As the hotel entered its fourth year of operation, we rebuilt everything from the concept to support its continued evolution. Our aim was to maximize the appeal of the boutique hotel category, which is still relatively rare in Japan, while creating an international brand experience that resonates with inbound demand.

Concept

Delivering a refined boutique hotel experience adorned with Kyoto's elegance to guests from around the world.

Brand Strategy

The website created at the time of opening had insufficient information architecture, making it difficult to convey the hotel's essential appeal. In this project, we carefully examined the hotel's uniqueness as a boutique hotel and the cultural value of Kyoto as a destination, defining a new concept: "A boutique hotel adorned with Kyoto's beauty." With this concept as our foundation, we created a consistent experience design across the entire site, from information architecture to expression.

Design

We created visual expressions that convey Kyoto's elegance through the beauty of tranquility and negative space. We pursued a design where contrasts of light and shadow, the warmth of wood, and refined modernity harmonize. We placed particular emphasis on the smartphone viewing experience, designing the site to convey the hotel's premium atmosphere across all devices.

Structure

We realized an information architecture that allows guests to experience the hotel's appeal progressively. We structured the site so that each element—guest rooms, cafe, and ways to spend time in Kyoto—can be naturally explored while building anticipation. Through bilingual support in Japanese and English, we aimed to communicate the hotel's appeal equally to both domestic and international guests.

Contents

We created all new text, photography, and video content for the site. We carefully photographed every detail of the hotel's spatial beauty, cuisine, and service, resulting in story-driven content that conveys the relationship between Kyoto as a place and the hotel itself.

Result

Following the renewal, we have received much praise for the overall premium quality of the site. The brand value as a boutique hotel is clearly communicated, and it functions as an experience that meets inbound demand.

CREDITS

Client

HOTEL RINGS KYOTO

Creative Director

Yuto Nakamura(MARUKAJIRI)

Art Director

Yuto Nakamura(MARUKAJIRI)

Producer

Taku Ito(MARUKAJIRI)

Photographer

Sayaka Mochizuki

Video Director

Exwrite

Copy Writer

Exwrite

Writer

MARUKAJIRI

Translator

Loretta Scott

Engineer

Cross Chop