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Travelodge nose what smells the sweetest
Travelodge is imbuing its bedsheets with a variety of aromas that have been identified as being helpful in sending guests off to sleep.
The budget hotel chain, which has been responsible for such inventions as the mobile hotel room in the past, is now trialling its “a-room-atherapy†project at a selection of its hotels.
Sheets will smell of “reminiscents†– scents that remind guests of happy and comforting memories. These scents have been created following a “Senses Census†of 5000 people which asked them which aromas relaxed them the most.
Top of the charts was the sea, which evokes holiday memories and helps those who live by on the coast. Other smells Travelodge will be using are freshly cut grass (a reminder of summer), baby powder (a reminder of guests’ children), apple pie (home) and chocolate (a pick-me-up for women, apparently).
Travelodge sleep director Leigh McCarron said: “We have explored the power of smell because it has a greater ability to raise an emotion of well being within an individual, in contrast to seeing a picture or hearing a voice. Interestingly the Senses Census identified the top smells that would help Brits to drop off to sleep easily are scents associated with partners, children, home and holidays rather than the traditional scents of lavender and vanillaâ€.
Other smells people identified as ideal relaxers were vapour rub, curry, the scent of a pet and a partner’s natural body odour.
By Dinah Hatch
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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