HOTEL BEL-AIR
Creating a holistic identity for a Los Angeles star
Brand Creation
Brand Guidelines
Print & Packaging
Production Management
INSIGHT
This Los Angeles legend was created in 1922 as a twelve-acre paradise in the famous Canyon Hills. Untouched by the clamour of life beyond its gates, Hotel Bel-Air has hosted illustrious Hollywood figures, creative visionaries and sophisticated societies. It is a floral oasis within LA, offering guests privacy, superlative hospitality and absolute discretion. Construct's challenge was to distill this legacy and spirit into a refined identity that was singular within the group portfolio, distinct from its sibling, The Beverly Hills, and resonant with its dynamic stature as a world leader in luxury.
IDEA
Construct began by diving deep into the rarefied world of Bel Air, the imagination of Alphonzo Bell and the creation of the original gentleman's estates. History tells a story of 600 acres of lush hillside gardens, and a privacy and lifestyle created exclusively for the elite of 1922. This is Old Hollywood: serious glamour, creativity, innovation, discretion and familial ease. The original estate typography, glorious in its unique American character, was studied as a key inspiration for the new identity. A bespoke script with just a hint of Lubalin swagger was the result, reflecting the languid confidence of Hotel Bel-Air. Designed to be animated, used oversize, and to interact with brand graphics and art direction, it mirrors the conceal-and-reveal experience of the hotel itself. The bold graphic identity is expressed through a new colour scheme, with a complex palette drawn from the flora of the Hotel Bel-Air estate. Six biophilic silhouettes were created as graphic devices, artfully building out a dynamic brand palette. Here, brand identity is seamlessly connected to experience – anything but corporate. Communication is deployed with the diplomacy, ease, and mischief of an Old Hollywood host. From a discreet nod and polite signature to a dynamic, oversized super graphic, used as a calling card across property and collateral.
IMPACT
At Construct, we see a brand as a holistic whole. For Hotel Bel-Air we tactically created a world that embodies its 360 positioning, elevating its quiet power, timeless spirit, history and century-old legacy. The work adapts seamlessly across touchpoints and is anything but bland and predictable. While commercial figures are confidential, we continue to work closely with The Dorchester Group, and our client has anecdotally reported on the identity’s continual commercial success and impact.
WITH THANKS TO
