First, let’s start with some basics: WHAT is a hotel brand? The answer to this question might seem obvious, but all too often as a hotel boutique consultancy, we realise at the beginning of a hotel branding or hotel rebranding process that it is misunderstood. Therefore, let’s start this blog post with a short definition of what a hotel brand is and what it is not:

A hotel brand is NOT only the hotel logo or the hotel visual design. A hotel brand encompasses a whole set of elements from the visual identity (i. e. your hotel logo, the type fonts you have chosen, the uniforms your employees are wearing), to the visual identity (i. e. your hotel name, slogan, tone of voice) to sensory branding (i. e. how your hotel smells and sounds). In addition to these tangible elements, it includes intangible ones too, like your hotel’s vision, mission and values, which make up your hotel brand’s foundation.

In other words, your hotel brand is the way your hotel products and services are perceived, and therefore, hotel branding encompasses every action your business takes that creates a unique identity in the minds of your potential audience and other People (such as team members, partners, the local population).

Altogether, your brand is a reason to choose your hotel over a competing hotel. That’s why at MAp we like to quote Steve Forbes: “Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business.”

It’s essential to understand when and in which situations rebranding your hotel might be the right choice for you. Over the last decade working as a creative hotel agency, we have identified the following top 5 indicators that it might be time to reinvent your hotel brand:

1. Market Trends and Shifting Demands:

It's vital to keep a keen eye on market trends and shifting guest demands. Recognising new preferences and emerging opportunities in your target market can signal the need for rebranding of your hotel. Pay attention to guest feedback and reviews, as they often provide valuable insights into the need for change. Over the last years, one of the biggest market trends and shift in demands we have seen is “Sustainability”. Therefore, at MAp we are not only creating stylish and unique brands, but sustainable ones too. You can learn more about sustainable hotel branding in this blog post.

2. Hotel Life Cycle:

Consider where your hotel stands in its life cycle. Because rebranding can be a strategic move, moving your property i. e. from a new establishment to an established one. Or doing a rebranding can be a strategic choice when a hotel undergoes a change in ownership or management, it's often an opportune time to rebrand to reflect the new direction, vision and strategy of the hotel. The same goes for property renovations or expansion.

3. Declining Occupancy and Revenue:

If your hotel is consistently experiencing a decrease in occupancy rates and revenue, or a deluge of bad reviews, it may be time to rebrand to attract a different customer segment or revitalise your image. However, as a hotel creative agency that develops innovative and sustainable hotel concepts, we emphasise that when talking about declining occupancy and revenue the issue often lies deeper. If you are not clearly positioned in the market or do not have a distinctive hotel concept, a rebranding might not help you in the long-run without the strategic groundwork being done as well.

4. Outdated Brand Image:

If your visual identity and elements, such as logo or interior décor, no longer align with the target market's expectations or the current design trends, it may be time for a hotel rebrand to create a more contemporary and appealing image. Also, here it is important to check on the other brand elements and evaluate if they need a refresh too.

5. Market Competition:

Increased competition in your destination or segment may require you to rebrand to stand out and differentiate your hotel from others, showcasing unique features or experiences. This is also always a good time to check on your hotel positioning and hotel concept.

So, why should you consider rebranding? The answer lies in the potential benefits.

• To make sure that competition is not drowning you out: Rebranding can give your hotel a competitive edge. Not rebranding can leave you falling behind in a highly-dynamic industry.
• To align with a new vision: Ensure that your branding aligns with your hotel's evolving vision. Case studies of successful rebranding efforts can serve as inspiration.
• To reach your desired customers: If you're not attracting your desired customer demographic, it might be time for a rebrand. Understand how rebranding can directly impact the guest experience and how improved amenities and services can create lasting impressions.
• To ensure boosting Profit: Rebranding isn't just about aesthetics; it's about the bottom line. Data shows that successful rebranding is likely to lead to increased Profit as well.

Now that we've explored WHEN and WHY rebranding your hotel is essential, let's dive into the HOW - to ensure your transformation is not just an idea, but an effectively-implemented reality.

