What's the deal with the perfume machines?

[dreamshark]

I've now read several posts complaining about corporate perfume machines in the Bloomington Sheraton.
I have a pretty good sense of smell, but I didn't notice any odd blasts of perfume as I was walking around. How did you know they were there? Could you smell them, or did you read about it somewhere? Where are these devices located and what do they smell like?

Comments

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

The people I heard describing it noticed the smells first, and then eventually realized they were in a static location and tracked down the machines and confirmed it with the hotel. They were all in public spaces, not in sleeping rooms. Bruce says many chains now have corporate signature scents.

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

I dunno but I think it's disgusting. I do not mind choosing to spray something in my own home from time to time as is needed but reports I've read on air freshners and such perfuming deoderizers is that they are not good for us. Breathing in such small particles certainly doesn't seem like it would be especially when they are noxious chemicals.

I'm agin it.

[jolest.livejournal.com]

The dispensers are small white or black boxes roughly 6" x 6" x 15". There were quite a few of them on the first floor in the hallway between the towers and around the north (short) tower.

JM and I could hardly walk thru the first floor hallway between the two towers because the smell was so strong. (There were times when it was like having my face totally buried in overly perfumed laundry detergent.) I'm usually relatively tolerant of most "corporate-image" foolishness, but if every every single one of the ghod-awful things died Minicon and Convergence weekends, I'd consider it the act of a benevolent deity...

We both complained to the front desk but got the marginalized-corporate-minion brushoff. (paraphrased: "Oh really? Well, I haven't noticed any smell... Perfume you say? Scent machines? Oh those... Nobody here notices them any more." Like that should make US happy about it?)

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

These were being tested in the lobby of a Sheraton we stayed at last month, and response cards for the idea were available. I stole a bit from Alan Watts, and wrote that I preferred my public spaces to be odoriferously anonymous.

K. [since all the scent-sensitive people successfully managed to get magazine perfume samples sealed into the ads for them, I just don't get why Sheraton thinks more assaults with scent on the non-consenting public is a good idea]

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

It seems remarkably stupid, doesn't it? I imagine the idea was originated by a highly paid consultant. I'm opposed to the idea in principle, although I couldn't consciously smell the scent in question, and have no way of knowing if my sniffles and sneezes were related to that or just normal spring allergens.

If anybody can find an appropriate place to address complaints to, I'll be happy to complain. It sounds like a corporate dictate, so complaining to the front desk of the local establishment is unlikely to accomplish much.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I couldn't smell them, of course, but something was really bothering my eyes and mucous membranes, and that's the logical suspect.