Brochure Design - Blue Rainbow Apartments

Who they are

Jason Abbott and Will Hannah founded Blue Rainbow Apartments in 2005, a response to the many luxurious but impersonal hotels they had stayed in over the years.

Between them the pair have over 30 years' experience in the hotel industry, and they used their knowledge and contacts network to start up Blue Rainbow Apartments, a luxury serviced apartment provider for business and leisure use.

One of Blue Rainbow Apartments' key selling points is its ability to offer luxury accommodation to customers on a budget, who can effectively upgrade from three-star to five-star for only a marginal increase in cost. The apartments feature the finest fixtures and fittings, from luxury furniture and stylish kitchens to indulgent Egyptian cotton linen and quality toiletries.

What they wanted

Jason and Will wanted their corporate branding to reflect their stylish, contemporary image and to appeal to both the leisure and corporate guests.

Among the initial requirements were stationery, several brochures, comprehensive proposals for potential investors, various in-room items and a website, which would be their main booking tool.

What we did

We created a brand that emphasised their friendly, personal service and the luxurious home-from-home accommodation.

To highlight the personal nature of Blue Rainbow, we designed branded chocolate boxes, which are placed in the rooms prior to each guest’s arrival. This simple giveaway added a uniquely personal touch and made guests feel welcomed.

All guests are given a choice of pillows, including lavender, duck & goose down and memory foam. We designed a branded pillow menu to present guests with these choices on their arrival.

A mini brochure was conceived to give a general overview of Blue Rainbow USPs to potential business and leisure guests. The aim was to encourage potential guests to visit the website for more information or to book. This versatile piece was designed to fit in display racks or to be mailed and was also handed out at a leisure and tourism show.

The website was created in our Content Management System to reflect the brand that had been set out in the printed collateral. Features of the new design included an online booking system and Flash animations to showcase the luxuriously appointed apartments.

A unique approach was needed to create a pack for potential investors. The packs needed to be memorable and different to the 'norm' but still contain all the necessary factual information. Three books were created - The Aim's & The Beliefs, The Facts & The Figures and The Words & The Pictures. By dividing the information in this way the design showcased stunning imagery from their apartments and the detailed accounting information separately.

What happened next

Blue Rainbow has had much success in a short period of time, increasing their portfolio from two apartments in 2006 to an Aparthotel with 80 apartments by 2009. We have continued to support them during this growth period, revamping their branding and increasing the capabilities of their website to better serve their customers. Blue Rainbow's Apartments are currently running at 90% occupancy on average, compared to an industry average of 70%.

They are now the proud holders of the 'gold award' and 'five-star serviced apartment' accreditations from Enjoy England and also won the prestigious Manchester Tourism Award in 2009.

Looking to the future, Blue Rainbow Apartments aims to expand its business with the addition of more serviced apartments and boutique hotels throughout the UK.

We initially met Will when he was working as a Marketing Consultant for another of our customers. When he and Jason started their own venture they chose us for their branding, and our relationship now spans over five years. We are proud to be in partnership with Blue Rainbow and to have helped contribute to their ongoing success.