Las Vegas is a city designed to create a vibrant and exhilarating immersive sensory experience. Think dazzling neon lights, massive casino resorts with their stunning themes and detailed decor, the 24/7 hum of energy on the streets outside, the rhythmic sounds of slot machines chiming, the decadent dining options, and extravagant cocktails. But there’s another element that is key to crafting a guest’s ultimate Las Vegas experience: scent. Inside the world’s most luxurious resorts, signature fragrances complete this ultimate sensory experience for guests while reinforcing the resort’s brand identity.
Aroma Retail, a scenting company born in the heart of Las Vegas, was the first to offer customers the ability to scent their own spaces with the exact same fragrances used in their favorite Las Vegas resorts. Jim Reding, CEO of Aroma Retail, has decades of experiences as he was involved with developing signature scents for each of the resorts since the very beginning. Mr. Reding sat down to share his experiences and memories of collaborating with executives to develop customized scenting for resorts and casinos in Las Vegas before bringing those fragrances to the retail space. While competitors have since emerged with various imitation businesses and products, Mr. Reding’s status as the original scenting visionary and innovator is indisputable.
Monte Carlo – The Start of Scenting in Las Vegas
While boutique hotels across the world had historically used essential oils and incense for small-space scenting, The Monte Carlo was the first resort in the U.S. to utilize pure-grade fragrance oils on a large scale. The idea of scenting high-traffic public spaces was groundbreaking, although it carried the risk of adverse reactions if impure ingredients were used. With the recent development of pure-grade fragrance oils, with no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), The Monte Carlo went all in, pioneering resort-wide scenting with its signature Pomegranate & Sage fragrance.
The Venetian – Scenting Evolution
Mr. Reding’s professional journey into the world of scenting began in June 1999, when he began working at the Venetian Las Vegas. The resort was searching for the perfect signature fragrance to complement its grand design, a project that quickly became a priority for Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson. Adelson’s meticulous attention to detail in his properties extended even to scent, and he was determined to ensure the Venetian’s signature scent evoked the brand’s vision of luxury and romance.
Initially, the Venetian debuted a fragrance inspired by Adelson’s personal cologne, which was a bold and masculine scent dubbed Seduction. While it was certainly a refined, high-end aroma, guest feedback over the years indicated it felt too out of place for the resort’s ambiance. By 2015, Mr. Reding helped the Venetian develop a new signature scent that is still used today. Arancia is a captivating blend of blood orange, charred verbena, and Venetian woods that creates a deep, sexy burnt citrus fragrance.
Wynn – Timeless Luxury
Steve Wynn, another Las Vegas visionary, took a different approach to scenting his namesake resort. His famous floral arrangements, designed to make guests feel immersed in a garden-like paradise, inspired the fragrance’s composition. Ultimately, Mr. Reding developed a custom scent known as Asian Lily, a delicate combination of aquatic florals that aligned seamlessly with the resort’s lush interior. Wynn has never altered its signature scent and still uses the same luxurious aroma.
MGM – Crafting Brand Identity
MGM Resorts took a very strategic approach and unified all its properties under one signature scent called Asian Garden, a sophisticated blend of aquatic florals with green notes and a charred vanilla overlay. This fragrance, created by Mr. Reding, was designed to create a sense of upscale comfort and relaxation across all MGM properties.
However, certain MGM acquisitions opted to retain their original scent identities, crafted by Mr. Reding. When MGM took ownership of Bellagio, the resort continued to use Blue Ice, a spa-like fragrance with fresh cucumber notes. The Cosmopolitan kept its signature Vanilla Breeze, a smoky, woodsy vanilla scent designed to enhance the resort’s emphasis on world-class dining.
Caesars Entertainment – Curated Scents
Unlike MGM, Caesars Entertainment took a property-by-property approach, tailoring each scent to match its respective environment and ambience. Caesars Palace, for instance, wanted to build its fragrance around its famed David statue and the surrounding rose garden. Mr. Reding’s creation, Empire, captured the essence of mature rose bushes intertwined with musky earth, aquatic notes, and stone, evoking both grandeur and classic luxury.
Another standout from Caesars Entertainment is the Cromwell, which adopted Allure Noire, which interestingly is a scent Mr. Reding originally created for the Magic Mike show. This sensual, alluring fragrance found a permanent home at the Cromwell, perfectly complementing its boutique-style elegance and intimate atmosphere.
Trump Tower – Golden and Glamorous
While he wasn't actually in the room with President Trump, Mr. Reding did carefully craft five or six fragrances for his personal approval. The vision for scenting the Trump Tower was to create a fresh scent reminiscent of Floridian bamboo and beaches. The winner was Golden Bamboo, a scent heavily focused on luxurious bamboo aromas, with some oceanic, aquatic notes, and a touch of seaweed.
The Future of Resort Scenting
Scent has proven to be a powerful tool for branding, creating emotional connections, and elevating guest experiences. Beyond the glittering lights of Las Vegas, Mr. Reding has worked with hotel executives to create their unique scenting strategies, including Marriott, for which he developed a signature scent called Attune. Currently, the W Hotels use SLS, a fresh, vibrant fragrance originally designed by Mr. Reding for a church in Henderson, Nevada and then adopted by the SLS before finding its home with the W Hotels. Even more unexpected places have embraced scenting strategies, like the Silverton Resort, which uses Hot Apple Pie to create a warm, homey atmosphere.
As scenting continues to contribute to Las Vegas’s extraordinary guest experiences, it is no wonder that customers want to bring a piece of the memory into their own homes and businesses. Aroma Retail, with CEO Mr. Reding at the helm, gives customers this opportunity. While competitors attempt to replicate the success of these iconic scents, Mr. Reding’s deep-rooted history with Las Vegas hotels places him at the center of the story. His expertise and first-hand involvement in developing these fragrances ensure that you can Scent Your Space® while keeping the legacy of resort scenting authentic, immersive, and unforgettable.