1. Evaluate your hotel concept and your hotel positioning:

As we say at MAp Boutique Consultancy, first the concept, then comes the rest. This means that you must be very clear about your strategic definition, your hotel positioning in the market, etc. Only then you can derive from it a hotel brand (or can conduct a hotel rebranding) that is sustainable and delivers long-term success.

2. Approach your rebranding holistically and collaborate with a creative agency or hotel consultancy:

Visual Identity and Design: Beautiful things make people happy. Therefore, in this area you can redefine a new or refresh your existing logo, colour schemes, type fonts, etc. Verbal Identity: Does your hotel brand “sound” like every other? Is your slogan strong or weak? Have you identified keywords and statements to repeat in your communications? Is it time to define your unique tone of voice? Sensory Branding: How does your hotel smell and feel? Does it reflect your hotel brand and is it curated? We have created a series of blog articles that gives you further insights on how your hotel can win at sensory branding.

3. Think toward the hotel rebrand implementation early on:

As you know by now, at MAp we create sustainable brands. This means that right at the start of a hotel rebranding process, we think about HOW to create a hotel brand that is flexible and can be implemented in a sustainable way = using resources in the most efficient way.

4. Communicate your hotel rebrand internally before you communicate it externally:

Ensure that your staff is well informed to align with the new brand identity. Explain why the hotel rebrand was necessary and how the new brand supports the strategic objectives of your hotel. Also make sure that relevant team members know how they must use and implement the new hotel brand.

5. Launch your new hotel brand the right way:

Use your hotel rebrand to make a big splash. Create an emotional story about the why and the what = what you are expressing with your new hotel brand, what you stand for (your Purpose) and for whom you are the best choice. Engage with both current and potential guests through various channels to generate anticipation. Find important insights about Storytelling HERE.

Once we launch a new hotel brand in the market, we continuously gather feedback and measure the success of the hotel’s rebranding efforts. This gives us important insights on how we can further optimise the hotel branding, and of course, the success of the hotel business.

Rebranding a hotel is a pivotal decision that should be approached with careful consideration and meticulous planning. A well-executed hotel rebranding effort can breathe new life into a property, attract a broader and more loyal customer base, and rejuvenate a hotel's financial performance. On the other hand, a mismanaged rebranding can lead to confusion, alienate existing customers, and result in significant financial losses. Therefore, getting rebranding right is of paramount importance.

Sustainable branding focuses on integrating sustainability into a brand's identity, values and practices. It goes beyond the superficial use of eco-friendly imagery or slogans and requires a deep commitment to environmental, social and economic responsibility. A sustainable brand has the power to influence change, drive consumer loyalty and inspire positive action.

Now that we've established the importance of sustainable branding, it's time to explore how to create a sustainable – and successful - brand.

Here's MAp’s step-by-step guide to help you get started:

For every brand we create, we approach it holistically through the lens of the 4 Ps to determine how we can best portray a hotel’s Purpose, inspire and uplift its people, minimise its impact on the planet and economically benefit all of its stakeholders. When you enter into a (re-)branding process, we recommend to keep these 4 Ps close to you and ensure they are reflected in every aspect of your brand – from its visual identity to its verbal identity.

Not only are branding or rebranding exercises a big commitment (financial and otherwise), they necessitate the production of new marketing materials and the elimination of old ones (= more waste).

When you practice sustainable branding, you overcome this by creating a visual identity that is timeless and therefore avoids becoming quickly outdated - instead, it grows with your business across existing and future product lines, projects, subsidiaries and more.

Sourcing materials and services from responsible partners is essential – they should align with your sustainability values and meet your sustainability expectations. Beyond that, though, it’s important to give opportunities to small businesses, local ones, and those owned by women and people of colour when possible.

Also check if your partners have sustainability certifications in order to make sure that they walk the walk too!

Today, there are many options for choosing environmentally-friendly materials and packaging, from biodegradable paper to eco-friendly printer ink. For your marketing material, we suggest to research and find the best partners and products to make your sustainable brand happen.

The brand verbal identity and messaging we develop follow MAp’s 10 Principles of Sustainable Communication: transparency, inclusiveness, cultural sensitivity, clarity, responsibility, authenticity, progress, relevance, inspirational, ethical.

