I plan my holidays around branding & I'm not sorry
Slightly funny one to admit, but I plan a lot of my holidays around good branding - and I’m not sorry about it.
Veranda at Halse Lodge, Noosa
I’m currently planning the details of my trip to the South of France in a couple of weeks, and it made me realise how long I’ve been doing this for. Sometimes a well designed brand dictates the whole trip - hello Halse Lodge, Noosa - and other times I’ll spend hours properly researching the coolest coffee shops, little boutiques or beautiful eateries around the area I’ve chosen. I’m sure a lot of this stems from my love of interiors and aesthetics, after years working in that world and building up a very strong sense of my own style. But it’s always been about so much more than looks.
Bedroom at Halse Lodge, Noosa
Having mentioned Halse, I couldn’t not share more about this quirky Aussie hostel in beautiful Noosa, Queensland. I’d planned most of my trip and was thinking of spending the last 2 weeks of my time in Aus in Byron Bay. But then I somehow stumbled upon photos of Halse Lodge and my plans immediately changed.
The interiors drew me in first - no metal bunkbeds and bright blue sheets here. Think chocolate brown painted bunks with striped linen curtains, cork flooring and design-led mirrors, and the cleanest, crispest white bed sheets. The website sold it so well, with beautiful photography, a strong brand identity, and copy that sounded so authentic and anything but generic.
On arrival I wasn’t disappointed. Everything was just so ‘Halse’: the food, the spicy margs, the terrace, the atmosphere, all the way down to their branded merch like caps, t-shirts and stickers. The team that worked there all carried the same vibe - and maybe that’s just Australia for you! - but they seemed genuinely interested in guests, asking how I’m finding Noosa, where to go, asking about my travel plans. It was a series of seemingly little things all adding up to one big beautiful and memorable experience.
Common Supply, Bondi
Closer to home it’s those little things that stick out too.
Like a visit to Easy Street in Weymouth - great matcha, in a well-branded cup, made in a beautifully designed coffee shop with great signage - it just made what could be a really basic coffee stop into something special. The Harlyn in North Cornwall is another good example - a cool logo will always grab my attention, but it was the fresh oysters and charred padron peppers, the sandy floor, curated interiors, beers on tap, and the way they greeted my puppy and brought her fresh water that fully sealed the deal.
The Harlyn, North Cornwall
Branding isn't just decoration. It's the thing that makes you trust a place, that gets it added to your Google Maps saves before you've even booked a flight.
You can offer a genuinely great experience, but if you can't show it, how do you ever connect with the people who'd love it? And you can build a brand that looks beautiful, but if you haven't put the thought into the actual experience behind it, people will feel the gap the moment they walk through the door.
Easy Street, Weymouth, Dorset
One can't exist without the other. The brands that really stay with me, like Halse Lodge, like Easy Street, like The Harlyn, are the ones where the look and the feel are telling the exact same story.
Coffee from Cubs at Watergate Bay, North Cornwall
If a stranger walked past your shop window, clicked on your website or scrolled through your Instagram right now, what would they feel? Would they want to stop? Or would they stroll or scroll past?
If you're not sure what your answer is, that's exactly the kind of thing I love getting into the detail of. It's never just about looks.
