Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection
When we began, Hotel Cleveland didn’t exist. Not really.
It was hiding in plain sight—Cleveland’s original grande dame, stripped of its name, its narrative, and its voice. For decades it had operated under national brands, its identity sanded down to fit a template. But beneath the layers, the bones were still there. 1918 bones. Stone, brass, colonnades. History you could feel in your spine.
But this wasn’t just a hotel rebrand. It was about the city.
Cleveland is in the middle of a slow, deliberate comeback. A city reclaiming its voice—not through hype, but through history, hospitality, and cultural weight. We saw Hotel Cleveland as part of that recovery—a civic landmark that didn’t just reflect the story, but hosted it.
So we gave it its name back. We gave it its tempo back. And we built a brand designed not around amenities, but around memory—turning the hotel into a cultural anchor for a city that’s once again standing tall.
What we did
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We redefined Hotel Cleveland’s brand as the house of the city’s stories—articulating a positioning system that frames the hotel as a living archive of Cleveland’s past, present, and future. From civic gatherings to personal milestones, from 1920s debutante balls to modern weddings and political summits, we clarified the hotel’s role as a cultural host: not just a place to stay, but a place where Cleveland remembers, unfolds, and evolves. This strategy became the spine for how teams market, speak, program, and serve—turning daily operations into a form of storytelling.
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We designed a refined visual language rooted in early 20th-century craftsmanship and civic elegance—pairing typographic restraint with historically resonant form to restore the hotel’s architectural dignity.
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We created Tell-Tale Tiles—an NFC-powered storytelling installation that invites guests to tap into the hotel’s layered history and local voices, turning the lobby into an interactive archive of Cleveland’s spirit.
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We brought the brand to life through tactile collateral—signage, stationery, uniforms, in-room pieces, and event materials—each one crafted to reinforce a sense of civic pride and legacy without slipping into nostalgia.
The Results
Restored Original Name & Local Loyalty
The return to Hotel Cleveland marked a symbolic reconnection with the city’s cultural identity, earning media attention and deep civic pride across generations.
Guest Sentiment Reversal
TripAdvisor reviews flipped from “dated” and “disappointing” to “modern,” “thoughtful,” and “best stay in Cleveland”—a direct result of redesigned rooms and renewed service energy.
Doubled Valuation Through Repositioning
Post-renovation, the hotel’s estimated value rose from $60–65M to over $125M, driven by premium rate power, increased NOI, and improved investor confidence.
Local Press & Industry Recognition
Hotel Cleveland garnered renewed recognition as a flagship hotel in the region, drawing attention from city officials, conventions, and cultural groups as a restored civic landmark.
ADR and RevPAR Surge Post-Relaunch
With a refreshed identity and luxury positioning, the hotel saw ADRs climb to $180+, and RevPAR reach $120+, up over 20% from baseline performance.
Fully Integrated Brand Across Teams
The brand now shows up from uniform accents to the spirited programming, with staff regularly referencing Cleveland stories, local rituals, and civic pride in guest interactions.