Mar Monte Hotel
Set along the Santa Barbara coastline, Mar Monte Hotel is a historic seaside retreat where the rhythm of the Pacific meets the stillness of the mountains. Our role was to refine the brand, bringing clarity, cohesion, and a renewed sense of place to a legacy property.
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Brand Guidelines
Brand Identity
We defined Mar Monte as a world between worlds, balancing mountain and sea, heritage and modernity.
At its core is the Creative Romantic: a guest who values atmosphere, detail, and experiences that feel both personal and transportive.
The voice is romantic, but measured. Poetic, but precise—designed to invite rather than persuade.
Anchored by three core pillars: A Bountiful Destination, Coastal Charm, and Your Inner Artist, the messaging creates a consistent emotional throughline across every touchpoint.
Born of Sea,
Sun, and Story
A seaside retreat from the golden age of Santa Barbara.
Brand Identity
The identity draws from Santa Barbara’s natural palette, deep ocean hues, sun-washed neutrals, and soft coastal tones creating a refined, grounded foundation.
Typography pairs classic serif elegance with modern restraint, balancing heritage with a more contemporary sensibility.
Together, these elements establish a system that feels timeless, elevated, and distinctly rooted in place.
Creative Direction
To further anchor the brand in its environment, we introduced a series of hand-drawn illustrations inspired by the hotel’s Spanish Revival architecture.
Arches, tilework, and architectural details are reinterpreted as refined linework—bringing texture, warmth, and a sense of storytelling to the visual system.
Applied across menus, collateral, and digital touchpoints, the result is a layered, collected aesthetic that feels as storied as the property itself.
Brand Guidelines
The full brand system was compiled into a comprehensive set of guidelines ensuring consistency across all future applications.
From logo usage and typography to illustration style and tone of voice, every element was designed to scale seamlessly across print, digital, and on-property experiences. Mar Monte emerges as a brand that feels both discovered and enduring. A place where inspiration finds you.
