Foyer Hospitality
Hotel Anna & Bel Branding
A Historic Women's Home Gets New Life as Boutique Hotel
Services
- Strategy
- Brand Identity
- Copywriting
- Collateral Design
- Web Design
Hotel Anna & Bel is boutique hotel, tucked away on the residential streets of Susquehanna & Belgrade in Fishtown, Philadelphia. Though the streets give the new hotel concept its name, the hotel's brand narrative celebrates two fictional sisters who are representative of the building that once served as a women’s asylum and later one of the city’s earliest retirement homes.
The client fully renovated this 1769 historical property with loving restoration and new interior design by their firm Foyer which inspired our approach to the branding. The former "home for indigent widows and single women" provided the perfect foundation for having fun with the characters Anna & Bel. Following our client's creative vision the entire way, we crafted the brand identity, narrative, and some creative materials.
This remarkable property once served as an Asylum for Indigent Widows & Single Women. Today, Hotel Anna & Bel is proud to offer an urban retreat in Fishtown, Philadelphia that honors the property's rich history while providing guests with all the modern comforts they desire.
Building off of the brand vision created by Hotel Anna & Bel’s ownership and design teams, Cohere facilitated the brand strategy and brand design, guiding the property on how to showcase the unique history in the narrative of their new hotel. The essence of the Anna & Bel narrative shows itself throughout the brand with illustrative marks and thoughtful copy to create a brand that has an alluring flare, an understated yet memorable point of view, and a light feminine touch.
Our Philadelphia-based branding team served as key positioning advisors to help launch this boutique hotel.
Balancing modern typefaces with ornate, handcrafted touches, created a visual language that feels both fresh and rooted in history.
Photo by Douglas Lyle Thomspon.
A special feature of the hotel is the preserving the historic structure and French quarter style two story porches surrounding the central courtyard. The juxtaposition of the urban residential location with the old world style mansion was something we wanted to reiterate in the visual identity. Each section then required a balance of modern typefaces and more ornate hand done moments.
Our client partnered with a local illustration artist, Lital Gold to illustrate the brand's personality which balanced our modern logo.
Embracing a history of women-led community & hospitality in a world class boutique destination, the Hotel Anna & Bel exudes personality throughout the intimate rooms, courtyard and common areas which recall the connections that were made here over generations.
Photo by Minh Cao
These halls have known many stories over the centuries, and now it’s time for a new chapter.
The essence of the Anna & Bel narrative shows itself throughout the brand with illustrative marks and thoughtful copy to create a brand has an alluring flare, an understated yet memorable point of view, and a light feminine touch.
