Wave Hotel
Brand Identity & Visual Design
TYPE: Conceptual Brand Project
TIMELINE: 3 weeks (April 2023)
ROLE: Solo Designer - Brand Strategy, Visual Identity, Logo Design, Brand System
Tools Used:
This conceptual project explored the growing "bleisure" (business + leisure) travel market by creating a complete brand identity for Wave Hotel—an intimate boutique destination on Maui designed for professionals who blend business with leisure. The brand needed to communicate sophistication and coastal relaxation while appealing to working travelers seeking elevated experiences that balance productivity with self-care.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project Goals:
Create a brand identity that captures adventure, sophistication, and relaxation
Position Wave Hotel distinctively within Maui's competitive hospitality market
Appeal to bleisure travelers seeking elevated, work-friendly accommodations
Develop a cohesive visual system reflecting coastal luxury and modern comfort
THE CHALLENGE
Creating a brand identity for a boutique hotel targeting bleisure travelers required balancing multiple, sometimes competing emotions and practical considerations:
Key Design Challenges:
Emotional Balance: Communicate adventure AND sophistication AND relaxation without feeling scattered or unfocused—unifying these distinct emotions into cohesive visual language
Target Complexity: Appeal to professionals who need functional work amenities while also wanting to feel like they’re on vacation—not only business and not only a pure resort experience.
Market Differentiation: Stand out in Maui's saturated hospitality market where countless hotels compete on similar "island paradise" messaging
Defining the Concept: Research and determine what type of boutique hotel experience would authentically resonate with bleisure travelers' specific needs (workspace + wellness + coastal access)
Visual Translation: Translate abstract concepts (sophistication, adventure, self-care) into concrete design elements (colors, typography, imagery, tone)
The challenge was creating a brand that feels like a vacation but professional enough for work travel.
RESEARCH & STRATEGY
To inform brand decisions, I researched the bleisure travel market and conducted a competitive analysis of three leading boutique hotels in Maui to understand the landscape and identify positioning opportunities
Global Bleisure Market
Market Research
BLEISURE MARKET GROWTH
Key Finding: The global bleisure market is projected to grow significantly from 2022 to 2032, indicating strong demand for accommodations that seamlessly blend business functionality with leisure experiences.
Key Market Insights:
Growing trend of professionals extending business trips for personal travel or combining remote work with vacation destinations
Desire for accommodations offering both functional workspaces and relaxation amenities
Preference for authentic local experiences over generic corporate hotels
Willingness to invest in elevated, boutique experiences that enhance productivity and wellbeing
Seeking destinations that provide coastal access, wellness options, and sophisticated dining
Market Opportunity: Traditional hotels cater to either business travelers (corporate, functional) or leisure vacationers (resort-style, recreational). Bleisure travelers need something in between—a intentionally designed space that supports work while offering coastal lifestyle access.
Competitive Analysis
I analyzed three prominent boutique properties in Maui to identify positioning opportunities and market gaps:
Paia Inn
Bohemian, artistic escape emphasizing local authenticity and unplug narratives with laid-back social atmosphere—but lacks professional workspace functionality.
Hana-Maui Resort
Luxury wellness retreat focused on transformative experiences and cultural immersion—intentionally designed to disconnect (no TVs, remote location), conflicting with bleisure travelers' connectivity needs.
Hotel Wailea
Ultra-luxury, adults-only escape emphasizing privacy and relaxation—positioned exclusively as a vacation indulgence, not a work-friendly destination.
Key Market Insight: The Bleisure Gap
Analysis of these three properties reveals a significant market opportunity:
Paia Inn = Authentic + Relaxation (but lacks professional workspace and connectivity)
Hana-Maui Resort = Wellness + Adventure (but designed to disconnect, not balance work/leisure)
Hotel Wailea = Luxury + Privacy (but positions exclusively as a vacation escape, not a work destination)
None of these properties authentically serve the bleisure traveler's dual needs—professionals who need functional workspaces paired with genuine coastal relaxation, without sacrificing either.
Design Differentiation: Wave Hotel can own this niche by authentically addressing the bleisure traveler's complete experience—seamless workspace integration, coastal adventure access, and wellness amenities that support both productivity and rejuvenation. The brand communicates that professionals don't have to choose between work quality and vacation enjoyment, creating a sophisticated space that feels professional enough for meaningful work, yet relaxed and coastal enough for genuine vacation enjoyment—avoiding both corporate sterility and overly casual resort clichés.
