Codesign - A Mosaic of Inspired Choices

Founded in 2017, Vistarooms (name before rebranding) grew into one of the largest networks of privately managed stays in South Asia. With the expansion, the founding team sought to:

Focus on the burgeoning premium travel segment.

Build distinction from similar players & traditional hospitality.

Create foundational direction for the brand to own and nurture.

Codesign’s partnership with StayVista gave voice to a shift in brand thinking, from an aggregator-mindset focussed on quantity of choices to curator-mindset engaged with quality of unique experiences. The shift not only allowed the brand to differentiate itself from players in the segment, but also inspired a new imagination of how the brand could enhance and innovate its internal & consumer-facing experiences.

Scope

Positioning, Naming, Tone of Voice, Identity Design

Client Speak

When we were looking for a partner to rethink the brand, we wanted someone who would apply first principles thinking while doing so. Working with the Codesign team truly felt like we were working with someone we can ideate with as well as learn from. The outcome of the entire exercise has given us clarity on our positioning and purpose as a brand. Visually, it has not only given us a new identity but also a system that we can build on for many years to come. —Amit Damani, Founder

Positioning

The new brand positioning for StayVista is built around the call to “Inspire Your Moment”. It speaks to the product strength, category differentiator and changing aspiration of the consumer. The offering (premium private stays) stands apart from traditional one-size- fits-all hospitality by the uniqueness of each property, and strengthened by brand StayVista’s meticulous management that adds layers of bespoke, delightful details. At the same time the traveller in the premium category today, seeks new benchmarks of luxury through thoughtful customisation and uniqueness of experiences. “Inspire Your Moment” positions the brand as a discerning curator who matches the consumer’s desire for unique, elevated experiences.

Brand Name & Logo. Left: Old, Right: New.

Naming

The existing brand name—Vistarooms lacked appeal in the premium category, with ‘rooms’ cuing budget, shared accommodation, in contrast to the brand’s decisive shift to premium category. A study of popular search parameters for the brand, revealed a consistent pattern with the presence of ‘Vista’ accompanied by varying tags like rooms, hotel, holiday home etc. The new name (StayVista) retains the familiarity of ‘Vista’ while adding ‘Stay’ to express the finely curated, diverse selection of properties. The addition of ‘Stay’ also emphasises the holistic, experience-centric approach versus a type of property like holiday homes or villas.

The new tagline—Script Your Stay—carries forward the brand essence into a simple call to consumers to co-create their desired experience.It emphasises what sets StayVista apart—recognising and enabling every consumer’s desire to personalise their experience by providing meaningful choices and services.

Identity

Both the verbal & visual identity for StayVista are centred on a balance of Spirit & Sophistication, whereby thoughtful elegance & craftsmanship is brought to life in a fresh, engaging and lively manner. While the identity is at ease in a world of luxury hospitality, its crafted playfulness speaks to a more contemporary view of premium experiences.

The visual identity system for StayVista was developed as a set of layered assets that can be combined to create multiple expressions—enabling a sense of delightful continuity while avoiding bland repetition across different touchpoints. This was especially critical for physical presence of the brand within properties, spanning touchpoints from caretaker uniforms to toiletries and printed communication. For marketing & promotions, the crafted flexibility allows focus on content with intelligent adaptations for different media and contexts.