The Guild

Elevating hospitality experience through design and brand implementation

Creative Director

Services

Creative Direction
Web Design
Product Design
Marketing Design
Brand Development
Art Direction
Social Media Management
Interior Design

The Client

The Guild revolutionized the concept of hospitality by combining the best elements of hotels and short-term rentals. With a focus on creating exceptional guest experiences, they aimed to provide a seamless and engaging journey for their customers.

The Challenge

Coming from business backgrounds, the founders recognized the importance of design but lacked the necessary expertise to fully integrate it into their brand strategy. As the leader of The Guild's design team, I faced the challenge of not only integrating design principles into the brand but also ensuring a smooth and engaging experience for guests. With a small team of two designers and the ability to hire expert contractors when needed, I had the responsibility of driving the design strategy and incorporating it into every aspect of the brand's identity.

The Solution

To overcome this challenge, I took a collaborative approach, working closely with my team and leveraging the expertise of brand, photography, SEO, and video contractors. Together, we aimed to infuse design thinking into all touch points of The Guild's brand and hospitality concept, ensuring a visually captivating and user-centric experience.

Book It

My small but dedicated team focused on refining the brand's website, optimizing the user journey, and enhancing the booking process. We took the website from Squarespace & Little Hotelier to a fully developed custom site and booking engine. I led the charge in creating a seamless and engaging digital experience for potential guests, capturing their attention from the first interaction with The Guild.

Reimagining Traditional Hospitality

Recognizing the need for a comprehensive brand strategy, I partnered with a brand strategist and design agency to translate The Guild's core values into a visually compelling identity. Collaborating closely with these experts, we brought together the vintage allure of travel and the principles of system theory, resulting in a brand image that evoked excitement and coherence while providing guests with peace of mind. Throughout this branding process, I worked hand in hand with The Guild's founders, guiding them on the importance of design and demonstrating how it could elevate their brand and hospitality concept. The founders were able to gain a deeper understanding of design principles and how to integrate them effectively into the business, and the collaborative efforts of strategists and designers resulted in a brand identity that encapsulated The Guild's essence and unique offerings.

Localizing Guests Through Product Design

Combining the expertise of the product and engineering teams, we developed a mobile app and innovative on-site tech solutions to streamline guest arrivals. The mobile app offered essential stay information, arrival instructions, concierge assistance, food delivery options, and personalized recommendations, making guests feel like locals while user-friendly check-in kiosks ensured a hassle-free arrival process.

The Power of Visual Storytelling

Recognizing the power of visual storytelling, I managed photography, video production, and social media marketing. As a team, we orchestrated engaging photography and video sessions that captured not only the physical spaces but also the transformative moments within The Guild. By creating captivating imagery, our aim was to evoke a sense of truly living in The Guild's spaces, enticing potential guests to experience them firsthand. Simultaneously, we established and managed The Guild's social media profiles on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, collaborating with design contractors and a third-party agency. This comprehensive approach encompassed content creation, copywriting, and strategic posting, resulting in significant growth of The Guild's social media following.

Crafting Memorable Experiences: Wayfinding, Interior Design, and Collateral Creation

Interior design played a vital role in delivering on the promise of comfort and discovery at The Guild. Collaborating with design agencies to outfit both rooms and amenity spaces, we carefully selected furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) that reflected the distinct character of each hotel's surrounding city and neighborhood. In our pursuit of creating unforgettable experiences, we placed a paramount emphasis on ensuring our guests could navigate with confidence. Through meticulous planning, multiple on-site visits, and interactive testing, we implemented clear and effective wayfinding strategies that seamlessly guided guests, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings. Collaborating with multi-family companies, we embraced co-branding and co-wayfinding strategies, ensuring smooth guidance throughout a guest’s journey with us.


To further enhance the overall experience, we thoroughly managed the creation of comprehensive in-room, sales, and marketing collateral. This included precisely-crafted room maps, captivating welcome posters, evocative postcards, informative neighborhood guides, persuasive sales decks, compelling investor pitch decks, and an array of branded merchandise. By curating a cohesive visual language, we ensured that every touchpoint resonated with our brand identity, leaving a lasting impression on our guests. Through our unwavering dedication to wayfinding, interior design, and collateral creation, we aimed to go beyond mere hospitality. We sought to create a seamless and captivating experience that transcended expectations, immersing our guests in a world of comfort, discovery, and wonder at every step of their journey with The Guild.

Conclusion

With my team of designers and expert contractors, I was able to successfully transform The Guild's brand and hospitality experience, delivering a seamless and visually captivating journey for guests. By the time the Covid pandemic hit, the integration of design thinking was becoming a defining element of The Guild's identity, setting them apart from competitors in the industry.

Select Works

Abby Milan

abigailmarguerite@gmail.com

Select Works

Abby Milan

abigailmarguerite@gmail.com

Select Works

Abby Milan

abigailmarguerite@gmail.com

Select Works

Abby Milan

abigailmarguerite@gmail.com

Select Works

Abby Milan

abigailmarguerite@gmail.com

I’m Abby, a Creative Consultant and Senior Designer helping good people achieve great design.

© 2015 - 2025 Abby Milan. All rights reserved.

Organized Design

I’m Abby, a Creative Consultant and Senior Designer helping good people achieve great design.

© 2015 - 2025 Abby Milan. All rights reserved.

Organized Design

I’m Abby, a Creative Consultant and Senior Designer helping good people achieve great design.

© 2015 - 2025 Abby Milan. All rights reserved.

Organized Design

I’m Abby, a Creative Consultant and Senior Designer helping good people achieve great design.

© 2015 - 2025 Abby Milan. All rights reserved.

Organized Design

I’m Abby, a Creative Consultant and Senior Designer helping good people achieve great design.

© 2015 - 2025 Abby Milan. All rights reserved.

Organized Design