10 Hotel Scents to Transport You Around the World
Travel from Home with these 10 Signature Destination Fragrances
“Nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like fragrance.”
Scent is said to be the sense closest tied to memory, due to its effects on the brain’s emotional processing in the amygdala. This is one of the reasons why we as humans can correlate certain smells to specific memories stored away. Have you ever wondered why a certain food triggers vivid childhood thoughts? Your brain’s limbic system — that’s why.
I’ll never forget as a little girl, vacationing with my parents in a beautiful hotel somewhere in Mexico. We were enjoying a local dinner, when we were served a fragrant stew and my mom began to cry. I recall feeling so confused as we had just encountered an incredible meal together and I had no idea how she could be so sad out of nowhere. It turned out that stew immediately triggered emotional memories of her late grandfather and the final meal she ever shared with him. I directly blame this experience for my affinity to scent in my adult life. I’m always keen on the power of scent and the olfactory design of public and private spaces, not to mention the importance of scent branding for just about any physical business.
During this period of lots of at home time, when our desires for wanderlust and exploration are put on on hold, nothing helps to ground us more than memories. Which is precisely why we’re turning to past travels to keep the wheels of optimism and creativity turning. There’s a reason a ton of movies and songs refer to the “scent of a woman,” because not much else triggers a memory more deeply.
For these reasons, I’m convinced there’s nothing like a signature scent to imprint a lasting impression so crisply, almost tangibly, perfectly preserving a memory through the years. One of my favorite aspects of traveling are the fragrances encountered along the way. Okay, maybe not all of them, but typically the smell of my hotel, the cuisine, the beach, the local flowers — are all individual facets that can almost instantly come to vivid recollection, with the singular whiff of a perfume or candle.
The below hotels have magnificently captivated their signature fragrance, designed to viscerally connect scent to sense of place. Whether a bespoke perfume or locally-inspired aroma, these hotels have created the perfect keepsake that will incite enduring memories long after your voyage. The best part of this list, is that you can order most of these scents online and continue your world travels from the comfort of home. Now, which scent destination do you want to travel to first?
Petit Ermitage, Candle
Entering West Hollywood’s most magical boutique hotel, Petit Ermitage, you feels as though you’ve stumbled into Alice’s rabbit hole towards Wonderland. The whimsical location is a discreet vine-covered building tucked off West Hollywood’s main drag. Unless privy to it, you’d never know it exists aside from the lit-up circus sign that shines at night. Once the doorman ushers you in, it’s impossible not to be intrigued by the jewel-hued velvet curtains and sofas, the surreal decor and remarkable fine-art lining the walls. While sent in an aesthetic tail-spin, you’re simultaneously smacked in the face by the heady, bewitching scent of musk and amber that pervades and heightens curiosity. Even as you meander to the outdoor rooftop to the adjacent restaurant and butterfly garden, the scent manages to inextricably follow you during your stay. True story: I once reserved the butterfly brunch table for a special event with friends and pop-star/queen Dua Lipa tried to snag it!
Designed as a private pied-a-terre with an elegant, bohemian, artistic, globe-trotter in mind, it’s more of a kaleidoscopic retreat than a hotel. The signature candle reflects this magic and eccentricity, with smokey and luscious notes. The candle is typically presented in all of its bewitching glory, poured with silky black wax into a black tin. The tin bears gold cursive that reveals a spell in French, with instructions on how to enact its magic while lighting the candle. I’ve read the spell and lit the candle and I can’t tell you what happens next or else I’ll have to burn you with candle wax….
Typically only available for purchase directly from the hotel, you’re in luck. For the first time ever, Petit Ermitage’s signature candle is available for purchase online here. Due to current hotel closure, PE also offers “Grand Petite Bazaar Market” packages for quarantining in bohemian-style, including chef curated boxes, libations and oddities to entertain (one package includes a clown nose, a bottle of mezcal and a pack of smokes).
1 Hotel, Miami, Kindling Candle
The bespoke scent permeating throughout the ocean-front 1 Hotel, Miami creates the perfect minimalist balance of masculine woodsiness and tranquil violet. Designed exclusively for 1 Hotels, Kindling is the signature scent, composed of seven all-natural ingredients, hinting towards floral and earth tones, with revitalizing eucalyptus and musk. Light the Kindling and you’ll embark on a sensuous journey through the chic Miami Beach hideout, bikini-clad, sipping champagne and sunbathing at the hotel’s lavish rooftop pool. Purchase the candle from the 1 Hotels shop here.
Gramercy Park Hotel, Le Labo Cade 26
Once (and forever) the East Coast headquarters of Bohemia, the sophisticated Gramercy Park Hotel is a New York staple, turned living work of art that has been welcoming artistic and elite crowds since 1925. Located in one of Manhattan’s most coveted neighborhoods, the property is named after the city’s only private park, which can be accessed exclusively by Gramercy Park Hotel guests. The building’s rich interiors boast lush velvet curtains, leather chairs, hand-carved stones and endless coveted works of art — many original works made specifically for the property.
Along with the luxuriant decor, it’s difficult not to be captivated by the hotel’s inherently cool ambiance and intoxicating scent. Curated specifically for Gramercy Park Hotel during its early 2000’s reinvention, luxe fragrance company Le Labo, designed the signature “Cade 26” scent — an alluring and smoky scent that perfectly compliments the hotel’s deep-hued color palette, wood tones and earthy textures, while exuding a sense of elegance and sensuality. You can purchase the candle directly from Le Labo here.
