Beardwood has unveiled a comprehensive brand evolution for Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts, following its integration into Hyatt‘s all inclusive collection. Tasked with differentiating Bahia Principe within a portfolio of nine distinct all-inclusive brands, Beardwood spearheaded a strategic transformation spanning brand architecture, naming, and visual identity.
For over 30 years, Bahia Principe has delivered experiences across Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean. However, in a crowded luxury landscape, relying solely on traditional “fun in the sun” positioning was no longer enough. The brand required a nuanced, differentiated identity that would resonate across international markets and diverse guest demographics.
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Beardwood began by streamlining the brand’s architecture, consolidating four complex sub-brands into two tiers: Explore and Escape. Designed to cross linguistic and cultural borders, the names define the guest’s emotional journey. Explore caters to families and groups seeking discovery and togetherness, while Escape offers adults a sophisticated sanctuary focused on restoration and freedom. “Instead of using sub-brands to signal the level of premiumness, we catered to the key drivers of the category. Explore and Escape send clear signals about who you’re traveling with, and what you’ll get at each resort within that brand,” said Courtney Berkery, Head of Strategy at Beardwood.
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At the core of the new identity is the strategic positioning, “Free to Be,” an idea rooted in the freedom guests feel while on vacation. Visually, this concept comes to life through the horizon line, which serves as the core visual anchor of the new identity system. Beardwood evolved Bahia Principe’s legacy sun mark by connecting it to this infinite horizon, creating “an open, expansive brand world.”
“Bahia Principe already owned the sun. Our job was to elevate its presence with richer meaning,” said Beardwood Creative Director Esther Li. “We set out to rebuild a system that felt flexible, fully differentiated from Hyatt’s existing brands, and unmistakably Bahia Principe.”
Thematically, the horizon invites guests to experience and explore the magic of Bahia Principe through new wonders around every corner. The horizon also plays a key role as a new distinctive brand asset and framing device – it’s now woven through the guest experience and brought to life through juxtapositions of imagery, color fields, and photographic compositions, creating a focal point form the sun icon, expressive storytelling, and headlines.
Beardwood reports that the refresh has already demonstrated market resonance. During consumer testing in the US market, the concept earned a 9.0 out of 10 average rating, with 97% of respondents stating they would definitely or probably visit a Bahia Principe resort.
The updated brand identity is currently rolling out across Bahia Principe’s global properties and digital touchpoints.
