Hotel Kaiserhof in Vienna and Kitzbühel was seeking a new brand identity upon leaving the Best Western Premier brand. For the new brand strategy we turned to the roots of the hotel, established in the fin-de-siècle era in Vienna. The name itself, “Kaiserhof”, used with a special permission that was obtained from emperor Franz Joseph I back then, is a reference to imperial Austria at the turn of the century. In our design we invoked the look and feel of that time, of Old Austrian charm and nobleness in a playful and slightly tongue-in-cheek way, by introducing the character of the emperor’s legendary valet through illustrations. The in-house communication material is speaking to guests in this character’s old fashioned tone of voice, such as the “Do not disturb” door hangers saying “The noble ladies and lords wish to rest.” The claim, “Küss die Hand in Wien” refers to the old school way in which an Austrian gentleman would be greeting a lady, by kissing her hand in an almost-non-touching way. The pictorial mark of the logo is constructed by rotating the “K” of the typeface and forming a crown with it. Also the pattern is based on that letter-form.