Branding for hotels: the strategy to win over guests
Behind every successful hotel, there is a strong identity. It's not just a catchy logo or a trendy colour palette, but a recognisable personality, capable of inspiring trust, conveying values and building authentic relationships with guests.
Whether it's a new opening or an established property looking to evolve, a well-crafted branding project allows the hotel's unique nature to shine, defines a clear identity, and projects it over time – turning every interaction into a jigsaw puzzle piece of a single, cohesive experience.
Not only for those who are starting out, but also for those who are changing
Many associate branding with new openings, as if it were only needed by those who must "introduce themselves to the world". In reality, the identity of a hotel – just like that of a person – evolves: the audience changes, the competitive context changes, the tastes and ambitions of those who run it change. Renewing one's image through a branding project therefore becomes fundamental also for hotels that, after years, feel the need to reposition themselves. A path that does not erase history, but gives it new strength with a more current, coherent language capable of speaking to the right target.
The advantages of a solid identity
Whether it's a new opening or a relaunch on the market, a well-crafted branding project is not just about aesthetics – it's a strategic tool that generates tangible, long-term results.
• Communication of values: an effective branding project makes it clear who you are, what you represent and why a guest should choose you.
• Loyalty: a well-defined identity builds trust and consistency, helping to turn a first booking into a returning customer.
• Recognition: a strong brand helps you stand out in a saturated market, where many facilities promise similar experiences.
• Online reputation: consistent visual and verbal communication reinforces the perception of quality and professionalism in the eyes of those who discover you online.
• Internal loyalty: a clear identity unites the team, creates belonging and is internalised by the staff, who communicate it naturally to guests, in every interaction – before, during and after their stay.
Where a branding project comes from: understanding who you really are
Before even talking about logos, fonts or colours, you need to answer a question that is only simple on the surface: "Who is my hotel?". To reach an authentic answer, our advice is to personify the hotel, asking yourself increasingly specific questions: If it were a person, what would its personality be like? Would it be a man or a woman? Young or mature? Sophisticated or spontaneous? Luxurious and distant, or genuine and easy-going?
This seemingly abstract phase is the heart of the strategic work because it serves to define the positioning, i.e., the way the hotel wants to be perceived, and guides all subsequent choices, visual, verbal and behavioural. The result is an identity grid within which every element – from tone of voice to colour palette, from website to social media, from paper materials to amenities – moves in a coherent, intentional and recognisable way.
The elements that shape identity
Once the positioning of the hotel has been defined, a complete hotel branding project can be created that encompasses several levels, all connected to each other:
• Visual elements: logo, typography, colour palette and photographic style, which are found in every communication touchpoint: from rooms and amenities, to stationery, menus, brochures for trade fairs and B2B activities.
• Verbal elements: naming, tone of voice and linguistic choices (such as formal or confidential), which define the storytelling and key messages.
• Strategic and experiential elements: market positioning, target audience, values, and brand promise, extending to how the identity is expressed through the guest experience, digital communication, and the language used by the team.
By meticulously defining these details, you will have a consistent brand that lives on every platform, online and offline, with the same strength: from the first impression on the site, to the booking confirmation email, to the thank you card in the room, every step feels intentional and aligned.
Why investing in branding means thinking long term
A well-defined brand offers both stability and flexibility: it allows communication to be updated without distorting values and, in a constantly evolving sector such as hospitality, it allows a property to respond to changes while remaining true to itself.
At Blastness, we accompany the hotel at every stage of this journey. We can design an identity from scratch, or renew an existing identity to align it with a new positioning or a different target with a project that always arises from an in-depth analysis of the hotel's positioning, continues with aesthetic and linguistic research, and translates into concrete tools.