Watson curates eight typefaces for Motto by Hilton’s location system

The Brand Identity: Watson’s identity for Motto by Hilton matches typography to location, so that Motto Chelsea NYC – set in Brewery’s calligraphic letterforms – looks different to Motto Times Square NYC in Basis Grotesque’s friendly geometric sans. The system came from a strategic repositioning that aims to establish the lifestyle hotel as something distinct from its corporate parent, a place where globally savvy travellers can plug into vibrant neighbourhoods. The brief arrived as what Mauro Simeon, Associate Design Director at Watson, describes as “a common branding challenge.

Motto’s brand design and strategy at the time did not reflect the brand’s future vision. Before our update, Motto lacked an ownable positioning and was in need of a bold reimagining.” That reimagining centred on a simple insight about the target guest: someone seeking an independent approach to hospitality rather than the familiar comforts of a global chain.

Watson’s response was to build locality into the DNA at the typographic level, creating location logos that pair the Motto wordmark with city names rendered in typefaces matched to neighbourhood character. Curating those eight typefaces – Helvetica Now, Sentinel, Basis Grotesque, FS Benjamin, Brewery, Vanguardia, Quarto and Cotford – required what Simeon calls “significant time in curating a selection that feels cohesive as a family, yet is expressive enough to distil the energy of a neighbourhood.” The methodology guides each application according to local context, with multiple locations potentially sharing the same typeface if their neighb

ourhoods share similar qualities. “An arts district like Chelsea in New York City uses Brewery, a typeface inspired by calligraphic letterforms, echoing its offbeat, idiosyncratic character,” Simeon explains.

“In contrast, a tourist hotspot like Times Square adopts the friendlier geometric sans serif Basis Grotesque to convey the destination’s broader, more universal appeal.” The challenge lay in allowing each location to feel unique while ensuring the overall brand expression remained cohesive enough that the global identity wouldn’t fragment into unrelated pieces. The photography and graphic elements reinforce this locally rooted sensibility throughout the system.

Watson evolved an existing grid motif to express what the brand calls a “cleverly connected” experience, reflecting the modular rooms that can link together for communal gatherings or flex for greater privacy. “Just as the rooms can connect, the grid system embodies that same adaptability,” notes Olivia Kane, Associate Art Director at Watson.

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The article discusses a significant design strategy for a hotel brand that enhances local identity, which is impactful for the hospitality industry and relevant for brand strategy professionals, though the concept of locality in branding is not entirely new.