Peter Peer is a tall, likeable man. His eyes sparkle when he talks about his work: hotels. With more than 30 years of experience in the hotel business, he knows the ropes - and at Impuls Consult he advises hotels on management and optimisation. The honorary president of the Austrian Hotel Association and vice president of the Travel Industry Club Austria received the Golden Decoration of Honour of the Republic of Austria for his services to the hotel industry. He recommends scents for hotels, and in this interview he tells us why.
Question: Mr Peer, how did you actually come across scent marketing?
Peter Peer: Let me perhaps tell you a little story: The Mirage in Las Vegas, a hotel in a class of its own. In 1989, this “prototype of the new Vegas” opened with great ceremony - a 630-million heavyweight. To this day, the concepts of many hotels in America’s gambling city take their cue from this model. One of the factors in its success: the scent. Why? Steve Wynn, the hotel and casino operator behind the Mirage, claims to have discovered the signature scent “that makes people gamble”. Surprisingly, it seems to be the scent of sun lotion (coconut oil, to be precise) that makes people think of holidays. It transports them to a kind of “otherworld” reminiscent of beaches, palm trees and relaxation. And so the Corporate Scent of the Mirage in Vegas was born - and that very scent is still used to this day. An ingenious system of scent dispensers reaches people’s noses and feelings via the ventilation system. Naturally, this recipe for success was copied too - today all of Vegas smells of coconut oil. (grins)
That story was the very first time I heard about scent marketing. As a consultancy for the hotel industry and service businesses in tourism, we’re always on the lookout for innovative and, above all, effective ideas that can bring about an above-average increase in revenue. On one of our many trips to Asia, many years ago, we had already encountered the idea of staging with scent. In Asian spas in particular, scents are used in a very targeted way. You could say that the article about the Mirage in Vegas laid the foundation for our commitment to scent marketing.
Question: And how exactly does scent marketing work in the hotel industry?
Peter Peer: A good scent triggers a multitude of changes in the brain. We humans respond mainly emotionally to scent messages, often changing our attitudes and behaviour unconsciously on the basis of scent: a good scent lifts the mood, and where it smells good, we quickly feel comfortable and at home. We stay longer where we feel comfortable, and buy, consume and enjoy more. A pleasant scent is also very often associated with higher quality. And very important for us: in the subconscious, a good smell creates the desire to come back!
The upshot: with a good scent, you increase customer satisfaction, boost footfall and turnover, and gain a clear competitive advantage.
Question: Where and how does it make sense to scent in the hotel business?
Peter Peer: In keeping with the motto “The first impression counts and the last one stays”, the core areas for scenting are surely the reception, the lobby and the public areas. But the route from the hotel garage to reception, for example, is very important too. In our view, the scent of certain special storerooms also matters, the linen store for instance. Here you have the chance to give the linen a fresh scent, which then becomes noticeable all over the hotel, wherever the fresh linen is used. Small, fresh islands of scent, if you like. But printed materials (brochures, stationery, mailings) can be scented too! Here it’s especially essential to use a scent created specifically for my business - a Corporate Scent.
Question: What should a hotel ideally smell of?
Peter Peer: There are no clear guidelines here. Rather, we look for a scent that suits the hotel. A scent that helps us improve our online reviews. To put it casually: “I like the smell of that hotel, so I’ll give it a good review.” But just as an aside, scent can of course only support: it can’t compensate for bad service or a lack of guest focus. But as an experienced consultancy, we naturally offer the right advice and measures there too.
Question: What effect can be achieved with professional scent marketing?
Peter Peer: At best, more guests, more turnover, better online reviews and greater staff satisfaction. It’s that simple. That’s why, as a matter of principle, we always recommend scent marketing in the hotel industry to all businesses. The only thing you can get wrong is the scent - but that’s what the pros at Aromea are for. (grins)
There’s really hardly anything to add to that. Except, of course, a warm thank-you to Peter Peer for answering our questions! If you’d like to see the effect of professional scent marketing for yourself, the Hotel Weißes Rössl on the Wolfgangsee is probably the best-known reference in Peer’s client portfolio. By the way, a Corporate Scent from Aromea is also at work at the Relax Resort Kothmühle. Recommended by Peter Peer and unforgotten by the guests. You can read that story here on the blog too (here).
Peter Peer on scent recommendations in the hotel business
