DesignStudio reimagines the future of luxury hospitality with its identity for The Other House

What does the concept of luxury hospitality look like to you? Marble walls, an endless supply of warm towels, maybe even a uniformed doorman? While there's nothing wrong with these elements, they lack the relaxing charm you feel at home. And it's this comfort factor that DesignStudio has sought to capture in its new identity for The Other House, launched today.

Choosing to forego the stuffiness of member's clubs and the impersonal feel of hotels, The Other House treads new ground in the luxury hospitality sector by making visitors feel like they own the space they're living in for as long as they choose to stay. The name of the brand sums up this angle with deceptive simplicity. While you're away from your usual home, visit the next best thing, your other house, if you will.

It's a clever piece of branding that has come at a good time. The Other House has recently opened a Residents' Club in South Kensington and is set to open another in Covent Garden by winter 2024. Another site in Belgravia is already underway too, which demonstrates the growing popularity of its business model. Combining a hotel's services with the home comforts of an apartment and the amenities of a members' club, The Other House invites visitors to live like residents for a night, a week, or even a whole year.

However, a new kind of luxury hospitality requires a fresh approach in terms of branding, and that's just what DesignStudio was tasked with. No easy feat considering that the identity was made against the backdrop of global lockdowns in 2020 and the overnight shutdown of the hospitality industry. DesignStudio pulled through, though, and devised a brand strategy that encompassed the positioning, name, visual identity and digital experience of The Other House.

During this process, the DesignStudio team recognised that breaks needed to feel different, new and meaningful in the wake of the pandemic. By working closely with The Other House, they began to question and challenge the idea of luxury and found themselves moving away from over-the-top stereotypes of excess.

Instead, they set The Other House apart from the competition by championing the ideas of choice and long-stay living. If you want to kick off your shoes and truly feel 'at home', there's no better place than The Other House.

Vinay Mistry, exec creative director at DesignStudio, said, "It's been an incredible journey for DesignStudio to partner with The Other House to create the world's first Residents' Club.

"Working in close collaboration and through bespoke workshops and processes with The Other House, we have reimagined the entire brand experience across every point of a resident's stay. The result is a brand that offers a new vision for the future of luxury hospitality - making people feel like a local in a new neighbourhood and designed so they can work, rest and live as they choose."

Underpinning this brand experience are four strategic principles, namely: Make it home, Give Control, Create a lasting impression and Build it better. These values guided every brand decision and can be seen across the entire guest experience, including the bold and confident typography, the homely and inviting photography and the modern iconography with a classic flourish. All the elements work together nicely to balance the traditional with the unconventional.

Jordan Sheldrick Devine, Digital Creative Director at DesignStudio, explains that creating a seamless experience from booking to check-out was crucial when coming up with a unique offer to residents. "Helping create The Other House app was a fantastic opportunity to embed the essence of the brand into a resident's experience," he says.

"Check in from your taxi, order a drink, summon the lift, and even see how busy the gym is from your bed - every aspect of the UX gives residents absolute control of their stay - helping them truly feel at home."

Once they're in, residents will be treated to interiors with a rich visual approach that includes immersive wallpapers created in partnership with illustrator Marianne Rodrigues. Maximalist design elements are also on display in the form of intertwining images of British and exotic animals and foliage. These designs and illustrations all work together to create a sense of depth and discovery, and each The Other House space features bespoke details.

Naomi Heaton, CEO and founder of The Other House, sounds happy with the results: "Having a background in advertising, I completely understand the importance of brand and brand values," she reveals. "The brand proposition and being able to communicate to people exactly what you are is absolutely vital.

"We appointed DesignStudio after a significant selection process and worked hand-in-hand to articulate and visualise our clear vision for this new category within the market. The result is something we are incredibly proud of; reimagining how people stay for a new generation of conscious travellers."