logon.design was invited to create UrCove as a new brand with Hyatt and BTG Homeinns Hotels - one being a world-class hotel management group, the other being a major domestic hotel chain giant with more than 4,000 hotels. The opportunity was obvious, as in each respective market, both companies are leading in providing outstanding hospitality for their respective customers, one at the highest possible level, the other at the best possible budget.
The challenge, however, was on one hand to create a brand that inherits both Hyatt and BTG Homeinns Hotels' best genes to successfully compete on an already diversive and competitive hotel market. On the other hand, and probably more important, was the challenge to create a new type of hostpitality to accommodate the needs and expectations of a new generation yet demanding type of traveler.
This property in Shanghai, was selected as the first Urcove hotel to provide a place where guests can experience and comment on different design features, facilities and services.
logon.design suggested a brand new strategy to the joint team of Hyatt and BTG Homeinns Hotels that not to apply branding and design like a usual hotel, but to think from another angle: Friendship. Provide a place like a home, and welcome the guests like friends. This frees the requirements from standard conventions of hotel design, opens opportunities for new solutions and ideas, and allows flexibility in the service provided by the hotel - or by friends for friends.
The ideal of this hotel was not to be the one model to be copied to other UrCove hotels, but to provide a space to develop and test new ideas. The ground floor is a meeting space rather than a hotel lobby, with a bar counter, various flexible seating zones, meeting room and a library. The flexible, open check in counters are located in the background only, and offer either online check in, self check in or assisted check in by your new friends (the hotel team).
Due to the specific situation of this building, the dining area is located on the second floor, where a Hyatt trained F&B team provides delicacies for both hotel guests and their local friends - a key element of the friendship concept.
