The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
Design Approach:
Brand Refresh, Positioning and Graphic Design:
Speaking of the design approach to the project,
Kinnersley Kent Design Partner Jill Higgins explained,
‘Above all, we were looking to open the hotel up in
terms of light, space, circulation and visibility. The
building’s original art deco nature has also been
brought back to life by replacing the ground floor
elevation with an elegant bronze façade with brass
details referencing the 1930s modernist style.’
Kinnersley Kent Design’s Brand Director Lindie
Kramers said of the agency’s approach: ‘Our thinking
was based on the brand’s core strengths – its heritage,
attitude and location. Located in the heart of Mayfair,
the brand is delightfully English (in all the right ways),
independently-owned, with an art deco spirit. And
they’ve always done things differently.’
The re-branding and positioning project included
the World Of Hospitality
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interviewing 20 key staff members to get a real insider
feel for the hotel, as well as thorough research into
the hotel’s great history – especially its legendary
associations with the world of film. Above all, the hotel
was clearly understood, both internally and externally,
to be about individuals, from the staff to the high
levels of tailored service, to the character of individual
guests. Even Jim, the doorman, has his own blog!
‘Our repositioning strategy was based on celebrating
this individuality’, Lindie Kramers explained. ‘This