Deep Dive: Buena Vista’s Surf Hotel
Welcome to fall. The season of sweaters, jewel-toned sunsets and ch-ch-ch-changes. Which is why, for this edition of Cognoscenti Quarterly, we're switching things up. Instead of featuring a range of different clients, we're excited to share the soup-to-nuts design, writing and strategy project we've been developing for a new boutique hotel in Buena Vista, Colorado.
Cognoscenti joined the Surf Hotel project in the early phases of construction, with the goal of developing all branding and communications for a summer 2018 opening. Inspired by Buena Vista's exceptional natural beauty, as well as the relaxed sophistication of the hotel's design, we developed a custom brand identity for the hotel, ballroom and restaurant, as well as core brand messaging, website content, lifestyle photography, menus, press releases and event materials that translate the hotel's ambitious concept to a range of digital and print mediums.
We'd like to thank the Surf Hotel team for trusting us with this year-long project -- with more to come! Our vision for Cognoscenti Creative has always been to provide a full range of creative services for independent business owners, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with clients not just as consultants, but as true brand partners.
BRANDING, LOGO + MENU DESIGN
There's nothing we love more than starting with the question of brand identity, from establishing a visual framework to crafting a persuasive brand voice. For this project, we began with the challenge of distinguishing the Surf Hotel from a pre-existing, adjacent business: the Surf Chateau, which offers independent lodging in the form of cottage-like guesthouses. Designing unique visual treatments for the hotel, its world-class concert hall and onsite restaurant, we drew inspiration from the property's refined architecture and craftsmanship, as well as the rippling waves of the Arkansas River.
COPYWRITING + STORYTELLING
From a weekend getaway in the mountains to concerts, weddings and corporate retreats, the Surf Hotel offers guests a remarkable range of amenities in a boutique hotel environment. We worked carefully to convey these varied attributes across website copy, press releases and event brochures, while developing a brand voice that feels welcoming, refined and quintessentially Colorado.
LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY
To persuasively convey the Surf Hotel's commitment to high quality materials and attentive craftsmanship, there was no better medium than dedicated lifestyle photography. We visited Buena Vista over the course of a beautiful summer weekend, capturing intimate images of the hotel's elegant interior and exterior, signature food and beverage offerings, and the general feeling of the South Main community.
DIGITAL PRESENCE
From room bookings to event resources, concert tickets and restaurant reservations, the website for the Surf Hotel was designed to address a wide range of needs. We partnered with the web development team at Denver-based Narwhal Collective to build a multifaceted digital presence that streamlines user experience while maintaining a consistent sense of the hotel brand.