InterContinental New York Barclay has introduced its first custom fragrance as the Midtown Manhattan hotel approaches its 100th anniversary. Created with Caswell-Massey, Barclay 1926 reconnects two New York institutions whose relationship began when the hotel opened.
Caswell-Massey became The Barclay’s first tenant in 1926. A century later, the companies have turned that shared history into a scent designed to reflect the hotel’s character and give guests another way to experience it.
The launch forms the final element of the hotel’s “Journey to 100” programme. Its fragrance represents the sense of smell within a wider series of experiences celebrating the property’s past. The Barclay’s 100th anniversary falls on November 4, 2026.
For visitors choosing among New York’s luxury hotels, the collaboration offers something tied specifically to this address. It connects a contemporary stay with a business that was present at The Barclay’s beginning.
Barclay 1926 Draws on Hotel History
Barclay 1926 opens with lemon and bitter orange, then develops through fig, matcha and black pepper. Honey forms its warm finishing note.
That final ingredient has a connection to the hotel itself: The Barclay maintains a rooftop apiary. The honey note brings one of its current features into a fragrance named for its opening year.
Caswell-Massey describes the result as a citrus-led scent inspired by the spirit of the hotel. The partnership uses fragrance to tell a story that visitors can encounter through their senses.
Sofia L. Vandaele, the hotel’s general manager and regional director of operations, said the collaboration honours the two institutions’ shared history. She described it as an expression of The Barclay’s character as it prepares for its next century.
The fragrance also gives the anniversary a lasting element. Unlike a single event, a signature scent can recall a place after a guest’s visit has ended.
A New York Partnership Comes Full Circle
The Barclay opened on November 4, 1926, during an era that shaped much of Midtown Manhattan’s hotel identity. Its history remains central to how the property presents itself to visitors today.
Caswell-Massey’s role as its first tenant gives the new collaboration a direct link to that opening period. The companies are marking an existing relationship rather than pairing two names solely for the centenary.
That connection matters in a city where historic hotels compete for travellers seeking a sense of place. Heritage becomes more tangible when guests can encounter it through food, music, stories and now fragrance.
The Barclay’s anniversary programme brings those elements together. Each experience offers a different way to consider how the hotel and its surroundings have changed since 1926.
For international visitors, that approach can make a hotel stay part of a wider New York cultural trip. Guests can learn about the property while exploring the city beyond its doors.
Journey to 100 Extends Beyond Fragrance
The hotel has marked its centenary year through “The Parlour Through the Decades,” a culinary programme inspired by different periods in its history. Dishes and cocktails invite guests to experience those eras through dining.
“The Barclay Times” shares stories and notable moments from the property’s past. A curated “Journey to 100” playlist adds music associated with the decades since the hotel opened.
Guests can also take part through a dedicated anniversary stay package. Together, these offerings turn the milestone into a series of experiences rather than a single celebration date.
The fragrance completes that programme with a sensory element guests may remember alongside a meal, a song or a story. Its notes refer to both The Barclay’s heritage and its present-day rooftop apiary.
Heritage Shapes the Guest Experience
Hotels increasingly use their histories to give travellers a clearer sense of where they are staying. At The Barclay, the centenary provides an opportunity to connect its Midtown setting with nearly a century of hospitality.
The Caswell-Massey collaboration makes that connection especially specific. Its story begins with the hotel’s first tenant and returns to that relationship as November’s anniversary approaches.
Barclay 1926 will not change how visitors move through New York. It does, however, add a distinctive detail to their stay: a fragrance created around the history of the hotel welcoming them.
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