Dive Brief:
- Marriott International and IHG Hotels & Resorts are two hotel companies using flowers to create multisensory experiences for luxury and lifestyle guests this summer, according to announcements from each brand.
- Marriott’s JW Marriott brand has entered a “sensorial partnership” with California lifestyle company Flamingo Estate to offer guests nature-inspired scents, sounds and tastes. IHG, meanwhile, is bringing “multisensory offerings,” including botanical installations, to its luxury and lifestyle hotels across the Americas.
- The amenities launch as more guests seek unique experiences and a greater connection to nature, particularly at hotels in the growing luxury and lifestyle segment.
Dive Insight:
To foster “holistic well-being through a deep connection with nature,” JW Marriott hotels partnered with Flamingo Estate to create a garden-infused signature scent, a global sound program inspired by nature and a handcrafted honey blend.
Upon walking into any JW Marriott lobby, guests will smell the newly created scent and hear a soundtrack made to sync with different times of the day. The honey will also be available as part of cocktails and dishes at select properties’ food and beverage outlets.
Bruce Rohr, JW Marriott’s vice president and global brand leader, said the partnership aims to create a “fusion of elegance and sensorial experiences that deeply resonate with travelers seeking to elevate their path of well-being.”
IHG describes its new program, Summer Soiree, as a “seasonal and experiential series,” which also includes curated scents and sounds.
Floral pop-ups featuring “larger-than-life” botanical installations will appear in hotels including Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Miami and Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown, where lobby bars will offer botanical-inspired cocktails.
Hospitality experts say that travelers are increasingly seeking connection with nature.
The trend dovetails with guests’ desire for wellness offerings, which means hotels are often “bringing more nature inside,” Molly Anderson, board chair of the Wellness Tourism Association, told Hotel Dive in January.
Luxury and lifestyle hotels, in particular, are catering to guests who want unique experiences when they travel.