We also recommend to employ emotional storytelling techniques to connect and appeal to audiences – not just your guests, but also your employees, partners and local community members. By following these steps, you can create a sustainable brand that not only resonates with your stakeholders but also empowers positive change in the world, making your brand a force for good.

1 – Do I really need a hotel umbrella brand?

It’s not a simple undertaking. In fact, it’s far from it. Creating a hotel umbrella brand means that you have an additional brand to take care of, which of course results in extra administrative, operational and business costs as well. Not only that, you will need to invest additional time and resources to make sure that the hotel umbrella brand is respected and reflected in your sub-brands always and in all ways. However, if you plan to unite diverse hotel brands under one umbrella, a well-designed and holistically implemented hotel umbrella brand will enable you to gain credibility and trust, build brand awareness, achieve brand recall, and above all, establish an emotional connection with customers and ultimately generate higher returns on investment.

2 – What are the goals for my hotel umbrella brand?

It’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty detail. What issues are you struggling with that the envisioned hotel umbrella brand is solving for you? Back in 2014, we realised that by creating Pulse Hotels & Resorts, our client would benefit from a stronger standing and impact in the market with an umbrella brand in place for the launch of its first property. Furthermore, the defined and implemented hotel umbrella brand structure would facilitate the launch of additional properties as well as enable benefits from operational synergies. Your answer may differ as the reasons for creating a hotel umbrella brand vary. However, be clear on your specific goals because they lay the foundation for all the steps that follow.

3 – How will the individual sub-brands relate to each other?

When looking at global players, the different sub-brands are all branded in the same way, have the same standard and the same set of amenities. Think of Accor Hotels as the umbrella brand and ibis as its sub-brand. Only by hearing the name “ibis” do you exactly know what the logo looks like, and what bath amenities and general operational standards you can expect.

From the beginning, it was clear that for Pulse Hotels & Resorts, we wanted to follow another approach. Our promise to guests is that all of the sub-brands hold the same brand values and deliver innovative experiences in their segment. However, at the same time, they are branded individually, appeal to other guest segments and are refreshingly different in their own specific ways.

4 – What is at the heart of my hotel umbrella brand?

Don’t forget what hotel branding is all about: it’s about identifying the true nature of your hotel umbrella brand, and consequently as well as continuously, differentiate it from others. Why? Because the more differentiated and distinctive your hotel umbrella brand is, the less likely your customer will switch to a substitute.

If you opt for uniform sub-brands, the core of your hotel brand might be to clearly define your buyer personas and afterward derive a standardised classification, facilities and services from it. For example, the budget 4-star hotel group for Millennial business travellers with contemporary business facilities and 100% natural amenities.

At the core of Pulse Hotels & Resorts – a hotel brand that prides itself on being innovative and forward-thinking – are innovative and forward-thinking brand values: “The Pulse Hotels & Resorts values are at the very core of the company. They reflect what the company is about, how it conducts itself and where it strives to be: smart, playful, rooted, responsible and human.”

5 – How do I implement and bring to life the hotel umbrella brand?

Our MAdvice: start from the top. Start with defining the basics for your hotel umbrella brand. Only when you are clear on your objectives, architecture/strategy and brand core, can you start working on the sub-brands.

This approach also led us to develop two very distinctive sub-brands for Pulse Hotels & Resorts after the hotel umbrella brand had been defined. Kandima Maldives, the first Pulse Hotels & Resorts property that opened in 2017, is a game-changing lifestyle (desti)nation where guests are invited to relax, reconnect, refresh and rediscover their sense of adventure. Hiriyafushi, the second Pulse Hotels & Resorts property, sets new standards in high-end hospitality in the Maldives through its innovative concept and approach, offering guests a premium luxury experience that is second to none.

Our final MAdvice: think long-term. Don’t think of your hotel umbrella brand as an object that is created, launched and immediately generates returns. Think of it as a living being that needs dedication, patience, and guidance to define its personality. It is something that grows over time and needs to prove its qualities to people (guests, partners, employees) before it creates an emotional connection and ultimately generates returns.