GuestHouse’s identity revolves around a striking wordmark, rendered in a retro-inflected serif with the kind of flourishy ball terminals that suggest that the era of the geometric sans serif is finally winding down.

This forms the umbrella branding for the hospitality group, which plans to create a unique sub-logo and palette for each of its hotel openings. So far, GuestHouse has opened two hotels – one in Bath and one in York. A seafront location in Brighton is set to follow in the new year.

&Smith has applied the branding across some of the business’s more unusual offerings, including cargo bikes that help bring guests’ luggage from the station and in-room papers that offer hyper-local tips.

In an attempt to create a more homely kind of hotel experience, GuestHouse also offers a tipi in every room, on-site dog walkers and help-yourself pantries. The hotel brand plans to draw on local creative and craft talent to make hangers out of “regionally relevant” materials.

&Smith has overseen the design and branding for every single element, all with the hope of avoiding what creative partner Dan Bernstein describes as “the stuffiness of luxury”. He says the studio aimed to create something more easygoing, filled with objects and moments that “reflect the brand’s values of happiness and indulgence”.

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