Sensory Stays: Incorporating Scents, Sounds, And Textures In Lifestyle Hotel Room Design

Discover how scents, sounds, and textures enhance lifestyle hotel room design to create immersive, memorable guest experiences through sensory focused spaces.

A growing number of travelers are having high expectations for their hotels as they want more than a comfy bed for resting and sleeping. That’s why instead of booking a stay at a major hotel chain, many are choosing to book a room at a lifestyle or boutique hotel for their holidays or work travels. These establishments are usually run by families, and the owners have full control over the hotel's design and prices. Room supply in lifestyle hotels is estimated to grow another 34 percent by 2027 as more guests are craving for unique, localized stays, and industry experts predict that more of these indie hotels will expand in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand in the coming years.

If you're operating an independent hotel business, providing guests with the standard amenities isn't enough to create a memorable stay. To satisfy modern travelers, you'll want to incorporate the right smells, sounds, textures, and sights into rooms to craft a localized experience. Getting these sensory details right will not only lead to rave reviews for your business, but it also encourages your guests to keep coming back for future trips. Here's how to create unforgettable sensory stays in your lifestyle hotel. 

Use Diverse, High-Texture Materials 

You know how people always seem to remember that one hotel that had the softest, plushest towels and bathrobes, or that AirBnB with the impossibly soft sheets and duvet? It's because textures can make a hotel room memorable, and elements that feel soft, smooth, and warm can add a sense of luxury to any space. To turn a conventional hotel room into a cozy haven, you'll need to make sure that everything feels amazing, starting with the bed. 

First, enhance a twin bed or queen sized bed with an oversized headboard in velvet or leather for added luxury. Use long staple cotton sheets, like Egyptian cotton or supima cotton for softness, less pilling, durability, and breathability. These sheets may cost a bit more than ordinary bedsheets, but unlike cheaper fabrics that wear out, these sheets get softer the more you wash them. Apart from a fitted sheet, add a flat sheet, blanket, and a fluffy duvet. The combined weight from these textiles add pressure, which creates a feeling of safety and security in guests. For depth and interest, dress the bed with linen throws and velvet throw pillows.

Next, provide guests with 100 percent combed Turkish or Egyptian cotton towels. Both are considered to be the gold standard for guest towels, but Egyptian cotton towels are more expensive since these have longer fiber structures and a denser weave. They’re also heavier and take much longer to dry, so if you choose these be sure to install a towel warmer in the bathroom to dry towels faster and keep them toasty warm. Don't forget to add freshly washed bathrobes to every room. If your lifestyle hotel is in a cold region, choose bathrobes made out of plush terrycloth for warmth. For hotels in tropical destinations, pick waffle weave bathrobes, which are perfect for the hot weather since they're cool, lightweight, and breathable. 

Keep Rooms Peaceful and Quiet

Noise is a top complaint for hotel guests, so use sensory design techniques to keep rooms peaceful and quiet. Install thick carpet on bedroom floors for comfort and to drown out noise, but place low pile carpets in hallways so guests and staff will have an easier time walking and maneuvering rolling luggage. If your lifestyle hotel is in a busy or high-traffic location, hang soundproof or acoustic curtains on bedroom windows to reduce echoes and dampen outside noise. 

To prevent guests from hearing loud slamming noises in the middle of the night, install soft close devices on doors, cabinets, and closets. Meanwhile, to cover up hallway chatter or plumbing noises, play soft, ambient music in hallways and common areas through hidden speakers. Keep the volume low to prevent the music from bleeding into bedrooms and maintain a calm ambiance. 

Bring Soothing Scents Into Rooms

Established hotels use signature, custom-blended fragrances to create an inviting and memorable atmosphere. Shangri-la Hotels, for instance, use ‘Essence of Shangri-la,’ which is a blend of citruses, ginger tea, lavender, vanilla, musk, and sandalwood. Meanwhile, Hilton Hotels use White Tea and Thyme, which combines crisp white tea with floral notes and fresh thyme. You can work with a local producer to create your own custom-blended room scent, but see to it that the scents or notes used will create a clean, fresh, and relaxing feeling. Some scents that are safe to use include white tea, bergamot, pine, and orange blossom.

You may also consider providing guests with fragranced bath products and toiletries to create a spa-like feel. Partner with designer or luxury companies like Byredo, Diptyque, or Le Labo for exclusive lotions, soaps, and shampoos, or work with local artisans to create your own signature products. Make use of local ingredients to create a unique sense of place and connect guests to the local culture. For example, if your lifestyle hotel is in Thailand, use mango or beachy scents to make soaps and bath products. If your hotel is in a Mediterranean country, think about using olive oil and lemons to create organic soaps and shampoos.

Creating rooms that are a delight for the senses will provide travelers with a comfortable and quietly luxurious stay. Try these tips to create sensory stays, and see how they encourage guests to keep returning to your lifestyle hotel.