A vision that grew worldwide
How it all began
Back in 2012, our Co-Founder & CEO Marius Donhauser, set out on a clear mission: to simplify internal communication within his own hotel. To bring this vision to life, he teamed up with three developers to design a solution tailored to the needs of hotel teams. It all started in room 404 of his hotel, and shortly after, hotelkit was born—a platform designed to redefine how hotel teams collaborate. A solution designed by hoteliers, for hoteliers.
What started as a small, local startup in Salzburg quickly evolved into an industry-leading, international scale-up. Today, we are a company with 110+ employees, proudly serving over 3,500 clients in more than 80 countries worldwide such as the Radisson Hotel Group, H World Hotels, MHP Hotels, and many more.
Our mission: we simplify everyday work
Our mission remains as strong as ever: to provide hotel teams with a central platform that simplifies their everyday work. But who we are and what we stand for have evolved over the years. Now, it’s time for our brand to reflect who we’ve become and, more importantly, where we’re heading in the future. We’re excited to share a major milestone with you. Let’s dive into our new brand, our journey to this point, and the reasons behind our rebranding.
Why hotelkit needed a rebranding?
When we started, we were a young, colorful startup navigating rapid growth. Today, we’ve evolved into a successful international scale-up, serving major hotel chains and enterprises worldwide. We’ve built a strong foundation, developed a competitive product, and are driven by a clear, focused mission. Over the years, we made gradual adjustments to our brand – simplifying the design and reducing colors – to reflect our evolving identity. However, these changes led to inconsistencies, with our logo no longer aligning with our website or marketing materials. As a result, who we had become didn’t reflect what our brand represented to the outside world. It was clear that we had outgrown our previous brand.
“As our company grew, it became clear our brand needed to evolve. We aimed for an identity that reflects the clarity and innovation we deliver daily. This rebrand now aligns with our goals and the future we’re building together.”
Marius Donhauser
Co-Founder & CEO
hotelkit GmbH
Our rebranding journey
Values, Vision, and what sets us apart
Our rebranding journey began in early 2022 when we first explored the idea of a rebrand. However, we weren’t ready at that time and put the project on hold. We picked it up again in spring 2023, starting with a theoretical foundation. Through workshops and sessions with both internal and external stakeholders, we sharpened our core values, unique selling propositions, and future vision.
We discovered that what truly sets us apart is our industry-specific solution, tailored to the needs of hotel teams. Developed by hoteliers for hoteliers, it directly addresses the unique challenges hotel teams face every day. As a result, we needed a new visual identity to reflect the professionalism and clarity of our solution.
“Our new brand is a promise to the world, reflecting our commitment to making hotel operations simpler and more efficient every day.”
Selina Schwaiger
Head of Marketing
hotelkit GmbH
From concept to creation – our visual style
In autumn 2023, we started shaping our new brand identity, leading to 356 logo drafts and countless hours of design work. By Winter 2023/24, we had finalized a logo that truly represents our brand, company, and product for the years to come. Over the following months, we refined our corporate identity, focusing on typography, icons, and visuals.
Visualizing simplicity: The essence of our new brand
Our new brand embodies our dedication to simplifying daily operations for teams worldwide. Featuring a modern, clean, and instantly recognizable logo, along with refreshed typography and a vibrant color palette, our rebrand represents our commitment to efficiency and clarity. Let’s dive deeper into how our new visual identity captures the essence of what we do and sets the stage for our continued innovation.
A logo with a story
Emphasizing simplicity and effectiveness
In designing our new logo, we aimed to capture the essence of hotelkit in a more approachable and straightforward way. We wanted an icon that reflects our core competencies: simplifying communication, streamlining collaboration, and enabling teams to complete tasks more efficiently. By emphasizing simplicity and effectiveness, the new icon perfectly aligns with our mission to enhance team communication and boost productivity.
“A brand is more than just a logo – it’s the essence of who we are. In our branding process, we focused on creating an identity that reflects our core values. At the heart of this brand is our mission to simplify everyday work.”
Lisa Mitterbuchner
Brand Designer
hotelkit GmbH
A bold new element
We’ve introduced a bold new design element that symbolizes our focus on clear, fast, and easy communication. The speech bubble represents our commitment to enhancing team connections, boosting team spirit, and streamlining communication within hotel teams. It highlights a crucial aspect of our tool: fostering seamless interaction and collaboration to drive efficiency and strengthen teamwork.
In our brand communication and imagery, we want to focus on the people. We’re putting hotel teams at the center of our messaging, making it more personal and directly addressing those we serve. It’s about connecting and empowering the people behind the operations.
Connecting a global community
At the heart of hotelkit is a strong sense of community and collaboration. Our new brand reflects this philosophy – approachable, trustworthy, and aligned with the values we share with our clients and partners. We invite you to explore our platform and discover how our solutions connect hospitality teams worldwide.
Explore a whole new world
How this affects working with hotelkit
Our commitment to simplifying daily tasks and fostering efficiency continues to guide our product development. We’ve always focused on efficiency, simplicity, and clarity, and with our rebrand, we’re doubling down on these principles to further enhance the hotelkit user experience. Users can look forward to ongoing updates that improve usability, introduce modern design elements, and deliver an even more streamlined look. This evolution ensures our mission remains at the core of both our brand and the solutions we provide.
Shaping tomorrow
Wondering what’s next? We’re just at the beginning of this exciting new chapter. The hospitality industry is evolving rapidly, bringing new challenges and opportunities every day. Our rebrand positions us not only to tackle these challenges but to lead the industry forward with innovative solutions that are as dynamic and adaptable as the teams we support.
As we embrace this next phase, we remain committed to maintaining the clarity and simplicity that our new brand embodies. Our focus continues to be on making the daily work of teams easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.
