EAST Hotel
Spatial Strategy & Design
Brand Identity for East by Swire Hotels
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An emerging class
Following the successful launch of The Opposite House, we were once again asked by Swire Hotels to come up with an innovative brand, in the then-emerging category of “Lifestyle Business” hotels. This hybrid positioning was acutely mirroring the needs and wants of a new generation of travellers, casually blending work and play in their everyday life.
The first EAST hotel opened in Hong Kong as part of the Island East business hub, and the brand later launched in Beijing and Miami.
Keeping it fresh
We established a brand platform with attributes that were ‘fresh’, ‘breezy’ and ‘uncluttered’. The core brand was interpreted in a sleek yet playful visual system. A “plug and play” attitude was applied to the overall brand expression, with a friendly and streamlined overall tone.
Heading East
We took a minimal approach to the brand mark, with a simple accent on the lower-case “t” pointing toward the Eastern direction. The colour palette was restrained to functional greys and a touch of bright orange. The lower-case serif font kept the brand approachable, yet elegant.
To establish a strong brand presence for the first location, we used the logotype as a super-graphic on the glass-curtain of the hotel façade. In the lobby, we made things more evocative and created the “Tree of Light” feature wall behind the checking counter.
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Identity with a zing
Uniforms worn by front-of-house and support staff match the brand identity. Each subtle element of the characteristic vibrant orange colour, whether it is on a waiter’s top or the orange cap worn by the kitchen staff, reminds guests of the care and attention given by the hotel to every detail.
The graphics used throughout the hotel are playful in nature, yet always useful – from a notepad with integrated sudoku puzzles to a touchscreen interface that helps guests find everything they need in the hotel.
