BERLIN, GERMANY – QUO has partnered with Deutsche Hospitality to evolve its flagship hotel brand, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts. The agency designed a new corporate identity to modernise the classic German luxury hotel brand and demonstrate a more compelling brand positioning as it moves into new segments and territories, with plans to invest 120 million euros in 2019 in its existing portfolio.
ITB Berlin attendees were last week treated to the unveiling of a reimagined logo that maintains elements of the classic brand image invigorated with new typefaces and soft, complementary pastels. These will combine with newly designed photography guidelines for advertising and collateral. A set of new guest experiences has also been created.
“Our challenge was to find the perfect mix of tradition and modernity – to hold onto our heritage while meeting the needs of contemporary travellers and guests,” said Deutsche Hospitality CEO Thomas Willms. “We feel that we’ve achieved our goal with this new brand identity, encapsulating the quality and service we are famous for in an innovative, future-facing brand.”
QUO CEO David Keen said it is rare to find a classic hotel brand that is so willing reinvent itself. “I’m delighted to see a deeply traditional German hotel company like Steigenberger embracing guest experience and making that a core part of its brand,” he said.
QUO’s Creative Director Pierre Vermeir said the new logo is evolutionary. “While I wanted to position Steigenberger as fully modern, I also knew it was important not to alienate the brand heritage,” he said. “The main typeface was carefully considered to strike a balance between classical and modern. In the location descriptors below, the sans serif typeface creates a sense of modernity. The combination of dark brown and grey in the logo is timeless.”
The unveiling took place at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair. Steigenberger launched in 1930 in Germany and is now found in 10 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The brand continues expanding into new markets, with a recently opened hotel in Dubai and several others slated to open by 2021 in Denmark, Egypt, Qatar and Thailand.
