BY: Sarah Wetenhall
The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach has become one of the most beloved destinations in the country—and branding is at the core of its success. Here’s why the owners created a mission statement and followed a few simple rules that can help you build a following as devoted as theirs.
The Colony Hotel has been a beloved Palm Beach institution for 76 years. Standing proudly between Worth Avenue and the Atlantic Ocean, she represents a bygone era where old Hollywood meets old Palm Beach meets the global jet set over a dirty martini or glass of rosé.
When my husband, Andrew, and I purchased The Colony in 2016, our goal was to nurture this nostalgia while also building on the cultural relevance and excitement of modern-day Palm Beach. We had been visiting the hotel since our early twenties, as Andrew’s father was a part owner at the time.
Throughout the years, ownership transitioned, until an opportunity arose for Andrew and I to purchase the hotel and bring it back into the Wetenhall family. As Palm Beach grew in prominence among those driving the global art, fashion, culinary, and lifestyle communities, we realized our island is this rare gem where the bright hues and time-honored patterns of Lilly Pulitzer live in perfect harmony with the latest collection by Chanel.
With this dichotomy in mind, Andrew and I set forth to create a brand that would allow our guests to fully immerse themselves in Palm Beach that people know and love while experiencing something new and fresh at the same time. It’s a delicate dance when so much history and legacy are at stake, but by keeping a few cardinal rules in mind, seven years later we have a brand that is representative.
Write Down Your Vision
I know it may sound cliche, but when you write down your vision, you commit yourself to your goals. There’s a sort of permanence and intention in writing something down, not to mention it serves as a reference point if you ever get lost. For us, this was our mission statement. One of the first things I did upon purchasing TheColony was sit down and write how I envisioned the hotel, and where I wanted it to be. Given my background in luxury fashion PR, I knew that a strong brand started with a thoughtful and well-built foundation.
Through decades of experience working for brands such as Calvin Klein, Dolce&Gabbana, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, and others, I learned the importance of consistency in message and brand experience. While I didn’t know the hospitality business as well as I knew PR and marketing, Andrew and I each had decades of experience as guests of The Colony. We had so many hopes and dreams for the hotel, and our mission statement became the place where all that became possible.
Observe, Listen, Learn
This is a cardinal rule for life—not just brand building. I feel fortunate to have had many years to observe The Colony and its surroundings from the perspective of a young twentysomething guest. Blissfully unaware of the business and any operational challenges, I was able to sit back and observe how guests interacted with the hotel, what worked and what didn’t, and what services and amenities could have been added to make The Colony a cool experience. Fast-forward many years, a marriage, and three kids later, we purchased the hotel and soon became residents of Palm Beach.
All of a sudden, I was experiencing The Colony through a different lens. Not only as the owner, but also as an adult who was engaged in the Palm Beach culture, understood the importance of the island community, and prioritized family time and philanthropy. I now had a circle of local friends who had been in Palm Beach forever, and I immersed myself in the community, taking in as much as I could about its greatest strengths, shortfalls, and what would resonate on this small but mighty island. Instead of jumping in and frantically making changes—which is easy to do when you’re eager to build something—take a deep breath, and observe, listen, and learn…about your guests, clients, and community.
Details Matter When Creating a Brand
What became evident during my time working in luxury fashion, is that branding is all about the illusion of atmosphere. It’s about creating a fictional world and surrounding it with a million tiny details that bring it all to life, from collateral and design to partnerships and experiences.
From day one, we wanted to create an experience that ignited all of the senses; one that was much more than just a hotel stay, but rather a way of life. It was this vision that led us to develop activations and partnerships throughout the themes of design, fashion, art, fitness, and music, helping to cultivate our brand while offering guests a truly authentic Palm Beach experience. Find your distinguishing difference, and lean in.
Community Comes First
Guests will come and go—and we hope they come back—but the local community is here to stay. Through our community-driven events like TriviaNight and The Living Room Series, our live music program and, of course, our renownedrestaurantSwifty’s, an island favorite, we love to entertain the locals and are so grateful for their support over the years. Even more important for us as a business is to get involved in the community in a deeper and more meaningful way.
We lead the hotel with a service-driven culture and prioritize giving back to our community and contributing to the organizations that keep Palm Beach, well, Palm Beach. When you put your community first, it becomes easier to make important decisions; what’s best for your business and what’s best for the community often align.
Never Compromise
It’s also important to never compromise when it comes to your brand. While one wrong misstep is unlikely to break your brand, it can oftentimes be tough to make the wrong impression. Working for some of the top luxury brands earlier in my career gave me a rare glimpse into how these hugely successful fashion houses were able to effectively shape and maintain their identities. Many of these companies were obsessive about every aspect of their brands, from the clothes their employees wore and how they styled their hair, down to the color ink they were allowed to use in the office.
While extreme, these efforts were highly effective in cementing an image in people’s minds that have endured decades and multiple creative directors. When you compromise once, it becomes easier to do it again and again, and suddenly, you have diluted your brand. Although it can be difficult, never settle for less than your brand standard, and if you lose your way, remember to always look back to your mission statement.
Starting a brand from scratch or redefining an existing brand is no easy feat. It can feel like an uphill battle at times, but it’s also the most rewarding experience if done successfully. And while everyone’s definition of success is different, I do believe that following these steps will make the process more seamless.
Remember to always be confident in your brand, never hesitate to revert back to your mission statement, and be distinctly you, perhaps, the biggest cardinal rule of all. It will pay off. It certainly has for us.
