I Traveled 2800 Miles to Smell a Candle—I Ordered Multiple on the Spot

Earlier this spring, I boarded a cross-country flight from New York bound for LAX. More specifically, I was headed to the hills of Highland Park, the hip neighborhood nestled on L.A.'s east side and home to the beloved Flamingo Estate property. As I strolled through the lush gardens and orchards that surround the 1940s Spanish revival–style home, I was enveloped by the scent of verdant rosemary, sweet honey blossom, and intoxicating jasmine that swirled all around me.

The scent was so vivid and resplendent that I remember wishing I could bottle it and bring it back to the East Coast with me. As it turns out, that transcendent feeling is exactly what the teams behind Flamingo Estate and JW Marriott have aimed to capture with their recent partnership. The two have teamed up on a fragrance line that includes a candle, diffuser, and room spray and a custom honey blend that harness the scent and taste of the gardens I walked through that day.

For the uninitiated, Flamingo Estate is a line of handmade apothecary products inspired by the flora and fauna that grow on the seven acres of gardens on property. These days, brand collaborations come a dime a dozen, but Flamingo Estate does them often and does them extremely well. In the few short years since the brand's inception, it has amassed a roster of the most unique partners that ranges from celebrities and philanthropists like Jane Goodall and the Biebers to artists like Italian architect Gaetano Pesce and interior designer Kelly Wearstler.

"This is absolutely the first time we've done something like this," Bruce Rohr, JW Marriott vice president and global brand leader, tells Who What Wear. Flamingo Estate has earned itself a reputation of being an "in the know" brand beloved by branding obsessives and creative types. When I asked how he discovered the brand, Rohr told me that somebody on the JW Marriott partnerships team was a major fan herself and brought it up in one of their meetings. "It's an unexpected type of collaboration with Flamingo Estate," Rohr agrees. "But from the first moment we reached out, it just clicked."

As wellness travel is reaching a fever pitch in 2024, hospitality brands are clamoring for ways to tap into the growing sentiment. It's all about slowing down to rest and recharge—rather than doing too much and burning out—while traveling. This sentiment is echoed throughout each JW Marriott hotel around the world, where you'll find an on-property garden and menus that reflect the locally grown goods.

The collaboration goes beyond a candle although the hand-poured candle is the highlight of the products. Guests and shoppers can also experience the new signature scent through a series of reed diffusers and room sprays that bring the verdant, lush fragrance into every corner of the home. Since scent is one of the strongest carriers of memory, the JW team let me know their goal is to ensure that every guest who walks through their doors will be greeted with a sensorial experience that lasts with them long after they've checked out.

Ingredient-wise, the candle and accompanying fragrance family are directly inspired by the Flamingo Estate property and the gardens I walked around that March afternoon. Holy basil, white lotus flower, and rosemary are the primary aromas.

These ingredients are mirrored in the other product category in this partnership: a custom honey blend. Flamingo Estate has made it somewhat of a signature move of theirs to co-create honey blends with notable figures, including many Hollywood A-listers, so when it came to engaging more of the senses with this collaboration, Rohr tells me that the idea of creating a custom honey for the hotel brand was a no-brainer. It's incorporated into the food and beverage offering at JW Marriott properties across the country—blended into cocktails and drizzled over burrata toast. "We're excited for guests to experience the scent and taste on property, and then the ultimate goal is to provide the opportunity for the guests to take that home with them," Rohr explains.

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