How To Make Your House Smell Like A Hotel In 12 Simple Steps (2024)

Have you ever wondered how to make your house smell like a hotel?

Maybe you’ve stayed at several luxury hotels and they’ve always smelled amazing.

Luxury hotel scents are often calming and pleasant without being overbearing.

It’s no wonder why we feel relaxed and happy as soon as we step into luxury hotels.

You may have even loved a hotel’s scent so much that you wished you could bottle it up and bring it home with you!

Well, I can completely relate. I can’t count the number of times I’ve told my husband during our travels: I wish I could make my home smell like a hotel!

The good news is, you CAN make your home smell like a hotel.

In this post, I’ll teach you how you can make your house smell like a hotel at all times in 12 simple steps.

Plus, I’ll share the best luxury hotel scents and how you can get the same scents for your home.

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Related: How To Make Your House Smell Like A Spa With 10 Simple Tips

Best Luxury Hotel Scents

Luxury hotels generally avoid scents that are overly feminine or masculine to appeal to the public.

They tend to stay away from strong floral and sweet fruit scents like strawberries and bananas because these can be overpowering.

The key to making your house smell like a hotel is to make sure the scent is light yet aromatic. It must not smell artificial or feel overwhelming.

Hotel scents use certain fragrance notes to help create a particular ambiance or evoke a specific mood from their guests.

Here are some popular luxury hotel scents and moods:

Calming and soothing – Bergamot, lemongrass, lavender

Clean and fresh – Lemon, fresh linens, cotton

Delicate and soft – Jasmine, lilies, white tea, and roses

Energetic and lively – Orange, peppermint, rosemary

Luxurious and warm – Sandalwood, cedar, vanilla

Tropical – Coconut, ocean breeze, mango

My favorite hotel scent changes depending on the location and weather.

If I’m going to the city during the festive season, I love the smell of sandalwood and vanilla. The scent alone gives me such cozy vibes!

However, if I’m heading to the beach for summer, my favorites are a calming scent like bergamot or a tropical scent like coconut.

How To Make Your House Smell Like A Hotel In 12 Simple Steps

1. Try essential oils

2. Use a diffuser

3. Light a candle

4. Use a room spray

5. Include cleaning products that smell good

6. Add beauty products that smell good

7. Use an air purifier

8. Schedule a deep cleaning for your home

9. Stick to a regular cleaning schedule

10. Wash and replace linens frequently

11. Air out your home

12. Minimize clutter

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1. Try Essential Oils

The easiest to make your home smell like a hotel is to use essential oils, which can be diffused with an oil diffuser.

There are five types of diffusers in the market, but the most popular diffuser to use at home is the ultrasonic diffuser.

The most important part when using an oil diffuser is to choose the right essential oils or essential oil blend.

There are more than 90 types of essential oils, and each of them has its own unique smell.

Different essential oils also have different properties that can evoke different emotions.

For example, citrus oils like lemon oil and orange oil are used to boost energy and create a refreshing environment.

Meanwhile, oils like lavender oil and sandalwood oil are used to develop a calming and relaxing atmosphere.

Since essential oils are so versatile, they are a great way to make your home smell like your favorite hotel.

But, essential oils can be pricey to replenish. And, not all diffusers have the ability the fill a room up with scent.

My essential oil picks:

My oil diffuser picks:

Related: Oil Diffuser vs Wax Warmer: Which Is Better For Your Home?

2. Use A Reed Diffuser

Hotels have their scents diffused professionally. However, this method is only suitable for large commercial spaces.

You can, however, use a reed diffuser to make your house smell like a hotel.

A reed diffuser consists of a glass bottle filled with scented oil and a bunch of reeds that absorb the oil and disperse the fragrance into the air.

The best part about reed diffusers is that they are flameless. You can literally leave them overnight at home without worrying about fire hazards.

You can also adjust the intensity of the fragrance by adding or removing the reeds.

Besides that, reed diffusers usually come in beautiful glass bottles which can be reused.

Once you’ve used up all the oil, you can either purchase a refill or you can use the glass bottle as a vase.

The downside of reed diffusers is that they have limited reach and work best in small spaces like a bedroom.

So, if you want your entire home to smell like a hotel, you’ll need a couple of reed diffusers around the home.

Remember, the larger the home, the more reed diffusers you need.

Related: Reed Diffuser vs Candle – Which Is The Better Option For Your Home?

My picks:

3. Light a candle

If you are looking for a more intense scent that can fill an entire room, try lighting a candle instead.

Lit candles always give off a warm and luxurious ambiance, just like a hotel!

But, a lit candle is a fire hazard, and therefore may not be suitable for homes with young children or pets.

My picks:

4. Use a room spray

A room spray is the quickest way to make your house smell like a hotel.

It’s also low-maintenance since it doesn’t require electricity, fire, or wick trimming.

You can also look out for room sprays that double up as disinfectant sprays that can help kill bacteria and viruses.

My picks:

5. Include cleaning products that smell good

Did you know cleaning your home with the right products can make your house smell like a hotel?

That’s why I swear by all of the Method cleaning products.

Method is an eco-friendly brand that comes up with the best smelling products.

All of their scents are refreshing yet calming.

6. Add beauty products that smell good

It’s common to find luxury hotels applying their signature scent in their toiletries as well.

When we stayed at The Betsy in Miami, we were treated to Malin & Goetz toiletries.

That was when I fell in love with the hotel because the toiletries made the room smell so fresh and aromatic.

My picks:

The Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 Body Moisturizer is thick but not greasy, and it has a fresh citrus scent that smells wonderful and lasts all day.

