When you walk into your absolute favorite hotel in the world, do you notice it has its own particular scent? A subtle cue that somehow deepens your breath, relaxes your shoulders and fills you with anticipation for what’s to come…
Whether it’s the smell of fresh rain in the Ecuadorian cloud forests or the perfume of tequila, sand and sea salt in Tulum, fragrance possesses the elusive power to transport us — often more than any souvenir or photo can. Even the simple act of lighting a candle can become an exercise in remembering. For mom, what better gift than a fragrance that can conjure memories of that one special place? That moment in time.
Scent memories can remain vivid for decades, often outlasting memories formed through other senses. Our very anatomy supports this. “Unlike all other senses, smell information has direct access to the limbic system and especially the amygdala and hippocampus. These areas are critical for memory, emotion and associative learning. This is why odor-evoked memories are more emotional than memories triggered by other cues,” writes Dr. Rachel Herz, a cognitive neuroscientist at Brown University and expert on the science of scent.
These days, many of the world’s leading luxury hotels are leveraging this neurological connection by creating their own signature scents designed to form memory associations with their brand. Consider this mom’s curated collection.
The Scents of Place
1) Hotel Esencia, Mexico | L’Esencia Vol.1
Hotel Esencia is the former villa of an Italian duchess refashioned as a private jungle getaway on a secluded beach near Tulum. For this three Michelin Key award winner, Artistic Director Juan Carlos Gutiérrez recruited French perfumer Barnabé Fillion (who has worked with Aesop) to create its first limited-edition home fragrance and candle, launched this winter. In sunny yellow and stark white, this fragrance recalls the wild, tropical energy of Tulum.
“For me, this fragrance is an exercise in restraint and resonance, capturing the profound simplicity of the place through a few, carefully chosen ingredients. I worked through a process of reduction and layering, translating sensations—the wind brushing flowers at dusk, the sun reflecting on the architecture, the moisture of the morning dew—into scent,” says Barnabé Fillion.
Where to buy: L’Esencia Vol.1 is available exclusively at Hotel Esencia’s boutique.
2) Mandarin Oriental, NYC | Mandarin Oriental
The iconic Mandarin Oriental, New York recently tapped Emes Beauty to capture their namesake essence in a bottle. The simplicity of the black and white packaging belies a scent as sophisticated as the hotel itself. It’s a heady combination of mandarin orange, bergamot, and lime top notes, balanced by a base of amber, musk, and wood. It conjures memories of looking out from the hotel’s high-rise floor-to-ceiling windows onto Central Park, Columbus Circle and the hum and bustle of the city below. It’s a view like nowhere else.
“The scent creates strong memories where guests identify the scents with coming home, a place of comfort they are familiar with. Integrating notes like mandarin, bergamot, basil, rhubarb, jasmine, and patchouli—all of which are native to Asia—brings us back as a nod to our oriental heritage, while adding wood and amber notes to give us a sense of place in Central Park,” says Jeroen Werdmölder, Hotel Manager.
Where to buy: Shopmo.com
3) Aman New York | Alta
Aman New York is an ultra-luxury sanctuary with a multi-level spa in the middle of Manhattan. Widely regarded as the city’s most expensive hotel, it seems fitting that its signature scent, Alta, means ‘high’ in Latin. It was created to celebrate the hotel’s highly anticipated 2022 opening in the landmarked Crown Building on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.
“Alta is a scent shaped by the skyline — where glass meets sky. Cool, aromatic notes of juniper berry and geranium rise like city air at dawn, softened by the golden warmth of caraway, cardamom, saffron, and orris. Anchored in a deep, woody base of labdanum, patchouli, vetiver, and sandalwood, it’s an olfactory tribute to Aman’s pioneering spirit — a protective veil of scent that captures the quiet strength of stone, steel, and sky. Inspired by the pulse of New York, Alta is bold, refined, and endlessly ascending,” writes Kristina Romanova, CEO of Aman Essentials.
Where to buy: Shop.aman.com
4) Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador | Magnolia Mashpi
Mashpi Lodge is an eco-retreat nestled in Ecuador’s Chocó-Andean Cloud Forest, about three hours north of Quito. Situated within a 6,177 acre private reserve, the lodge offers access to one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, attracting scientists and researchers from around the world. In creating a signature scent for this place, the owners aimed to both capture the essence of the Magnolia Masphi flowering tree from a species that only grows here — with nuances of pear nectar, peach, gardenia, and jasmine — and save it from extinction at the same time.
To that end, the Mashpi lodge formed a partnership with fragrance company Mane and The Red List Project (TRLP), a nonprofit that aims to rescue botanical species from extinction. Proceeds from the sale of this fragrance go toward preserving the Magnolia Mashpi species of tree which, to date, is known only to grow inside the lodge’s private cloud forest. “It’s a keystone species in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Basically what it does is anchor water in the soil, and that permits other trees and plants and bushes to thrive. If this one collapses, it’s kind of a domino effect putting the whole cloud forest system at risk,” said Victor Mane, Director, Fine Fragrance & Ingredients of Mane Perfumes in France.
Where to buy: Magnolia Mashpi products (shower gel, shampoo, and body lotion) are available for purchase at the Lodge.
5) The Surrey, NYC | Sand Siloli
When the Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel, officially opened its doors in October last year, the Upper East Side’s revival began in earnest. Located on 76th street across the street from celebrity hotspots, the Carlyle and the Mark, the Surrey has lit a spark of competition with beautiful interiors by the Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, a new Sisley spa, and the first New York outpost of the beloved eatery Casa Tua. To feel part of the scene, why not send mom the hotel’s signature scent by Baobab Collection. It’s called “Sand Siloli,” an elegant blend of cedarwood, tonka bean and green lemon that graces each floor of this 16-story hotel. Plus, the over-sized, hand-blown glass candles are an attractive accent to any table.
Where to buy: Baobab Collection’s Sand Siloli is available online here.
6) Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand | Island Splendour
With season three of “The White Lotus” coming to an end, Mom might especially enjoy the scent of sweet coconut or Thai pandan leaves from the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, where the popular series was filmed. While the resort’s specific scent isn’t explicitly named, its signature scent collection features exotic bronze votive candles inspired by the Thai destination, such as “Island Splendour” and “Enchanted Garden.” For me, the Island Splendour best captures the tropical ambiance of the Koh Samui resort, with notes of sage, sea salt, driftwood, verdant accord, and bay leaf.
Where to buy: The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui offers its signature scents through the Four Seasons At Home collection, available online.
7) San Luis, Italy | Sacred Trees
I’ll never forget the moment I walked into the San Luis mountain lodge in Merano, northern Italy. The distinct, unforgettable smell of the surrounding pine, spruce and larch forest filled the air as the crackle and pop of the resort’s massive stone fireplaces welcomed us in like a cashmere robe with fluffy slippers. There is something deeply comforting about the fireplaces of San Luis, which warm guests on cold mountain nights, after they come in from epic ski sessions, mountain hikes, or simple swims in the lake in front of their cabins. I had the pleasure of staying in one of the treehouses, which are appointed with clawfoot bathtubs and working fireplaces, and have been trying to recreate the smell ever since. The closest I’ll come to the San Luis scent—a wintery blend of pine, fig and spruce—is by picking up a few of the Baobab candles sold in the resort’s gift shop.
Where to buy: Baobab’s Sacred Trees Collection is available online here.
Perhaps Marcel Proust said it best in his novel, In Search of Lost Time (À La Recherche du Temps Perdu):