Redefining “Staying On Campus”
More and more independent hotels are showing up on college campuses across America, much to the delight of parents, visiting faculty and a host of business travelers. With that comes a boon of opportunities to create captivating stories that lean into each university setting.
Beyond the obvious advantage of opening a hotel with extremely predictable demand generators, an independent hotel can be an extension of the university’s greater brand. We’ve had the opportunity to brand a handful of independent hotels on and around college campuses over the years. Each has presented completely different goals, challenges and, the fun part, narratives. Here are just a few that represent how a symbiotic relationship between university and hotel brands is a winning combination.
Hotel Ursa
On the U-Maine campus in Orono, Hotel Ursa balances a brand that embraces the surrounding area’s unspoiled nature while leaning into Black Bear culture. U-Maine had exciting plans to work with the hotel and expressed intentions for co-branding opportunities. We created the Hotel Ursa color palette to complement the established U-Maine colors while also remaining inspired by the wilderness of Central Maine. The resulting story, visual identity and guest experiences are what academics and trailblazers alike can get behind.
The Heartwood
In the middle of Vassar College’s campus is a new boutique hotel that will attract both alumni and road-trippers along the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Few people realize that Vassar’s campus should be a destination for anyone, as it’s a certified arboretum with more than 230 species of trees. Hence, The Heartwood was born – a name stemming from the term for the strongest innermost rings of a tree. The Heartwood is central to Vassar’s campus and the exchange of ideas – a strong foundation for the next iteration of Vassar College’s campus experience.
Hotel Polaris
The U.S. Air Force Academy used to be the highest-trafficked manmade destination in Colorado. After 20 years of closed gates to the public following 9/11, a new hotel was envisioned as the conduit to making the Academy accessible to the public once again. As part of a more significant development at the Academy’s North Gate, Hotel Polaris includes a conference center, lobby bar and restaurant, rooftop bar and an eatery complete with aircraft simulators. While Hotel Polaris is always in service of the Academy, the hotel does not adopt its messaging or branding. Instead, it uses its flight path as inspiration, taking off from a brand-new runway.
The Benson Hotel & Faculty Club
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora is one of the premier medical facilities in the country, making its mark through education, research and innovation. Gaining in population and notoriety, the university decided it needed an independent hotel to welcome medical patients, professionals in residence and transient visitors alike. B&Co. branded the The Benson Hotel as a gathering place centered around wellness and the pioneering spirit of the West. The hotel encourages guests to rest, recover, and rejuvenate and invites business travelers, global thinkers and modern pioneers to embrace innovation.
Sophy-Hyde Park
The University of Chicago is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, so naturally, the best and brightest around the globe travel to Hyde Park. Hyde Park is known for creativity and diversity, while the University has made its academic mark in art, music, science and mathematics. We created a hotel story with a strong sense of place that reflects this. The name ‘Sophy’ – rooted in the Ancient Greek word ‘Sophia’ for wisdom and knowledge – is sophisticated yet approachable and softens the complex symbolism in the branding. It also mirrors the personal approach Sophy delivers through its style of service and neighborhood hospitality.
