Hotels without chemical "signature scent" and pop rock music in pool, lobby and gym?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 6
Hotels without chemical "signature scent" and pop rock music in pool, lobby and gym?
Does anyone know a hotel chain that does not pollute the public spaces (Lobby, gym and pool area) with chemical fragrances and annoying "music"? Im exhausted being attacked with loud pop rock music and chemical fragrances in hotel lobbies, gyms and pool areas. Even when I am the only one in the pool or gym, the hotel will not turn off the music or the fragrance because it is "brand standard" Marriott, Westin and Sheraton have become intolerable with the strong chemical fragrance and loud pop rock music invading all spaces.
#3
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: U.S.
Programs: DL,HH,MR,Hertz
Posts: 36
I haven't noticed the loud music so much, but "signature scent" is getting to be a problem for me too - it sets off my asthma. I've run into it at Westin, and I've run into it at Hilton Garden Inn. I've also been to a lot of HGIs without the "scent" so maybe Hilton is just experimenting and it's not a universal standard. I do hope this fad goes away quickly - I like to be able to breathe when I'm at a hotel.
#4
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Amsterdam&Stuttgart& Edinburgh
Programs: IC Amb.,FB,Hertz,Sixt
Posts: 776
The IC Berlin went through a phase of having a perfumed lobby, thankfully it stopped. They also tried perfuming my room but I complained and haven't had it since, not sure if it was put on my profile or they stopped it. It seem there are quite a few of us with perfume allergies !
#5
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: Miles and More, IHG, ANA Mileage Club, Hilton Honors
Posts: 118
I cannot stand perfumes imposed on me either. I think we should complain to staff locally and on review sites continuously, any time we happen to smell perfumes, so that hotel chains realize customers do not like it.
#7
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
The only chain I've found thus far that aggressively uses scent and music as part of the branding is Hilton's Home2 Suites. I hate strong scents so they're near the bottom of my list now.
#8
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: New York area
Programs: Diamond on Delta; Lifetime Titanium Bonvoy
Posts: 9
Renaissance becoming intolerable
Agree that the music is out of control. At Marriott's Renaissance rebranding the disco vibe assault at all hours of the day makes it impossible to have a normal conversation at the check in just to grab and go with your keys from mobile check-in counter.
#9
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K/MM, SPG Gold, et al
Posts: 5
Brain-eating music
Don't stay at Renaissance or JW Marriotts then. While I like them for their lounges (primarily overseas, not US domestic)....I absolutely hate the music played in the common areas. It eats into my brain. Sounds like a record that is stuck and not in a good spot. At some locations, I've asked if the music volume can be turned down or changed...it is so ear-crushing.
With regard to 'signature scents'....most of the upper end national chains incorporated these fragrances a number of years back. I'm not enamored of them either. I would prefer just a high-quality air filtration system and leave it at that. I did walk into one hotel recently that (I think) used a signature scent and it was quiet nice....just fresh, clean...like after a rain. Wish I could remember which hotel...maybe it was the Cinnamon Red in Colombo, Sri Lanka? *sigh* [Great stay there btw.]
With regard to 'signature scents'....most of the upper end national chains incorporated these fragrances a number of years back. I'm not enamored of them either. I would prefer just a high-quality air filtration system and leave it at that. I did walk into one hotel recently that (I think) used a signature scent and it was quiet nice....just fresh, clean...like after a rain. Wish I could remember which hotel...maybe it was the Cinnamon Red in Colombo, Sri Lanka? *sigh* [Great stay there btw.]
#10
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 140
Upscale hotel chains (and airlines) use "sensory branding." A signature scent, signature sounds or music, etc. A Japanese-owned hotel I stayed in uses a sound something like rain in their elevators.
Singapore Airlines is widely recognized for their success in this area.
Of course, if you are sensitive to fragrances, it's not so good.
Singapore Airlines is widely recognized for their success in this area.
Of course, if you are sensitive to fragrances, it's not so good.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 6
DFW Westin was scent free
I was shocked that a westin at DFW had fresh air in its lobby. No scent, just a wall of living plants. I hope it’s the new trend. The DEN Westin was how I realized that I get headaches from Scentar chemical machines because their lobby is air tight making it very toxic. The delay in room check in was about three minutes breathing that stuff and a headache appeared and lasted 24 hours. They also have it spraying in the gym like those in a public urinal except a constant spray instead of a squirt in the face every few minutes. What a joy.
#13
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Upscale hotel chains (and airlines) use "sensory branding." A signature scent, signature sounds or music, etc. A Japanese-owned hotel I stayed in uses a sound something like rain in their elevators.
Singapore Airlines is widely recognized for their success in this area.
Of course, if you are sensitive to fragrances, it's not so good.
Singapore Airlines is widely recognized for their success in this area.
Of course, if you are sensitive to fragrances, it's not so good.
#14
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
Posts: 658
We always call well in advance to request a "fragrance free room", and we double check two nights before arrival and again the night before.
That's because they can, uh, misplace the request. And once that "housekeeping air freshener" is sprayed, it can't be quickly eliminated, and it's especially bad now that many hotels have windows that do not open.
So if the hotel is full, and the cleaning has mostly been done... and all the rooms have been strongly scented...that can become a serious medical problem. Yes, we once had a hotel apologize and move us to another (unrelated) property with a nice upgrade, but that was not what we wanted.
Relatively recently, hotels seem to be much more responsive to this, so I'm guessing that there are enough others who also request (or complain) these days.
Now, sitting right next to someone on a plane with assigned seating, someone who is "heavily fragranced"... that's a different problem...
GC