A BOUTIQUE HOTEL BRANDING CASE STUDY

Tainaron Blue Retreat

PROCESS

The Story

Tainaron Blue Retreat is an exceptional guest house located in southern Mani, Greece. Architects Kostas Zouvelos and Kassiani Theodorakakou brilliantly converted an early 19th-century stone tower that served as a defensive structure into a wonderful retreat with three bedrooms, a shared kitchen, a patio and infinity pool. The architects wanted to ensure that the interior spaces would keep pace with modern aesthetics while at the same time adapting to the specific characteristics of the local architecture. The final look of the tower gives the impression of an imposing building that emerges from the rock upon which it is founded.

It came as no surprise that Tainaron Blue Retreat won the Special Committee Award for Overall Rating, at the 100% Hotel Design Awards 2015.

The Challenge

We were assigned to create the visual identity of Tainaron Blue Retreat, develop the brand and its online communication.

Of course, we took on the challenge. From the very first moment we were delighted to work with such a passionate architect for such an inspiring business. We had to get down to work and do our best:

  • Create a distinct corporate identity that would communicate what makes Tainaron Blue Retreat so special;
  • Design a website that would highlight the uniqueness of this guest house, include a hotel booking engine and provide valuable content about Mani;
  • Develop and execute a social media strategy that would create awareness, showcase the getaway experience offered at Tainaron Blue Retreat and build a strong digital presence from scratch.

The logo had to be clear, concise and reflect the very essence of Tainaron Blue Retreat. We used soothing earth tones with a touch of blue to visually portray the stone-built tower and the infinity pool.

Complete Corporate Identity

We designed and produced a full collateral set to support the brand; creative business cards, letterheads, envelopes, brochures, menus and more. For the food menus we used recycled cardboard as we wanted them to be in accordance with the wild landscape of Mani—every detail has a reason!



202,200

total pageviews in 2017

36,968

visits from 120 countries in 2017

Website

We designed and developed a compelling website that motivates visitors to book their stay at Tainaron Blue Retreat and explore Mani. The user can get a good taste of the rooms and facilities navigating through informative pages and functional galleries that stimulate imagination and evoke emotions. A booking engine was implemented to match the website colors and make it easy for anyone to book directly from the page. Last but not least, we also created a blog about Mani, to provide valuable content and inspire users to become travelers.

LIVE WEBSITE

Social Media

As a newly launched business, Tainaron Blue Retreat had zero awareness. It was therefore a big challenge for us to make this boutique-hotel-styled retreat known across the social media landscape to travelers from all over the world. What we first did was create a Facebook page and an Instagram account, on which we strategically published curated content that introduced Tainaron Blue Retreat to the social world. We also implemented perfectly targeted campaigns for awareness and fan acquisition.

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