Walk into any Westin Hotels and Resorts and before you’ve spoken to a single staff member, there is a subtly sweet inviting aroma in the air. The lighting feels warm and intentional. You haven’t checked in yet, but you already feel welcome. This isn’t accidental — it’s sensory design at work, and it’s part of my responsibility to make sure the five senses are being activated during every guest visit.
Why the Senses Matter More Than You Think
Hospitality has always been about how people feel, but the industry is increasingly recognizing that feelings are shaped by far more than thread counts. Sensory cues — what guests see, hear, smell, touch, and taste — drive emotional responses, influence behavior, and ultimately determine whether someone books again or moves on to a competitor.
Research into sensory marketing consistently shows that cohesive multi-sensory environments strengthen brand perception, reduce stress, and builds loyalty. When every element of a space is working in harmony, guests don’t just enjoy their stay… they remember it.
Scent: The Most Underestimated Tool in the Room
Of all the senses, smell is the most correlated with memory and emotion, yet it remains one of the most overlooked in hospitality design. A signature scent diffused through a lobby creates an immediate, almost subconscious impression of a property. Some brands like Westin Hotels, sell their own signature scent, White Tea, while the Edition Hotels sells scented products with aromas created just for them.
However, nothing undermines a beautifully designed space faster than a musty corridor or stale room. Guests may not consciously identify the problem, but they’ll feel it. Scent strategy doesn’t need to be complex. It just needs to be careful. Oftentimes, too much of a scent (think lemon) or certain strong scents (think something in the vanilla family) can create a headache or even a disturbance.
Light and Visual Comfort: More Than Aesthetics
Most hotels understand that lighting matters, but the nuances of lighting are often underappreciated. Lighting is not just about fixtures. Color temperature, natural sunlight, and the reduction of visual clutter all play a significant role in how comfortable and relaxed a guest feels in a space.
Lobby areas and guest rooms serve very different psychological functions. Lobbies and restaurants benefit from brighter, more energizing light, while guest rooms should offer dimmer, warmer settings that signal rest and privacy. Small decisions matter too — if a room’s view is less than ideal, sheer curtains that diffuse rather than block natural light can soften the lack of view without sacrificing brightness.
Sound: Setting the Emotional Tone
Sound can easily make the difference between a space that feels calm and one that feels chaotic. Soft background music, like a piano playing in the lobby, reduces anxiety and creates a sense of ease. But sound design goes beyond music to the absence of harsh sounds. Acoustic elements like batting between the walls and floors, can make all the difference. Even carpeted floors and special ceiling tiles can mitigate the sounds of people walking and talking.
In addition, there are two sound wildcards at play: other hotel guests making noise and hotel equipment. I recently stayed in a hotel where I heard the elevator in my room every time it went up or down. Let’s also not forget the sounds of screaming, blasting music, and other adult sounds that we’re all subject to hear.
Touch: The Quiet Luxury
Tactile experience is deeply tied to perceived quality. Guests may not verbalize why a room feels luxurious, but often it comes down to what they’re touching. The weight and softness of a bath towel and blanket,the smooth polished surface of a quartzite, the warmth and grain of real burlwood — these materials provide a grounding, nurturing quality that synthetic alternatives rarely replicate. Natural textures communicate care and investment in the guest experience in a way that no amount of decorative flourish can substitute.
Touch also comes into play with water pressure and sleep quality. A showerhead that just trickles water and a spongy mattress and firm pillows are going to cause a lot of disgruntled guests. But when a hotel can help a guest sleep well and feel refreshed with a hot shower, down pillows and medium to firm mattress.
Taste: Where Hospitality Becomes Memorable
Taste is where sensory design becomes storytelling. A warm chocolate-chip cookie at check-in is a small gesture with an outsized emotional impact. Fruit-infused water in the lobby signals vitality. A well-stocked minibar, freshly brewed coffee in the lobby, and a breakfast buffet all communicate comfort and peace of mind. Regardless of how it tastes, if a guest doesn’t even have the ability to get essential food and beverages on-site, they will go elsewhere.
Getting the Balance Right
The goal of sensory design is harmony, not intensity. Layering too many strong stimuli — competing scents, loud music, busy patterns — creates overwhelm rather than delight. Guest room personalization adds another layer of value. Allowing guests to adjust room temperature, lighting, or even music preferences shows that comfort isn’t just designed in advance — it’s responsive. This kind of attentiveness significantly reduces complaints and elevates satisfaction in ways that no amenity upgrade can fully replace.
The hotels that guests return to, recommend, and remember are rarely those with only the lowest rates. They’re the ones that made them feel something. And more often than not, that feeling began the moment they walked through the door.