CLIENT
SERVICES
YEAR
LOCATION
CLIENT BACKGROUND
Koen runs twelve boutique hotels across Japan – beloved by guests, invisible online, losing direct bookings to aggregators.
The group asked us to rebuild the brand from the ground up: a quieter, more confident identity that carries the feeling of staying at Koen – and a direct-booking website that finally competes with the platforms.
CHALLENGE
The challenge
Twelve properties, twelve visual languages. Guests loved the stays but couldn’t find, compare or book them directly – 71% of revenue flowed through third-party platforms that charged up to 18% commission.
SOLUTION
The solution
One calm, unified identity rooted in the Japanese idea of “ma” – the space between things – and a booking-first website that turns browsing into reservations.
BRAND STRATEGY & NAMING SYSTEM
VISUAL IDENTITY & GUIDELINES
SPATIAL & SIGNAGE SYSTEM
DIRECT-BOOKING WEBSITE
PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTION
SHOWCASE
FIG. 01 – 04
Aiko Tanaka
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, KOEN
RESULTS
