The Goodtime HotelHappy Place

Branding a feeling at Miami’s hippest hotel

Standing out among South Beach’s crowded hospitality scene requires a fresh outlook and approach, and Pharrell Williams and Dave Grutman had a very particular mood and atmosphere in mind for their hotel project. When it came to translating this feeling into a brand, the result was a subtle identity that’s intentionally subservient to the Instagram-ready interiors, high-quality service, and one-of-a-kind experience at The Goodtime Hotel.
Musician Pharrell Williams and nightlife kingpin Dave Grutman teamed up with Eric Birmbaum of Dreamscape to create a destination unlike any other in one of the world’s most distinctive tourist hotspots. Positioned in the lively heart of South Beach, The Goodtime Hotel was carefully designed to target the growing number of image-conscious younger people visiting the city for weekend escapes and group vacations in the sun.
The founders’ vision from the very start was to create an atmosphere that allows guests to feel immediately welcome and comfortable, no matter how they intend to spend their stay, and an aesthetic that quintessentially looks and feels like Miami. Branding this feeling required distilling all of the elements into a light, subtle, almost ethereal identity that blended with the other design elements.
Theatrical and whimsical interiors by award-winning designer Ken Fulk blend tropical motifs and a plethora of pastel tones, creating the perfect backdrop for countless Instagram photos, and an endless stream of user-generated content that forms the backbone of the hotel’s marketing campaign.
The pared-back logo, an abstraction of a Japanese “arigato” pose, references the high level of service and care put into the guest experience. The mark is sparingly applied to items like bathrobes and tissue packets, as well as the translucent room keys that serve as each guest’s passport to the good time wonderland. A similarly simple bespoke typeface, a typewriter-style in all lower case, adds to the casual, laid-back air of the identity.

With the help of big-name clout and abundant social media coverage, the hotel immediately gained a reputation as the place to see and be seen in South Beach. While its identity is intentionally deferential to the strong personality of other design elements, it serves to complement and uplift the dreamy idyll of vacationing in style – whether that means lazing in a cabana, or dressing up for a night on the town (or both). Either way, the hotel’s popularity proves that it delivers on its promise to provide a good time, all of the time, for everyone who visits.

Standing out among South Beach’s crowded hospitality scene requires a fresh outlook and approach, and Pharrell Williams and Dave Grutman had a very particular mood and atmosphere in mind for their hotel project. When it came to translating this feeling into a brand, the result was a subtle identity that’s intentionally subservient to the Instagram-ready interiors, high-quality service, and one-of-a-kind experience at The Goodtime Hotel.

Musician Pharrell Williams and nightlife kingpin Dave Grutman teamed up with Eric Birmbaum of Dreamscape to create a destination unlike any other in one of the world’s most distinctive tourist hotspots. Positioned in the lively heart of South Beach, The Goodtime Hotel was carefully designed to target the growing number of image-conscious younger people visiting the city for weekend escapes and group vacations in the sun.

The founders’ vision from the very start was to create an atmosphere that allows guests to feel immediately welcome and comfortable, no matter how they intend to spend their stay, and an aesthetic that quintessentially looks and feels like Miami. Branding this feeling required distilling all of the elements into a light, subtle, almost ethereal identity that blended with the other design elements.

Theatrical and whimsical interiors by award-winning designer Ken Fulk blend tropical motifs and a plethora of pastel tones, creating the perfect backdrop for countless Instagram photos, and an endless stream of user-generated content that forms the backbone of the hotel’s marketing campaign.

The pared-back logo, an abstraction of a Japanese “arigato” pose, references the high level of service and care put into the guest experience. The mark is sparingly applied to items like bathrobes and tissue packets, as well as the translucent room keys that serve as each guest’s passport to the good time wonderland. A similarly simple bespoke typeface, a typewriter-style in all lower case, adds to the casual, laid-back air of the identity.

With the help of big-name clout and abundant social media coverage, the hotel immediately gained a reputation as the place to see and be seen in South Beach. While its identity is intentionally deferential to the strong personality of other design elements, it serves to complement and uplift the dreamy idyll of vacationing in style – whether that means lazing in a cabana, or dressing up for a night on the town (or both). Either way, the hotel’s popularity proves that it delivers on its promise to provide a good time, all of the time, for everyone who visits.