Our senses are a quick route to our subconscious. Some sights, smells, tastes, sounds and touches linger a lifetime and are powerful triggers for memories. (Remember Proust and the scent of a madeleine?) There are clever hotels across the globe that cater to one of the five senses with the goal of guaranteeing happy memories. Below, we round up the most sensational of all.
Smell: East Hotel, Hamburg, Germany
Photograph: Courtesy East Hotel
This hip design hotel in a former 19th-century iron foundry has five floors dominated by five different scents—jasmine, cinnamon, ginger, lotus and mandarin—in a subtle nod to the East. Located in the St. Pauli entertainment district near the Reeperbahn, the East is a favorite spot for Hamburg nightlife, with an architecturally spectacular wavy-walled restaurant serving Euro-Asian fusion and sushi, several bars, a private theater, a spa and an outdoor courtyard. Inhale the luxury: A Porsche shuttle is ready for airport transfers and special tours.
Taste: The Yeatman, Porto, Portugal
Photograph: Courtesy The Yeatman
In this luxury hotel in an area of Porto where Port wine lodges are located, each unusually spacious guest room contains bottles of wine from the producer it’s named after. The wine-centric experience doesn’t end there. The Relais & Chateaux hotel has a 24-hour wine bar selling 82 by-the-glass vinos, Portuguese winemaker dinners at its Michelin-starred restaurant, vinotherapy treatments at its Caudalie spa and a decanter-shaped outdoor pool. The hotel’s hallways are even lined with museum-style exhibits about Portugal’s wine regions and the history of cork production. Its developer is Taylor Fladgate, the only Port winemaker (founded in 1692) still owned by its original founding family, whose Port lodge is nearby.
Hearing: Aria Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic
Photograph: Courtesy Aria Hotel
In this music-themed luxury hotel in the Mala Strana district—itself reminiscent of a dreamy fairy tale—each floor is devoted to a music genre: classical, jazz, opera and contemporary. The 51 rooms and suites celebrate composers like Beethoven, Mozart and musicians Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra with suitable books, art and music. The music library of 5,000-plus CDs and DVDs can be accessed by the CD/DVD player, iPod and Apple TV in each guest room, or in public areas like the Music Box room (with a 42-inch TV and seating for up to seven); the fireplace-warmed Music Salon with hundreds of books on music; and the private screening room, which seats up to 30. The hotel’s music director, who has a PhD in musicology, can recommend concerts in Prague or in the privacy of your room. Admire the view of Prague Castle as well as the steeples and Baroque domes of the Old Town from the Aria’s rooftop terrace, or walk three minutes to explore the statue-lined Charles Bridge. You’ll want to shout, “Bravo!”
Sight: Hotel Matilda, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Photograph: Courtesy Hotel Matilda
This beautiful Colonial city and arts colony in Guanajuato state offers lots of eye candy: 300-year-old houses painted rose, cinnamon, cayenne and goldenrod, plus art galleries and shops galore, many of which are owned by American expats. For an entirely different color palette, go behind a pumpkin-hued wall to find the chic Hotel Matilda, where 32 sleek white guest rooms pop with vivid turquoise accents and photographs. The hotel showcases art by contemporary Latin American artists, and a sexy au courant vibe is in the air. Note the playful twist on Mexican ceramic tiles on the wall behind reception—a dozen digital “tile” screen projections form a kaleidoscope of constantly changing patterns and colors, by Mexican artist Nacho Rodriguez Bach. There’s also artistry on the plate: One of Mexico’s most famous chefs, Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s Pujol, oversees Moxi Restaurant.
Touch: Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa, Milton, NY, United States
Photograph: Courtesy Buttermilk Falls Spa
Fuzzy llamas, alpacas and angora goats are an irresistible draw on the 75-acre grounds of this lovely luxury inn along the Hudson River in Ulster County, a 10-minute drive from Poughkeepsie on the Metro-North train from New York City. If you’d rather be the touchee, soothe your skin with lavender- and honey-infused spa treatments that use ingredients grown on-site. The gourmet restaurant Henry’s on the Farm serves fruit, eggs, greens and herbs from the property’s farm. Lodgings are both in the main house, built in 1764, and in roomy detached cottages for families or groups of friends.
This piece was originally published on SAVOTEUR by Sharon McDonnell.