Why a good-smelling B&B means happier guests
Running a B&B is all about creating memories. But did you know that the way your place smells could be the most powerful “memory-maker” of all?
More than just a nice smell
When guests walk into your B&B, their nose works faster than their eyes. A pleasant, inviting scent makes people feel at home instantly, and it sets the mood for their entire stay.
At B&B Finca Flamenco, for example, every guest room is scented with Hermozia’s signature fragrances. Not only do guests comment on how lovely the rooms smell—they’re also buying extra scent products every week to take home! It’s a fun way for the B&B to earn extra income, but more importantly, guests now have a scent “anchor” that instantly brings back memories of their sunny stay—even when they’re back in the rainy north.
How scent creates emotional anchors
In psychology (and in NLP: Neuro-Linguistic Programming), an “anchor” is a trigger—something like a song, a flavor, or a scent—that automatically brings up a feeling or memory.
Smell is the most powerful sense for this. It connects directly to the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory. That’s why even a tiny whiff of a familiar scent can suddenly transport you back to a holiday, a childhood moment, or a favorite place.
By choosing a unique scent for your B&B, you’re giving your guests an emotional anchor. Every time they use that same scent at home, they’ll relive those special holiday moments—and probably tell their friends about it too.
A fun fact
Did you know that our sense of smell can detect over a trillion different odors?
And while we quickly adapt to new scents, our brains never truly forget a fragrance linked to a happy moment.
The science backs it up
Research shows that positive scents improve mood, boost well-being, and make experiences more memorable. Scented rooms get higher ratings, and guests are more likely to recommend (and return to) places that smell good.
Curious for more?
Here’s a great study on scent and emotion in hospitality:
The impact of ambient scent on guest experience and loyalty in hospitality
So, what’s the takeaway for B&B owners?
Don’t just clean—create a signature scent. You’ll make your space unforgettable, delight your guests, and maybe even boost your bottom line with some extra scent sales.
Want help finding your own “holiday anchor scent”?
Hermozia is ready to help you turn every stay into a memory that lasts!
Key conclusion from: “Do ambient scents in hotel guest rooms affect customers’ emotions?” (Anguera-Torrell et al., 2021)
Adding a pleasant scent to hotel rooms leads to a noticeably more positive mood and greater happiness among guests.
In the study, guests were randomly assigned to a room with or without scent (lavender).
Emotions were measured objectively using facial recognition technology, not just questionnaires.
Result:
Guests in the scented rooms were, on average, significantly happier and in a better emotional state than those in unscented rooms.
This effect was demonstrated in a controlled experiment in a real four-star hotel.
Practical takeaway:
Diffusing a subtle, pleasant fragrance in guest rooms is a simple and low-cost way to immediately enhance the guest experience.
Hotels (and B&Bs) can improve service, increase the likelihood of positive reviews, and encourage repeat visits in this way.