory cells. They run a direct line to our emotions, entirely subconsciously. Smelling is so emotional that to this day we haven’t found the words for it. Something always smells “like” or “of” something else. The best example: everyone knows that unique scent when you come home, yet no one can describe it. So what does it actually smell of? That’s exactly the secret some hotels are on the trail of, with AROMEA Airdesign. But each in its own way, with an individual signature that suits the hotel, the region and its own values.
Oscar Wilde already knew it: “Compliments are like perfume. They may smell sweet, but must never become overpowering.” That mattered especially to these four fragrant hotels, because for them, it’s nature that counts! And nature doesn’t have to stay outside: it’s welcome to come in. AROMEA holds the door. So even indoors, guests are accompanied by the subconscious feeling of being surrounded by nature. After all, they can smell it, even if they don’t notice it themselves.
Breathing deep without noticing at Relax Resort Kothmühle
At Relax Resort Kothmühle in Neuhofen an der Ybbs, the Alpine foothills of the Mostviertel region follow you right into the rooms. What mattered in finding the Corporate Scent: the history of the traditional mill, over 700 years old, must not be overpowered, and the two-hectare relaxation garden with its many fruit trees should linger on. So hosts Christiane and Johannes Scheiblauer pursued a strategy of their own. They chose the one scent that isn’t perceived as a scent at all, but simply enhances and underlines the atmosphere of the rooms. Unobtrusive but unforgettable.
Magical AROMEA scent marketing at the Puradies
Freedom and nature are the motto at the Puradies - a paradise in Leogang, surrounded by the Northern Limestone Alps in Salzburg and a 500,000 m² feel-good estate next to a large forest. That’s why the hosts here have chosen the fragrance “Blue Wood”. It doesn’t just put nature centre stage in the lobby: at the same time, alcohol smells are neutralised by the patented chemical compound it contains. Yes, you read that right: neutralised, not masked! AROMEA managing director Peter Wieser revealed to the press how that works here. “Green Tea”, meanwhile, plays a supporting role on the way to the “INNERE MITTE” bath house. So when it comes to wellness, guests just have to follow their noses!
Dramatic scent marketing at Hotel Christoph
Ellmau at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser isn’t just the setting for dramatic scenes from the cult series “Bergdoktor” (The Mountain Doctor). Here at Hotel Christoph, families also relax in the wellness area or seek out new adventures at the children’s play area, on the tennis court, in the surrounding countryside or at the neighbouring horse and livestock farm. Much as nature should find its way into the hotel, the smells from this farm can get rather unpleasant. After all, no one thinks of the muck heap when they think of good country air. The solution from managing director Peter Landlinger: AROMEA scent design. Unpleasant smells are neutralised via the ventilation system, while high-quality fragrance adds to the feel-good atmosphere. A win-win for horses, guests and staff!
Scent secrets at the Stanglwirt
Next-generation owner Elisabeth Hauser-Benz takes things a step further with her Stanglwirt in Going am Wilden Kaiser. Here, the farm with its milk and cheese production, cattle breeding and private Lipizzaner stud is part of the overall experience. So the way to the traditional inn leads past the cowshed, the scent of fresh organic farming included. Of course it smells, but that’s also what creates emotions. Neutralising smells is the last thing on anyone’s mind here. Rather, the challenge for AROMEA’s scent experts was to underline the nature that’s present everywhere. Sheep’s wool carpet, Swiss stone pine bed, larch wood, centuries-old church stone floor and farm: all of this was woven into the comprehensive scent concept, which also changes with the seasons. After all, our olfactory cells renew themselves every one to two months too. The expert calls this refining with scent, and it subtly supports the basic character of the hotel.
As Peter Peer knows, with over 30 years in the hotel business and a medal of honour from the Republic of Austria to his name.
