St. Regis Hotels & Resorts has unveiled Caroline’s Four Hundred, the brand’s first bespoke scent, in the Middle East with an exclusive scent dinner at the newly opened St. Regis Dubai in Al Habtoor City.

Hosted by St. Regis together with Carlos Huber, the creator of Caroline’s Four Hundred, the gastronomic experience was curated by acclaimed scent critic Chandler Burr.

“Scent has the rare ability to transport us to another time and place in the most intimate way,” said Huber, who is a world-renowned scent designer and founder of ARQUISTE. “It has been an honour working with St. Regis to capture the brand’s rich history and its modern sophistication in one olfactory experience.”

Chef Stephane Buchholzer, culinary director of Al Habtoor City, worked with Burr to combine the crème de la crème of fine dining with the olfactory arts in a seven-course feast. During the interactive dinner with 40 VIP guests, Burr introduced the respective perfumes that inspired each of the gastronomic creations.

The indelible evening commenced with a cocktail reception at the St. Regis Bar where the top ARQUISTE perfumes were interpreted as canapes featuring key ingredients from them. This was followed by a sensory dinner in the Astor Ballroom where guests enjoyed delectable creations including parmesan cassonade amuse bouche, smoked Scottish sea trout and slow-roasted Wagyu beef tenderloin. Each item was prepared with raw gourmand materials used in the making of Caroline’s Four Hundred such as mandarin peel oil, peach essence, rose absolute, clove absolute and sweet date essence.

For a grand finale, guests were treated to an impressive selection of 12 deserts made from all 21 edible materials found in the scent. The sumptuous spread included mandarin espuma, cherry consommé, quince almond pie, peach and rose water macaron, cloves spaghetti with jasmine crème Anglaise, black tea shortbread and rose water.

“We are delighted to work with ARQUISTE to reimagine the elegance and glamour of Caroline Astor’s celebrated balls and create a signature modern scent that reflects St. Regis’ enduring legacy and timeless allure,” said Willemijn Jol, Brand Director for St. Regis, Middle East Division. “As we continue to grow the St. Regis brand in the Middle East, we are pleased to offer this exquisite scent to our guests in this dynamic region, where there is a strong demand and appreciation for fragrance.”

The St. Regis Dubai Scent Dinner marks the launch of Caroline’s Four Hundred across all four St. Regis properties in the UAE and Qatar. The St. Regis fragrance will be featured at all of the luxury brand’s hotels and resorts around the world and will be retailed as a candle beginning today, followed by a room spray in spring of 2016.

Caroline’s Four Hundred

Caroline Astor was the matriarch of the founding family of the original St. Regis hotel in New York and doyenne of the city’s Gilded Age society. Inspired by one of the most splendid of “The” Mrs. Astor’s famous balls, Caroline’s Four Hundred takes its name from the 400 notable guests that represented the highest echelons of New York society.

The bespoke scent captures at once the exotic woods of the ballroom; the potted palms and apple blossoms that lined the hallways; and the light crisp essence of champagne wafting through the crowds. With notes of rich American Beauty roses – her favorite flower – green stems, white lilies and the delicate sweetness of quince, apple and cherry blossom, Caroline’s Four Hundred, embraces all of the blooms that adorned her home on that unforgettable evening in 1900.

Caroline’s Four Hundred candle retails for $80 and is available for purchase on the St. Regis brand’s online retail site, www.stregis.com/boutique, as well as www.arquiste.com. - TradeArabia News Service