Hotel Acquarello Sagl — Brand Design & Corporate Identity
From a hotel with history to a brand with personality.
- Client
- Hotel Acquarello
- Sector
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Market
- CH Ticino
- Year
- 2025, present
- Services
- Brand Design & Corporate IdentityUI/UX & Web DevelopmentAdvertising, Marketing & Strategy
- Website
- acquarello.ch
Complete rebranding of a 3-star hotel in the heart of Lugano: new logo, 4-language website with integrated booking, active social media across three channels, email marketing on 50,000 contacts and a separate brand, Smart Space, built from scratch for the event hall. In six months: +5-10% direct bookings and first B2B corporate enquiries.
A real hotel, an image that didn't do it justice.
Hotel Acquarello is a 3-star property in the heart of Lugano, a short walk from the funicular that connects the pedestrian area to the SBB station: an enviable location, finely tuned service over many years, loyal guests. The brand, though, was stuck in an earlier era, and logo, visual communication and website told the story of a different hotel from the one guests found on arrival. The website was dated, hardly functional, disconnected from the booking system; social media existed with no direction, no calendar and no campaigns; the database of over 50,000 email contacts accumulated over years of business sat substantially unused. And there was one completely invisible asset: the event hall, a space with potential on the Lugano B2B market that had no name, no identity and no strategy, and that to the market simply didn't exist. Two things were needed in parallel: giving the hotel its identity back and building the event hall's brand from scratch.
Two parallel fronts, one common thread.
The starting point was the logo: not a restyling but a completely new mark, and around it a complete identity system, palette, typography, tone of voice and materials applied to every touchpoint, from stationery to business cards, from keycards to room door hangers to the tabletop sign with the menu QR code. The website was rebuilt from scratch: information architecture designed around user experience, responsive design, integrated booking, content in four languages, and set up as a conversion tool rather than a showcase, with every page built on a search intent and every path steered towards a booking. Then the channels, coordinated with each other: 12 social posts a month across three channels with Meta campaigns, email marketing to the 50,000 contacts with seasonal promotions and local events, geo-targeted Ads campaigns focused on the rooms. For the event hall we did what you do for a new product: a name, Smart Space, a logo, a dedicated design system with its own typography and colours, a tone of voice specifically tuned to the B2B target and a marketing strategy on LinkedIn and professional channels to reach companies, event organisers and local professional hubs. An autonomous identity, coherent with but not subordinate to the hotel's brand.
The rebranding wasn't a logo change. It was about aligning what Hotel Acquarello really is with what the world sees. When image and substance match, the results follow.
Outsmart Team
Six months, +5-10% direct bookings.
In the first six months direct bookings from the website increased by 5-10%. The site is live in four languages with integrated booking, the three social channels have been activated and email marketing has been started on the 50,000 contacts, Smart Space exists as a brand with an identity of its own. The relationship with the hotel is still open.
Results
01What does the rebranding of a hotel include?
Rebranding a hotel includes creating a new logo, defining the complete visual identity (colour palette, typography, tone of voice) and applying it across every touchpoint: website, social media, signage, wayfinding, printed materials and digital communication.
For Hotel Acquarello the rebranding also included creating the dedicated Smart Space brand for the event hall and an integrated digital marketing strategy.
02Why should a hotel consider a rebrand?
When the perceived image no longer reflects the real quality of the experience. A dated brand drives away new customers, reduces direct bookings and makes the hotel invisible online. Hotel Acquarello had a good reputation with regular guests, but its brand communicated an old image that didn't match the real property. After the rebranding, direct bookings increased by 5-10%.
03How long does it take to rebrand a hotel?
A complete hotel rebranding project, from strategy to launch, generally takes between 3 and 6 months. For Hotel Acquarello the project covered brand identity, a 4-language website, social media activation, email marketing and the creation of a separate brand for the event hall. The first measurable results arrived within the first 6 months from kick-off.
04What is Smart Space at Hotel Acquarello in Lugano?
Smart Space is Hotel Acquarello's event hall, located in central Lugano. Outsmart created the naming, the logo and the entire visual identity of Smart Space as an autonomous brand, with a dedicated B2B positioning. The space is promoted on LinkedIn and professional channels to reach companies, event organisers and professionals across Ticino.
05Is Outsmart an agency specialised in hotels and hospitality?
Outsmart is a communication and marketing agency based in Lugano, Ticino. Its services include brand identity, web design, social media management, advertising and digital strategy. The agency works with clients across many sectors, including hospitality, as shown by the complete rebranding project delivered for Hotel Acquarello.
See the project live
