Crossroads Hotel
Where Kansas City Comes Together
This is the intersection of times past and those to come.
CHALLENGE
Most hospitality brands say they offer local experiences. Aparium Hotel Group actually backs it up. Each Aparium hotel is a brand in and of itself that reflects the culture and history of the city surrounding it. Aparium tapped local architect El Dorado to renovate the Pabst and Pendergast buildings in the Crossroads district of Kansas City. Native was selected to lead naming, brand identity and collateral design.
SOLUTION
We started with positioning in the market and aligning a personality that would carry through both the brand identity and the hotel experience. Our team dug deep into the historical archives to uncover layers upon layers of stories connected to both buildings.
A reflection of its neighborhood, Crossroads Hotel is a place where ideas collide and Kansas City comes together. The logotype is inspired primarily by early 1900’s typography with subtle modern touches.
LAZIA RESTAURANT
The dinner-only restaurant offers a modern spin on Italian. It’s namesake is Johnny Lazia, a key player in the Pendergast machine. Though not easy to find, we were able to uncover documents signed by Lazia himself to draw inspiration from in the logo mark.
PERCHERON ROOFTOP BAR
We discovered that while Budweiser was popularizing the Clydesdale horse, Pabst had their own distinct breed: the Percheron. In the early 1900’s Pabst was known to do a flash mob of up to 20 horse drawn wagons loaded with beer from the depot as a marketing stunt
Atop the former Pabst Depot is Percheron, a lively rooftop beer garden designed to maximize city-sweeping views.
XR CAFE
As the connection point between both buildings, the cafe required a more abbreviated name that reflected the hotel rather than a distinct identity. XR is at the intersection of the Crossroads. Frequented by locals just as much as guests, it serves as a hub to meet up and settle in.
For more information, visit Crossroads Hotel – At the intersection of times past and those yet to come.
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Justin Watkins
CEO — Founder jwatkins@nativedigital.com