The Aesop hand wash is known for its citrus, woody, and herbaceous aroma.

It’s gentle on the hands as well because it contains orange, rosemary, and lavender oils that keep the skin feeling soft and moisturized.

Sol De Janeiro is well-known for its signature tropical scent, which includes delicious pistachio and salted caramel notes.

In addition to smelling divine, this hydrating body wash lathers well and keeps skin feeling soft and supple.

7. Use an air purifier

Air purifiers are good for keeping your home air clean.

They work by using fans to draw air in through their filters, catch various contaminants in the air, and then recirculate the cleaner air back into the room.

The best filter for air purifiers is a HEPA filter, which is designed to collect at least 99.5% of particles in the air including pollen, dust, moisture, bacteria, viruses, and dirt.

Not only does an air purifier make your home smell fresh, but it also helps to get rid of allergens.

My picks:

8. Schedule a deep cleaning for your home

No matter how many diffusers or candles you use, your house will not smell like a hotel if it’s dirty. Period.

That’s why it’s crucial to keep your home clean and tidy at all times.

If there are lingering odors in your home even after your weekly clean, it’s time to schedule a deep clean.

Deep cleaning is extensive compared to regular cleaning.

There are several chores you typically won’t do weekly, but you’ll save it for a deep clean.

For example, vacuuming mattresses, washing rugs and curtains, and cleaning the inside of household appliances like the washing machine and oven.

9. Stick to a regular cleaning schedule

Once you’ve deep cleaned your house, you should commit to a regular cleaning schedule that includes:

• Dusting
• Vacuuming
• Mopping
• Wiping down surfaces
• Washing the dishes
• Cleaning the toilets
• Tossing the trash

You also should try incorporating natural cleaning ingredients like baking soda and vinegar in your cleaning routine whenever possible.

Baking soda is an all-natural ingredient that works wonders for cleaning your house. Not only does it clean like a charm, but it is also a great deodorizer.

You can use baking soda to:

• Freshen up carpets, rugs, mattresses, bed linens, pet bedding, etc.
• Clean the kitchen sink
• Deodorize the fridge, trash can, and toilets

Related: Regular Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning Your Home – Which Is More Important?

10. Wash and replace linens frequently

You can make your home smell like a hotel by washing and replacing your linens frequently.

Washing your linens like bedsheets and towels regularly removes musty smells and keeps them smelling fresh and clean.

Scented laundry detergents or fabric softeners are a great way to add a subtle pleasing scent to your linens.

In between washes, you can use a linen spray to freshen up your sheets.

If your bathroom has poor ventilation, do not leave your wet towel in the room to dry. It will cause the room to smell musty and stale.

Related: How To Ventilate A Bathroom Without Windows In 13 Simple Ways

11. Air out your home

You may not realize this, but stale air can give off a musty smell.

Open up all the windows in your home once a week to let in some fresh air, as proper ventilationkeeps the air smelling fresh indoors.

Proper air ventilation is important, as it helps to eliminate stubborn odors and prevents mold from growing in your home.

12. Minimize Clutter

Clutter conceals a dirty environment and makes it difficult to clean.

As a result, clutter may be why it smells in your house.

If you want your home to smell fresh and clean like a hotel, you must eliminate clutter.

Declutter all of the items you no longer need or use, and organize everything else you want to keep.

Related: How To Create A Positive Atmosphere At Home In 10 Easy Ways

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which hotel smells the best?

Most luxury hotels have a signature scent.

Let’s take a look at the scents used in 5 popular luxury hotels.

Westin Hotel – Crisp, clean, and refreshing

Westin, a Marriott International hotel, rolled out its signature White Tea scent, which is a blend of white tea, wood cedar, and vanilla.

It smells crisp, clean, and refreshing – perfect for energizing guests.

W Hotel – Citrus, fresh, and aromatic

On the other hand, W Hotels, a trendy modern luxury hotel, usesthe energetic scent of lemon blossoms, green tea and laurel leaves to perk up their guests’ moods.

St. Regis Hotel – Floral, feminine, and glamorous

The St. Regis Hotel’s signature scent includes floral notes from American Beauty roses, hyacinths, white lilies, green stems, apples, and cherry blossoms.

It is inspired by the fresh flowers found in the famous balls hosted by Caroline Astor, the matriarch of the hotel’s founding family.

Ritz Carlton Hotel, Central Park – Floral, crisp, and sweet

The Ritz Carlton hotel chain has different scents for different locations.

Their most popular scent belongs to their 50 Central Park location, which has a floral and sweet scent due to notes of ripe strawberries, elderflower, sweetgrass, black tea, and mountain mint.

1 Hotel – Earthy, natural, and musky

The 1 Hotel uses seven all-natural ingredients including eucalyptus leaves, cedarwood, oakwood, sheer musk, and tree moss to create a scent that’s exotic and sultry.

2. Any DIY tips to make my house smell like a hotel?

There are a few ways you can make your house smell like a hotel naturally.

First, you can place a bowl of citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and limes, on the kitchen counter.

This will ensure that your kitchen always smells fresh and inviting.

If you want a scent that’s richer and cozier, you can make a simmer pot, which is essentially simmering a pot of spices and fruits on your stove.

Another easy way to make your home smell like a hotel is by baking cookies or other baked goods.

The aroma of freshly baked cookies always triggers nostalgia, which brings warmth and comfort to many.

Lastly, you can always place a bouquet of fresh flowers like lilies and roses to add a natural sweet floral fragrance to your home.

Conclusion

There, you have it! Have fun trying these 12 simple and effective steps to make your house smell like a hotel.

What’s your favorite way to make your home smell amazing? Let me know in the comments below!