The Halcyon is a boutique hotel brand in Bath, England, whose visual identity was created by the Bath-based design studio Mytton Williams. The identity was developed for a new hotel opening in the city, with the logo launched in August 2009, ahead of the hotel’s opening in February 2010.[1]
Design and History
Mytton Williams was commissioned to create a brand identity for The Halcyon, a new boutique hotel in the World Heritage City of Bath. At the time of the branding work, no photographs of the hotel or its contemporary interior existed, meaning the personality and impact of the brand was the sole driver of interest and sales.[1]
The brief was to create a sharp, contemporary and fun identity catering to people who wanted the style and function of a luxury hotel at affordable prices. The studio developed a brand identity featuring a highly individual tone of voice, applied across the website, advertising material, hotel brochure and all internal and external signage.[1]
The new Halcyon logo was launched in August 2009. A few months later, an e-commerce website followed. Because no hotel photography was available, the site was illustrated with simple line drawings and enhanced by evocative brand copy.[1]
The hotel opened in February 2010 with encouraging bookings, including 90% occupancy for its first three weekends.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The identity was built around a highly individual tone of voice rather than a pictorial symbol. One example of this approach was the tagline “When in Bath do as the Romans did,” which played on the hotel’s location in the historic spa city.[1]
Giles Thomas of The Halcyon credited the studio with creating “the perfect brand solution” that drove both sales and hotel development ideas from day one, despite the absence of any hotel photography.[1]
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