Tempo by Hilton

Building a creative world for a new kind of traveler.

The work

As Hilton was preparing to introduce the 18th brand in its portfolio of hotels, the company was struggling to put its strategy into practice. The ideas and audiences were there, but the name, look and feel, and total experience weren’t taking shape. Hilton partnered with Zeus Jones to unstick the process and create the brand, experiences and creative world that would welcome a new kind of traveler into a new class of hotel.

Our roles

Brand Identity
Experience Design
Brand Launch
Event Production
Creative Production

A stack of coffee cups with Tempo by Hilton branding

The Opportunity

Greeting a new kind of guest.

The Hilton team had defined the strategy, audience and overall concept for its new hotel: a stylish, contemporary stay designed to match the pace of modern travelers. It provided a welcome for travelers who felt they had “arrived” in life: transitioning from young adulthood, gaining confidence in their career successes, or learning to navigate (and enjoy!) work travel.

In this life stage, travelers relished the chance to unwind, engage with the people and activities around them, and take a moment to appreciate what each day offered. And they were learning not to settle when it came to experiences they valued: This emerging audience demanded inspirational design, great coffee, and better sleep.

This emotional core provided a strong brief from which to design a hotel stay, through architectural choices like thoughtfully appointed rooms and amenities that emphasized well-being. But choosing a name, creating a look and feel, and bringing the brand to life in every room of the hotel were vexing Hilton and its partners.

A well-lit dining within a Tempo by Hilton hotel, furnished with high end fixtures

A tote bag for Tempo by Hilton that says "Set the pace"

Our Approach

Infuse a hotel experience with the natural cadence of travel.

We started by visualizing how the hotel experience could look, feel, sound, and taste like for guests. How would they move through the space? What might the hotel inspire them to do? And what would it all be called? Our exploration gelled around the act of looking up: taking notice of a moment and sinking into all it has to offer. Travel naturally provides endless opportunity to look up, yet it can also be rushed and disorienting. The ability to experience travel at your own pace—some moments on-the-go, others lying low—emerged as a cornerstone of the new hotel.

As this world of “looking up” took shape, so did a name that evoked the rhythm of a well-lived life: Tempo. We built a design system that seamlessly supports the way guests move, rest, and work, with a word mark, branding elements, voice, and tone that were understated, stylish and elevated. This phase helped unstick the development process and get the new hotel back on the path toward launch.

A door tag for Tempo by Hilton that says "Come by later"

In addition to creating a brand guide, we worked with the architects and designers crafting the hotel spaces to make sure that guest-facing collateral—from key cards to door hangers and common-space signage—unified the total experience.

“I love that we got to build out the Tempo brand as a world. With a hotel there are so many senses and experiences to consider, all of which shape the brand. By taking a world-building approach, we created something really robust and visceral. As a card-carrying millennial and part of the target demo, it’s a place I’d want to rest after a long week of work travel.”

Jason Zabel, Creative and Partner at Zeus Jones

Launching a hotel requires significant investment—and excitement—from developers. We introduced the brand at an investor showcase event in New York, giving builders the first look. We then translated our design into B2B messaging through installations, interactive exhibits, and visuals that gave a sense of what travelers would experience through Tempo. This event was wildly successful, earning more than 400M media impressions and garnering record-setting commitments from Hilton investors.

Through pandemic-induced pauses and setbacks, Tempo has built toward a full consumer launch. We’ve expanded the brand and helped guide owners and marketers by creating asset capture guidelines and other creative tools. The first property is now booking in Times Square, bringing to life the creative world we established and inviting modern travelers to check in and look up.