The summer holidays are just around the corner and holiday planning is in full swing. And why roam far afield when the good things lie so near? As near as the Harz, one of the most beautiful mountain ranges and national parks in Germany. The Harz stands for the romance of hiking in eastern Germany and solid, traditional family holidays. Sounds a bit dusty? It may well be! Luckily, there are pioneers like “The Hearts Hotel” in Braunlage. Its operators want to free this great region from that image. “Digital workflow meets holiday” is the motto. Checking your emails in the morning, heading out into nature in the afternoon or simply idling away the time in the really stylish rooms: at “The Hearts Hotel”, all of that is possible and welcome. We love it! A trendy hotel calls for a trendy scent. With AROMEA scent marketing, “The Hearts Hotel” doesn’t just stay in your head, it stays in your nose too. We spoke to hotel operator Meik Lindberg about warmth, his hotel and his scent concept.
Question: “The Hearts Hotel” in the Harz: what’s the story behind the wordplay?
Lindberg: It’s a play on words that gives our guests a lightbulb moment, by the second look if not before. It has warmth and heart in it, and it links us to our location. We just say “Hearts” instead of Harz, and in everyday life we deliberately use the mix of English and German to communicate with our guests, partners and followers.
Question: What’s special about “The Hearts Hotel”?
Lindberg: We’re different. It starts with a dream and the ambition to make it come true. That takes courage and passion. We build a hotel first and then learn how best to run it. Our team is for anyone who wants to help us make a dent in the dusty Harz. Creative minds are just as welcome as professionals!
Question: You’re reopening on 1 July. What’s new to discover?
Lindberg: Where do we start, where do we stop? For one thing, there’s LEOS’S, the restaurant with plenty of entertainment and a join-in experience: a concept with an open kitchen and a relaxed transition between team and guests. Nothing is standard: we create ever-changing dishes, and quality always comes first. Steps lead from the restaurant to a wooden terrace with a view of the forest.
The bathhouse is finished. More guest rooms have been created here, some on as little as 16 square metres, and with their freestanding bathtubs and disco balls they have enough space for an exclusive party. The yoga room radiates calm, and in the ballroom it’s all about “working Hearts”. The super-popular Knut-Hansen Suite has been given siblings. Pure-Tea, Walten, Nordal and Tatjana.pro are now also represented here as suites, each in a unique design. A lot has also happened in our outdoor area. Two paths now lead to the barrel sauna. A fence and a boardwalk round off the space. There’s now a charging station for e-bikes and a shed where they can safely spend the night. So quite a lot has been finished, but we’re not resting on our laurels!
Question: You opted for the AROMEA Nano Pro 5. Where in the hotel do you use the diffuser?
Lindberg: The AROMEA Nano Pro 5 runs in all the entrance areas of our four buildings. Subtle but distinctive as you walk in, the scent wakes up the senses.
Question: Why is scent marketing so important to you?
Lindberg: Emotions matter to us. It’s a special marketing tool that gets subliminal attention in our emotional environment. Scent marketing is still an absolute novelty in the German hotel industry. The experience of nature that our guests are looking for is anchored by the perception of a scent.
Question: Nature, forest, deciduous trees and conifers. How does the fragrance “Velvet Wood” fit into that?
Lindberg: It clearly reflects sensual nature without being intrusive. The fragrance suits our design and runs through our resort like a common thread. We choose our partners deliberately, and here too we did intensive research beforehand. It goes really well with the other products we carry.
Thank you for talking to us!
Meik Lindenberg on scent marketing in the hotel industry