BRAND STRATEGY
Brand Promise: "Catch a wave in and relax"
Sophisticated coastal living where work and wellness flow together. Wave Hotel positions itself as Maui's premier bleisure destination—an intimate boutique property designed for professionals who refuse to choose between productivity and paradise. Target Audience:
Target Audience:
Working professionals (30-50) with remote work flexibility
Business travelers seeking to extend trips for personal time
Creative professionals and entrepreneurs valuing workspace quality
Health-conscious travelers prioritizing wellness and self-care
Couples combining work trips with romantic getaways
Brand Personality:
Sophisticated yet approachable
Coastal and relaxed
Adventure-ready
Wellness-focused (self-care as priority)
Modern and refined
What Sets Wave Hotel Apart: Unlike traditional business hotels (functional but perhaps uninspiring) or pure resorts (vacation-only focus), Wave Hotel authentically serves the bleisure traveler's complete experience—seamless workspace integration, coastal adventure access, and wellness amenities that support both productivity and rejuvenation. The brand communicates that you don't have to sacrifice work quality for vacation enjoyment, or vice versa.
DESIGN PROCESS
Approach
My approach focused on translating the bleisure concept into visual language that feels both sophisticated and coastal—professional enough to inspire confidence in work functionality, yet relaxed enough to promise genuine vacation enjoyment. I began with mood boarding to explore visual directions that could unite adventure, sophistication, and relaxation. Through sketching and iteration, I developed a brand identity system that balances these elements through color, typography, and visual motifs that evoke coastal Maui.
Moodboard
Sketches
Typography & Color
Typography System:
Krungthep – Display font for logo and featured headlines (distinctive, sophisticated, architecturally inspired)
Avenir Black – Primary headers and important callouts (modern, confident, premium)
Avenir Light – Body text and supporting copy (elegant, readable, approachable)
Bree Thin – Accent text and welcoming messaging (warm, friendly, coastal ease)
Color Palette:
Deep Ocean (#2A5099): Primary brand color evoking sophistication, trust, and coastal connection
Sky Blue (#2C9EDA): Accent color suggesting adventure, coastal energy, and vacation refreshment
Charcoal (#3D3B3B): Text and grounding element adding modern refinement
White (#FFFFFF): Clean space and breathability
Why It Matters: The typography pairing balances professionalism (Avenir's clean geometry) with approachability (Bree's soft warmth), while Krungthep adds distinctive sophistication that sets Wave Hotel apart from generic competitors. The color palette mirrors the bleisure experience—deep ocean blue conveys premium trustworthiness for business travelers, while bright sky blue promises coastal adventure and relaxation. Together, the system communicates that Wave Hotel is both professionally credible and genuinely relaxing—sophisticated enough for confident work travel, yet coastal enough for vacation enjoyment.
Logo & Tagline
The Wave Hotel logo centers on a dual-wave mark that communicates movement, energy, and coastal connection. I sourced a royalty-free wave icon and adapted it to Wave Hotel's brand through:
Color refinement: Deep ocean blue (
#2A5099) and sky blue (#2C9EDA) evoke both professional trust and coastal adventureTypography pairing: Krungthep's distinctive character balances the organic wave mark with sophisticated structure
Visual balance: Proportional adjustments create harmony between the wave mark and wordmark
The mark suggests motion and flow—reflecting the bleisure lifestyle where work and wellness move together seamlessly.
Tagline: "Catch a wave in & relax"
The playful tagline invites guests to embrace both arrival (checking in) and the coastal Maui experience (catching waves), reinforcing Wave Hotel's positioning as the place where work and play naturally coexist.
The logo communicates Wave Hotel's core promise: motion and flow (bleisure as a dynamic lifestyle), sophistication (professional credibility), and coastal authenticity (genuine Maui connection).
Brand Experience
Brand messaging and applications bring Wave Hotel's positioning to life through three core pillars: Revive (coastal adventure and energy), Rejuvenate (spa and wellness experiences), and Reconnect (mindful relaxation). Each touchpoint supports the guest's journey from productive workday to restorative vacation experience.
Final Brand Identity
The Wave Hotel brand system is designed to work across multiple touch points—each one an opportunity to communicate sophistication and coastal lifestyle to the target audience. These applications demonstrate how the visual identity translates from marketing materials to the physical property itself.
These applications show how thoughtful brand design creates continuity across the guest journey. Each piece reinforces the same core idea: Wave Hotel is the place where professional ambition and coastal lifestyle exist together. That consistency—whether someone's looking at a poster or walking through the lobby—is what makes the brand feel intentional and authentic.
Key Takeaways
This case study demonstrates why I'm committed to intentional design work grounded in research. Every decision in the Wave Hotel system—from palette to applications—was made with purpose, informed by market insights and competitive analysis.