01
Reveal
We begin with the property, its landscape and the people it hopes to welcome. Through discovery, market reading and on-site immersion, we identify the idea already present in the project, then define a position that belongs nowhere else.
Palm Springs · California
Hospitality Studio Palm Springs
International hotel branding and concept design for independent properties shaped by desert light, modernist clarity and a strong sense of place.
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Why Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a hospitality market shaped by a singular midcentury architectural legacy, seasonal rhythms and design-literate travelers. Across Greater Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, guests recognize thoughtful details quickly and expect a boutique hotel to offer more than a beautiful pool.
The opportunity is not to reproduce desert modernism as nostalgia. It is to understand its principles, clarity, proportion, indoor-outdoor life and optimism, then build a contemporary brand with its own reason to exist. The strongest properties feel rooted here without becoming another version of what already exists.
The LOBBY Method
02
Compose
We turn that position into a complete brand world: name, story, identity, voice, imagery and material cues. Every choice responds to the place and its audience, creating a clear system that owners, operators and collaborators can use.
03
Activate
We carry the brand into guest experience, signage, collateral, digital touchpoints and launch. Working alongside architects, operators and local makers, we protect the central idea through production so the property opens with clarity, character and lasting relevance.
Services
Hotel Brand Identity
Positioning, naming, visual identity, voice and a practical system that holds together from booking to check-out.
F&B Concept & Narrative
Restaurant and bar concepts grounded in place, from the founding story and name to menus, rituals and guest experience.
Art Direction
A coherent visual world across photography, typography, materials, campaign direction and every expression of the property.
Scenography & Activation
Signage, objects, opening moments and cultural programming that give the brand a physical life beyond the identity system.
Selected Work
Hotel Humano
A salt-air refuge in Puerto Escondido where surfing, well-being and human connection share one rhythm.
Casa Agostina
A Milanese house imagined as an artist residence, with a brand shaped by domestic life and the city outside.
The Surfrider Malibu
A storied Pacific Coast address recast as an intimate, sun-washed hotel for a new generation of travelers.
Working Across Time Zones
Distance brings useful perspective. We run focused remote discovery with owners and operators, then travel for the moments that need physical presence: site immersion, concept alignment, production reviews and opening.
A clear decision rhythm keeps work moving between California and Europe, while trusted local architects, fabricators, photographers and production partners make execution precise. International thinking and local knowledge meet in one working process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does hotel branding cost?
Most complete hotel branding engagements range from $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the number of concepts involved, the depth of strategy, the identity system and the amount of launch support. We define a precise scope after an initial conversation.
Do you work with properties outside Palm Springs?
Yes. We work throughout Greater Palm Springs, California and internationally. Our portfolio includes projects across the United States, Mexico and Europe, from independent openings to established hospitality groups.
How long does a project take?
A focused identity usually takes three to six months. A concept-to-opening partnership often runs for six to eighteen months, following the property, construction and operational calendar.
Do you handle interior design?
We define the concept, narrative, visual language and guest experience, then collaborate closely with the appointed architect and interior designer. Our role is to give every spatial decision a shared strategic and creative foundation.
Are you based in California?
LOBBY Studio is based in Paris and works internationally, with an active focus on Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. We combine remote working sessions with purposeful on-site milestones and trusted local production partners.
New projects · California and beyond
Start a Conversation
Tell us about the property, the place and what you want guests to remember.
contact@ciao-lobby.comStart a conversation
You will be taken to the main contact form on the homepage. We usually reply within two business days.