As the nights draw in a quintessentially English break at one of the UK's spa towns is just what the doctor ordered. MGallery by Sofitel have created a truly unique sensory storytelling experience, bringing the history of their properties to life through scent...
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"If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent, and it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living that moment all over again." Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca (1938)
With an international collection of 71 boutique hotels, MGallery by Sofitel has earned itself an unrivalled reputation for creating one-of-a-kind properties steeped in history and tradition. They are - to put it simply - gateways to the past, bringing the stories of bygone days to life through their architecture and design. But now, in the collection's three UK hotels, guests will be able to experience the richness of their heritage in an entirely new way - scent.
Visitors to the Francis Hotel in Bath, the Castle Hotel in Windsor and Queens Hotel, Cheltenham will be treated to a unique olfactory journey developed by Lizzie Ostrom of Odette Toilette - the woman responsible for fragranced tours of Tate Britain's Pre-Raphaelite's - allowing guest to choose the fragrance of their room upon arrival.
History retold through scent
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Ostrom didn't just take a stroll around the hotel before heading back to tinker in her apothecary. A true scent historian, she poured over library books and archival texts; drawing on sources as diverse as the fashionable beauty products of Regency spa towns, to the Victoria art of 'floriography'. The result is nine unique scents - three for each property - grounded in English fragrance heritage.
For the Queens Hotel, Cheltenham, Ostrom turned to the property's opening in 1838. Given the hotel was built to meet the demands of the well-heeled gentry who sought the restorative powers of the waters, Ostrom created a scent full of bracing Victorian vigour: green apples, cedrat, hyacinth and cedar wood, which come together to create the sense of a solid, breezy morning walk.
The Francis Hotel in Bath 'Regency Rediscovered' collection references Bath's evening cultures of balls, assemblies and entertainment with concoctions evoking signature drinks served at such events from the era, and shawls brought back from trips to Kashmir, impregnated with the lingering scent of patchouli and jasmine.
While in the Castle Hotel in Windsor, Ostrom looked to the lake at Virginia Water, on the edge of Windsor Great Park, once a site of Queen Victoria's royal revelry - to develop a sweetly evocative scent.
Afternoon Tea Reimagined
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Ensuring the sensory journey does not end in the room, guest who book the package will also be treated to afternoon tea and a unique signature cocktail using particular fragrance notes from each collection and heritage. Like the 'Francis Hotel's 'Beau Nash' cocktail, inspired by the man who made Bath society fashionable, Castle Hotel Windsor's honey and orange delices, whilst the signature cocktail playfully infuses jasmine and neroli.
History in a bottle? We think so.
Sensory Storytelling at MGallery by Sofitel is priced at £170.00 pp which includes an overnight stay, room fragrance, signature Sensory Storytelling cocktail and Afternoon Tea. MGallery by Sofitel
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