Le Cavalier, Dining Room.
The new brand ethos, “History Unscripted,” marries the prestigious hotel’s rich legacy and modern luxury.
WILMINGTON, DE – With business travel and events roaring back to life, Wilmington’s historic Hotel Du Pont, a PM Hotel Group property, is marking 110 years since its groundbreaking in 1911 with a new visual identity, refreshed brand and website relaunch to accompany several recent key hires across its events, catering, and guest services departments.
Philadelphia’s WFGD Studio worked closely with hotel leadership and PM Hotel Group to create a refreshed brand identity that conveys the hotel’s modern sensibility, luxe amenities and approachable style.
“Building on the existing brand, this refresh maintains the style and integrity of the iconic Wilmington landmark. The goal is to create a look that aligns with the forward-thinking HOTEL DU PONT, while honoring its legacy,” shares WFGD Studio partner, Jenny Yip.
The new design takes its cues from the details of the building, grandeur of the spaces, and the history of the hotel. The updated brand elements are bold yet elegant—to welcome longtime guests and attract new visitors alike. The balance of white space, a limited color palette and vintage-inspired typography help create a modern branding system for the luxury property. A collection of marks from the new visual suite have been thoughtfully incorporated throughout the guest experience, from leather coasters to new key card suites, menus and more to deliver a reimagined and engaging guest journey
Hotel Du Pont’s refreshed brand ethos, “History Unscripted,” leans into both the historic prestige of the luxury property as well as its innate ability to create lasting memories through remarkable hospitality and guest service.
“As we considered a new visual identity, refreshed brand identity and creative suite for the legendary property we wanted to capture Wilmington’s rich history and revitalized energy as well as the hotel’s personality and effortlessly-chic style. The HOTEL DU PONT is rooted in tradition but reimagined,” said Jennifer Diamond Haber, Senior Vice President of Communications and Branding for PM Hotel Group. “We sought to communicate this concept of historic meets modern and of-the-moment. Travel is at its best when guests experience truly unexpected moments and walk away with stories worth retelling.”
Hotel Du Pont Managing Director Greg Kavanagh adds, “It was time to be imaginative and find architectural and design references within the property to echo in our branding. We are custodians ultimately, and it made sense to look inward for inspiration.”
The refresh is the first holistic update in over 50 years and brings a fresh look to the property acquired by The Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG) in 2017. Other BPG projects include Deco food hall (2019), a re-imagining of the historic Green Room restaurants as Le Cavalier (Historic Hotels of America’s Best Historic Restaurant 2020), luxury apartment development 101 DuPont Place, and the construction of Chemours Inc.’s world headquarters. The storied Playhouse is also undergoing major renovations by Stokes Architecture of Philadelphia.
Built between 1911 and 1913 by master Italian and French craftspeople, the Gilded Age hotel has been the cultural, commercial, and hospitality center of Wilmington for over a century. More recently, Hotel Du Pont had the distinct honor of hosting many of President Joe Biden and the campaign in the same legendary venues that have hosted countless international leaders and luminaries over the past century. The hotel is ranked #1 in Delaware by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and U.S. News & World Report. Hotel Du Pont is a proud member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
