Fragrance you can eat, sip, and take home
A sensorial experience by The Amenity Studio and Conrad Manila
Published May 15, 2026 12:16 am
The most unexpected realizations are often the ones that stay the longest, but reveal themselves slowly, like a scent remembered from a hotel stay or a conversation over a warm cup of tea.
Heures d’Orange afternoon tea set (Photos: The Amenity Studio)
This is what happens when fragrance is no longer just a spritz, but an experience, a memory, or a feeling you want to relive.
The Amenity Studio has recently opened a pop-up space on the ground floor of Conrad Manila, which is a sensorial collaboration with the hotel. Its Heures d’Orange afternoon tea invites guests to experience Hermès scents through a culinary interpretation at C Lounge, on a limited run until July 31, 2026.
The Amenity Studio's managing director Michelle Garcia-Arce and Conrad Manila's general manager Rupert Hallam, commercial director Joanne Gomez, hotel manager Akshat Sinha, and executive chef Nicolas De Visch
Founder and managing director Michelle Garcia-Arce tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, “We wanted to create something beyond a traditional retail activation. Since fragrance is deeply connected to memory and emotion, we thought: Why not translate scent into taste?”
Each Hermès fragrance is paired with teas and culinary creations that reflect its personality and notes. Guests begin with a fragrance discovery experience, choosing from five Hermès scent testers, each matched with a corresponding tea.
Hermès Un Jardin sur la Lagune
Hermès Eau de Merveilles
The Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte Signature 40 collection
“Eau d’Orange Verte offers a fresh and uplifting profile, much like Earl Grey. Un Jardin sur la Lagune is vibrant and expressive, just like mango strawberry tea. Eau de Merveilles Bleue is delicate and light, reminiscent of jasmine tea. Eau de Merveilles, presented as a wearable pendant, reveals a warm sweetness alongside chamomile, while Terre d’Hermès brings an earthy depth, complemented by sencha green tea,” Mitch explains.
The experience continues with a selection of savory and sweet creations, each inspired by Hermès fragrances. Savory highlights include Un Jardin en Méditerranée (duck prosciutto, fig-orange compote, and brioche), Un Jardin sur le Toit (crab meat, green apple, and avocado emulsion), Twilly d’Hermès Eau Ginger (tuna, ginger, and savory crisps), and Eau de Citron Noir (cucumber, lemon labneh, and black lime dust).
Mango rose macaron
Apple and pear rose choux
Orange and praline dark chocolate bonbons
Cucumber with lemon labneh and black lime dust and tuna with ginger and delicate savory crisps
Grapefruit and thyme almond tartlets
Sweet indulgences follow with Eau des Merveilles (orange and praline dark chocolate bonbons), Un Jardin sur le Toit (apple and pear rose choux), Un Jardin sur le Nil (mango rose macaron), and Eau de Pamplemousse Rose (grapefruit and thyme almond tartlets).
Completing the experience are freshly baked scones, including classic buttermilk and Eau d’Orange Verte (orange peel buttermilk scones).
After the afternoon tea experience, guests are invited to visit the pop-up to explore the gift sets. “Having a physical presence is important because fragrance and amenities are very experiential,” Michelle says. “People want to smell the scents, touch the textures, and discover the products in person.”
Heures d’Orange afternoon tea reinforces the idea that fragrance is no longer reserved for hotel stays or special occasions, but can now be part of one’s everyday rituals.