Coqui Coqui, Merida Tabaco Candle and Perfume
The Coqui Coqui experience is one-of-a-kind, even for the most seasoned world-traveler. To sum it up, the brand boasts eight perfumeries turned rustic retreats, (seven located in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and one in Bora Bora). Each individual retreat is embodied through a signature scent, which is cultivated in the destination’s on-site perfumery. Every perfumery utilizes only locally sourced ingredients to create the memorable aromas that capture the essence of its surroundings. The Coqui Coqui Residence and Spa in the Yucatan’s capital of Merida, sits surrounded by tobacco plantations, inspiring the elegant ‘tabaco’ fragrance, which encapsulates the rich aroma of the region. You can purchase some of Coqui Coqui’s candles through several department store websites (such as Neiman Marcus) and immediately feel as though you’ve landed in the tobacco fields of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Chateau Marmont, Alessandra Candle
An evening at the Chateau sends guest on a journey to the heydays of hedonistic Hollywood glamour at its most extravagant. Built in 1929, the Chateau was modeled on an actual castle in France’s Loire Valley and has become a playground for the Hollywood elite. The palatial landmark boasts a gothic aesthetic, old-Hollywood style bungalows and a lavish pool and garden restaurant prime for celeb-spotting. Probably most famed for its scandalous celebrity fueled stories — as Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, once advised, "If you must get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont." Since its early days, the Chateau has drawn crowds of elite guests as a result of its notoriety, vintage decor and iconic design.
Crafted with soy-wax and a signature blend of spices, the Alessandra Candle embodies the decadent scent of Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont. Perpetually found burning throughout public spaces and corridors, the frosted glass votives boast the hotel’s original logo. The signature scent, vanilla and gardenia with a hint of spice, perfumes the property with the same unshakeable magnetism that has charmed guests for decades. Take a trip to this legendary L.A. getaway by ordering your own Alessandra Candle here.
Le Sirenuse, Positano, Perfume
As if the hotel already doesn’t conjure feelings of wanderlust, the Amalfi-Coast fixture, Le Sirenuse, has created a signature scent that instantly transports guests to the vertical gardens of Positano. Crafted in celebration of the hotel’s 50th anniversary, the custom fragrance, Eau d’Italie, plays on the aforementioned connection between scent and memory.
Photo via La Sirenuse Hotel
Crafted with support from Bertrand Duchaufour (who has previously made fragrances for Comme des Garçons and other designers), the combination of black currant, citrus, bergamot and musk, was inspired by one of the hotel owner’s childhood memories of playing on her family’s clay tiled terrace overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Used in soaps and in-room bath products, Eau d’Italie is also available for purchase at the hotel as well as through Neiman Marcus here.
EDITION Hotels, Candle and Fragrance Diffuser
Guests can bring home just about any product that they may have enjoyed during one of their EDITION Hotels experience around the world, from travel bath sets, to bath robes and fragrance diffusers and candles. The EDITION Candle immediately exudes sensuality, as it’s set in a black glazed vessel and sensually burns notes of robust black tea, followed by citrus, bergamot, chocolate, cedar and pepper. Order your very own EDITION Candle or fragrance diffuser from the EDITION Shop and you’ll impress even your snobbiest quarantine buddy.
Ritz Carlton, 50 Central Park Candle
I know we’ve visited New York already, but the scent story behind the Ritz Carlton New York’s 50 Central Park Candle (named after the iconic hotel’s address), is truly unique. The inspiration for this nature-influenced scent, crafted by Antica Farmacista, can be found on a “scent map” of Central Park, here. The iconic hotel’s signature scent, emphasizes hints of strawberries, elderflower and crisp mint. It’s quintessential New York City and you deserve to see your name in lights — even if it’s only from the matches used to light your candle. Available for purchase online here.
Le Bristol Paris, Candles and Room Sprays
The mere idea of Paris easily evokes visions of nostalgia, romance and fresh flowers. This is why perfume designer Jean-Michel Duriez crafted a lively natural scent, inspired by the Hotel Le Bristol Paris. Notes of lily of the valley, rose and freesia harmoniously blend with hints of sandalwood. Hints of fresh cut grass echo Le Bristol’s palatial inner courtyard and cedar and leather beckon the hotel’s opulent origin. The spirituous scent perfectly juxtaposes the freshness of the hotel's garden with the warmth of its interior furniture and surroundings. It can be purchased in the form of candles and room sprays.
The Setai, Candle
Brunch at the Setai Hotel
Wrapping up our journey back in Miami Beach, this luxe boutique hotel is famed for its incredible Asian-inspired design, open-air architecture, beach views and VIP clientele (hint, hint this is Britney Spears’ favorite hotel to stay in Miami, amongst other A-listers). To create its one-of-a-kind fragrance, the Setai partnered with perfumer and fragrance historian, Roja Dove, to personalize the property’s signature scent, which drew life from Floridian surroundings, such as the Florida orange. In order to compliment the fruit with the Setai’s Asian-inspired aesthetic, Dove used a Neroli-oil base, mingled with jasmine, provence rose and litsea cubeba (an ever green shrub grown in China for its medicinal qualities). The scent maintains a consistent presence and guests who cherish the fresh fragrance can also bring it home. In addition to being infused throughout the hotel, the scent makes additional appearances in the hotel’s brand-new line of bathroom amenities, from shampoo to shower gel, and can be purchased in a 24-carat, gold-lidded candle via the hotel and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Remember to always keep Galavanting! x Alexia