Should California hotels be sued for using fragrances in their lobbies?

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred Take a deep breath in Hollywood’s Kimpton Everly Hotel and you may catch a whiff of sandalwood, leather, fennel, cardamom, violet and cedar.And if you sniff the lobby of downtown Los Angeles’ Ritz-Carlton, you may detect “bright effervescent notes ...layered with soft florals,” a custom fragrance known as Champagne & Shimmer.

For years now, hotels have been spending more and more on signature fragrances to woo and hook guests.But what if they make some people sick instead? Would those visitors be victims of discrimination?One California law firm says yes, and has filed a barrage of lawsuits this year, targeting hotels in California and elsewhere over synthetic fragrances in common areas.

(The Kimpton Everly and downtown Ritz-Carlton are not named.) Travel & Experiences Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas recently became Southern California’s “only adults-only oceanfront resort,” sparking a debate about state law.The conflict highlights an emerging debate about synthetic scents: Many hotels use them, but some sensitive guests consider those aromas as welcome as secondhand smoke.For better and for worse, smells “can trigger so many things,” said Juliana R.V.

Tkatch, an assistant professor at the Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who specializes in experience design, events and theme parks.Tkatch added that there’s nothing new about using scent as a marketing tool, at least not since the first time “the owner of a restaurant cooked a pie and put it on the top shelf.”The difference now, Tkatch said, is more advanced technology, making it easier to widely circulate synthetic fragrances and natural scents in a way that’s discreet and constant.Doing so can strengthen customer loyalty, she said, but “it’s a good practice to let people kno...