Research summary · Guest survey · 2019
Aroma marketing in a hotel: how guests notice and respond to scent
In a survey of 326 guests at a scented luxury hotel in Hong Kong, 91.7% noticed the scent. Guests who felt happy or sensual about it were more satisfied and keener to return, but some found it too strong, and guests preferred scent in public areas rather than in rooms or restaurants.
Reviewed by Simon Faure-Field · 8 October 2026 · Checked against the full text
At a glance
Key findings
- 91.7%of guests noticed the hotel’s signature scent.
- 326guests surveyed at a luxury hotel in Hong Kong.
- 6.15 / 10average intensity rating in the lobby, against 3.18 in the restaurant.
The study
Citation and study details
Citation: Denizci Guillet, B., Kozak, M., & Kucukusta, D. (2019). It’s in the air: Aroma marketing and affective response in the hotel world. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 20(1), 1–14.
Read the original: doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2017.1359727
- Study typeGuest surveyPeer-reviewed
- Sample326 hotel guestsEnglish- and Mandarin-speaking
- SettingA luxury hotel in Hong KongScent piped through air conditioning
- Evidence gradeA: field evidence (survey)Self-reported, correlational
Method
What the researchers did
Guests of a scented luxury hotel were surveyed about how the scent made them feel and how it shaped their stay.
The hotel, part of a luxury international hotel group, used a signature scent of ginger flower, peace lily, tuberose, lemongrass and vanilla, piped through the central air-conditioning system in the lobby and reception area. The same scent was used in all the group’s hotels worldwide and sold in the gift shop as a room spray, essential oil and candles.
Over the first three months of 2015, guests drawn at random from the daily guest list completed a questionnaire in English or Mandarin. They rated 24 feelings the scent evoked, where in a hotel they would like scent to be used, how intense it was in each area, and how it shaped their view of the atmosphere, their satisfaction, their loyalty and their intention to return. After incomplete surveys were removed, 326 responses were analysed.
Results
What they found
Positive feelings about the scent went with higher satisfaction and loyalty; unpleasant feelings went with lower satisfaction.
91.7% of guests said they had noticed the scent. The feelings it evoked grouped into four themes: happiness and delight, sensuality, hunger and memories, and unpleasant feelings. ‘Refreshed’ was the single feeling rated most strongly.
Happiness and sensuality were significantly associated with a better view of the hotel’s atmosphere, higher satisfaction, stronger loyalty, a greater intention to return and interest in buying the scent. Unpleasant feelings were associated with lower satisfaction. Guests credited the scent more with shaping the atmosphere and their satisfaction than their loyalty to the brand.
Guests most wanted scent in the lobby, restrooms and corridors, and least in guest rooms, meeting rooms, fitness centres and restaurants. Some described the lobby scent as too strong, and one guest said it gave him headaches. About 10% said they would buy the scent for home or office use.
Limitations
Limitations
One hotel, self-reported feelings and a correlational design.
The study surveyed guests of a single hotel using one scent, with no unscented comparison, so it shows associations rather than cause and effect. Guests who liked the hotel may simply have rated its scent more favourably.
The emotion scale was designed for odours in general rather than for ambient scent, and the authors note it left much of the variation in guests’ feelings unexplained.
A note on the evidence
How strong is this evidence?
Useful insight into how guests experience scent, but not proof of its effect.
The study shows how hotel guests experience a signature scent: almost all notice it, most respond positively, and a vocal minority find it too strong. Because it has no unscented comparison, it cannot show that the scent itself raised satisfaction or loyalty.
For commercial spaces
What it means for commercial spaces
For a hotel, the study supports using a signature scent in public areas such as the lobby, corridors and restrooms, and keeping it out of guest rooms, meeting spaces and restaurants. Intensity matters: scent delivered through central air conditioning can become overwhelming, and the authors specifically warn hotels to watch how much they use. Guests who find a scent unpleasant are less satisfied, so an overpowering scent carries real downside risk.
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How to cite this summary
Scent Swirl. (2026). Summary of Denizci Guillet et al. (2019), It’s in the air: Aroma marketing and affective response in the hotel world. Scent Research Library. https://scentswirl.com/research/denizci-guillet-2019-hotel-aroma-marketing/ (last reviewed 8 October 2026 by Simon Faure-Field).
This summary has been checked against the authors’ accepted manuscript of the paper. If you spot an error or know of a study we should add, we would like to hear from you.
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