Inspira Hotels was celebrating its 10-year anniversary, aiming to establish itself as a reference within the hospitality sector in Lisbon.
The ambition was to grow the group’s portfolio, with more units in the upcoming years, namely in different neighbourhoods of the capital city.
The name “Inspira” has two powerful meanings in Portuguese: to inspire (someone) and to breathe in.
In the portfolio offering and corresponding promises, the defined brand positioning made it clear that the brand would have to be adaptive, in a hybrid structure, part monolithic and part endorsement.
The umbrella brand expression would generate the entire Inspira identity structure, horizontalizing the presence of the promise of excellence, namely in the guest experience.
The expression of unit brands would focus on the genuine side of their uniqueness and location, thus verticalizing the global offer.
As an ever-changing scenario, the hospitality sector is on an unlimited quest for differentiation. Inspira Hotels had a beautiful connection to the city of Lisbon, which we had to explore and convert into brand value. The balance between the umbrella brand and the unit brands was key to reflecting this value and making it part of the guests' experience.
To be “Inspira” is to know how to be a host, centring the service around the individuality of each guest. Respecting what is genuine in the essence of each city, each neighborhood.
Promoting the meeting of the guests and the city in unique moments of immersion. The design approach was to develop a strong identity that would adapt and change, without ever losing its character.
The wordmark was the main asset of the Inspira brand. The word "Inspira" contained all the value ever created. It had the universality of meaning to communicate the brand’s promises and the ability to change to represent the essence of each offering.
Each hotel unit was assigned with a custom version of the word “Inspira”, inspired by the experiences provided for the guests.
For the umbrella brand, an additional element was developed. A symbol that is simultaneously an “I” (Inspira) and a “H” (hotel). By synthesizing all its value in an icon, we created an Endorsement Tool, a seal of excellence that helps to unify the portfolio of units, services, and products.
The first hotel unit to be branded, thus showing the flexibility of the design system, was Liberdade Boutique Hotel.
The unit symbol shows a different "I", specifically made to reflect this hotel's identity.
Being still an "I", this custom approach reinforces the sense of belonging to the brand ecosystem named Inspira.
