In Neuhofen an der Ybbs, geographically in the Alpine foothills of the Mostviertel region, lies the Relax Resort Kothmühle. A handsome estate with history and depth, which has been offering its guests hospitality for generations. In this former traditional mill, more than 700 years old (first documented in 1316, in family ownership since 1866), a very special wellness retreat has been created over many generations. With extensive gardens, regional cuisine, its own orchard for fruit juices and in-house fine spirits and, of course, a comprehensive pampering programme of the very highest order. Facts and figures: 91 rooms, 10 seminar rooms, 800 m² of wellness area and two hectares of relaxation garden.
Barely perceptible, magical and unique, an incomparable feeling hangs in the air here. A Corporate Scent by Aromea - scent marketing with depth. Created exclusively for this place. A fine little symphony of scent, composed for the discerning noses of the guests. A scent that awakens emotions, anchors the experience here and creates authentic recognition. For a small, exclusive insight into the scent marketing on site, the Relax Resort Kothmühle answered our questions below: the two hosts, Christiane and Johannes Scheiblauer, in a scent interview.
Question/ Scent marketing! When and how did the Relax Resort Kothmühle discover the world of fragrance for itself, and how did you even get wind of it?
Hosts/ We’ve been working with Aromea for quite a long time. The tip-off about a scent of our own came from an external consultant, specifically Mr Peter Peer of Image Consult (Note: The honorary president of the Austrian Hoteliers’ Association and vice president of the Travel Industry Club Austria received the Golden Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria in 2013 for his services to the hotel industry.). With years of professional experience in hotel marketing, Mr Peer couldn’t recommend the special effect of scent marketing highly enough, and we were thrilled straight away!
These days it’s simply important to offer guests a special feeling, an authentic experience in an exclusive feel-good atmosphere. We want to stand out, because we can offer our guests something really special here, an experience that appeals to all the senses and perhaps even “gets under your skin” a little. It’s very important to us at the Relax Resort Kothmühle to create emotions, and recognition is an important topic too. A scent is an excellent way of underlining that.
Question/ Which areas of the Kothmühle are actually scented, and how?
Hosts/ At the moment, we scent the arrival (lobby), the way to Most Relaxed (our wellness retreat) and the massage rooms with our exclusive signature scent. Local free-standing diffusers let us create scent experiences precisely where we want them. That also creates a certain connection between the areas, a common thread, if you like.
Question/ How exactly was the Corporate Scent of the Relax Resort Kothmühle put together with Aromea? Which factors were decisive in choosing the fragrance?
Hosts/ What mattered most to us, as mentioned, was creating recognition: our unique region, the local characteristics of the landscape and, of course, our long history are all parameters that went into the composition. The prevailing colours in the surroundings, even the design of our logo and, without question, our guests as a target group were also important factors in finding the scent. The right scent should be discreet, quiet and natural. It should reflect the region, offer an inviting welcome and be unforgettable.
Question/ How would you best put the scent ambience into words? Or rather: what associations should it create in guests?
Hosts/ That’s easy to say: arriving, feeling good, serenity, without the need for words… Or, perhaps a little more flowery: creating emotional anchors in an incomparable feel-good atmosphere. We have a quiet location here, lots of nature, ideal opportunities for rest. Our guests should recognise that in the scent. It just fits, you can tell.
Question/ To what extent has the overall impression of the Kothmühle hotel experience changed with the Corporate Scent from Aromea?
Hosts/ The Kothmühle is a resort, a little world of its own, and having our own scent has further strengthened and underlined that. We want to convey an overall feeling here, and the Corporate Scent from Aromea rounds it off emotionally, so to speak. Emotions are, after all, the driving force for people, and what awakens more emotions than a scent? We now create scent experiences for our guests that do justice to the Relax Resort Kothmühle and reflect its quality. Guests should feel good and be able to let go.
Question/ How do you actually find the scent that best suits the Kothmühle brand image?
Hosts/ That’s actually not so easy! (laughs) To find the right scent, we naturally went through quite a few samples. Aromea presented us with very different, specially composed fragrance suggestions in various rooms of our resort. We then went through them very attentively, always following our noses. The Kothmühle scent we finally chose was the only one in the test round that some people didn’t even perceive as a scent. It simply enhanced and underlined the atmosphere of the room. And that’s exactly what we wanted: it should support feeling good and arriving, but not be intrusive. Just perfect!
There’s hardly anything to add to that, because that’s just how it should be: a real experience of rest, for closing your eyes and breathing deeply. Arrive, let go, relax. With the very personal Corporate Scent of the Relax Resort Kothmühle, Aromea simply lends that rest a bit of a helping hand. Unobtrusive but unforgettable. Easy to fall for. And at the Relax Resort Kothmühle, perhaps already something nobody could imagine doing without.
Where the Relax Resort Kothmühle is scented
