Apple pie-scented sheets, sir? Travelodge's latest sleep aid
June 20, 2008
It's been a while since Travelodge announced a wheeze to help guests get a good night's sleep, but the time off has been well spent: the budget chain is back, and it's packing aromatherapy sheets.
The press release lays it on thick: this is an 'a-room-atherapy' service featuring five 'ReminiScents' drawn from a 'Senses Census' of 5,000 Brits.
Three strikes. Back to the dugout.
These are the whiffs on offer:
- The Sea
- Freshly Cut Grass
- Baby powder
- Home-baked Apple Pie
- Chocolate
Sadly for Travolution ed Kevin May, airline fuel - which he recently told TW Blog is among his favourite smells - has been left out.
It's another sure-fire route to press coverage, particularly in the tabloids and city freesheets. But would it help you sleep?
Nathan Midgley, web producer
Nathan Midgley
Comments (8)
Airline fuel AND matches - the perfect combination. :-)
Posted by Kevin May | June 24, 2008 10:27 AM
Posted on June 24, 2008 10:27
i would rather see clean sheets, what about people with sensitivities to scents or chemicals. why don't these hotel chains just provide good solid clean beds without all the crap, then we as the traveling public would get a better sleep and not have to carry around travel sheets.
Posted by morgan | March 20, 2009 2:08 PM
Posted on March 20, 2009 14:08
@ Morgan - Travelodge never forced the sheets upon its guests, it just made them available. Guests get ordinary sheets by default, and in my experience 'good solid clean beds' are common to most of the big UK budget chains. That's where their business is, and they know it - silly ideas like this just win them a bit of press coverage and bring some colour to brand identities that would otherwise be too functional and bland to stay front of mind.
Posted by Nathan Midgley
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March 23, 2009 1:52 PM
Posted on March 23, 2009 13:52
unfortunately this is where our society has evolved to, lowest common denominator. my point was not that travelodge has dirty sheets, it's that a hotel chain should play up it's quality and excellent services. if travelodge was so successful at performing their jobs it wouldn't need gimmicks. in my limited experience with UK budget hotels " good solid clean beds" were hard to come by.
Posted by morgan | March 25, 2009 12:54 AM
Posted on March 25, 2009 00:54
@ Nathan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4126001/Mould-blood-and-faeces-found-in-budget-hotel-rooms.html
Posted by morgan | March 25, 2009 12:55 AM
Posted on March 25, 2009 00:55
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jan/06/hotels-which-report
Posted by morgan | March 25, 2009 4:31 AM
Posted on March 25, 2009 04:31
didn't like my links about travelodge eh? guess we know who pays the bill.
Posted by morgan | March 25, 2009 8:36 PM
Posted on March 25, 2009 20:36
@Morgan didn't see any links on your comment - post them again and I'll have a look.
Update Wait, just found it in spam folder. Published above.
Yeah, that was a PR disaster. Funny report though - it's a small sample (five properties out of hundreds), but on the other hand the one thing you expect from these businesses is consistency, so in theory sample size shouldn't make a lot of difference.
I'm not saying they're perfect (and I certainly don't get any money from them), I just think it's a bit odd to suggest that a small-scale stunt like this has any bearing on overall cleanliness.
Posted by Nathan Midgley
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March 26, 2009 4:10 PM
Posted on March 26, 2009 16:10