Nestled in the depths of Cebu my dream hotel is a modest retreat set above the lush canopies of the jungle, surrounded by an abundance of tropical greenery, far away from frenetic urban life.
To develop the foundations of my brand I began by looking at what made this hotel remarkably unique. I imagine ‘The Platano Hotel’ to be a place that is self-sufficient on the surrounding land, where ‘buko’ juice is collected from the nearby trees and banana leaves are spread out on teak table tops providing a plethora of Filipino delights for all guests to enjoy. A place where people can wind down and become attuned to their senses. A place where people can listen to the calming sound of rain drops falling melodically on the tin roof. A place where a sporadic downpour can occur in an instance, only to be suddenly washed away by sunlight that ignites the bones and nourishes the greenery. But because you are cocooned in the depths of nature, there’s a distinct feeling of safety and comfort.
I chose a dark yet warming colour palette for my hotel brand to honour the soft, mesmerising hues of an uninterrupted sunset. I also felt that the darkness aptly reinstated the hidden, secluded aspect of the retreat. I wanted it to feel as if it was one of Island’s best kept secrets.
For the naming part of the branding, I decided to call it ‘The Platano hotel’, ‘Platano’ is Spanish for banana – this imagery has inspired much of the identity. I envisioned the hotel brand to be set in the Philippines, a place where banana trees grow in abundance and are somewhat of a food staple to locals. ‘Platano’ also provided a subtle nod to the Spanish influence that has trickled down through the years and influenced the melting pot culture that we now know today. The identity as a whole has been elegantly adorned with botanical illustrations to enhance the rustic feel of the hotel and pay homage to the local craftsmen who I imagine constructed the hotel without the use of modern machinery.
As a destination I feel that the Philippines is often overlooked simply because of its geographical positioning in regards to the rest of South East Asia. For me the development of this identity provided the perfect opportunity to shout about how much of a hidden gem this country truly is and I would encourage anyone to visit!
This brand identity was created as part of a monthly personal project that all of our designers take part in. Not only does it help us to refine our craft, it gives us the chance the develop our dream projects and share our ideas with you. If you’d like to see what else we’ve been up to in the studio lately, check out our Instagram (@tonik.studio), we are also on twitter too (@tonikstudio).
If you’d like to take part, we’d love to see your entries and we may even feature some of our favourites!
Header photo credit: Joshua Newton.
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