These guidelines exist to ensure every expression of our brand, from a social caption to a printed brochure, feels unmistakably S&S. Refined, considered, and built for vacation rental hosts and boutique hotels who take their business seriously.
Version 1.0, June 2026
01Logo System
Our mark.
The S&S logomark is built on a star form, a symbol of navigation, excellence, and night skies over great properties. It should never feel small or rushed. Give it room to breathe.
Our mark, our lockups.
The S&S logo system has three forms: the horizontal lockup, the vertical lockup, and the standalone star mark. The horizontal lockup is the primary form and should be used wherever space allows.
Maintain clear space equal to the height of the star mark on all sides
Use only approved color combinations (ink, white, or gold)
Use the star mark alone only when the full logo has been established nearby
Scale proportionally, never stretch or condense
Don't
Never place the logo on busy photographic backgrounds without a clear field
Never apply effects, no drop shadows, gradients, or outlines
Never use unapproved colors or apply opacity to the logo
Never rotate or distort the logomark
Never recreate the logo in another typeface or software
02Color Palette
Warm, earned, enduring.
Our palette draws from natural materials, aged linen, worn stone, patinated brass. Every color is deliberate. Avoid introducing colors outside this system.
Ink
#1a1a1a
Primary, text, backgrounds, UI
White Sand
#f5f5f5
Primary, page backgrounds
Gold
#b5ae9f
Accent, star mark, highlights
Muted
#6d6d6c
Secondary, body copy, labels
Border
#d8d4ce
Tertiary, dividers, borders
Primary pairing
White on Ink
The foundation of all S&S communications. High contrast, high legibility, timeless.
Accent pairing
Gold on White Sand
Used sparingly for emphasis, calls to action, and the star mark. Never overused.
03Typography
Two voices, one system.
Clash Grotesk handles structure, precise, modern, controlled. Instrument Serif handles emotion, warm, literary, unhurried. Together they create the S&S tension: rigorous but deeply human.
Display, Instrument SerifGoogle Fonts · Italic and Regular
The world's most exceptional stays.
Used for headlines, pull quotes, hero statements, and anywhere the brand needs to feel warm and considered.
Used for navigation, labels, body copy, data, and UI elements. Weights 400–600 for body, 700 for emphasis only.
Display
Headline
Title
Section Title
Subheading
Card Title or Callout
Body
Body copy for paragraphs and descriptions. Always Clash Grotesk at weight 400.
Label
CATEGORY LABEL
Caption
Image captions, footnotes, and secondary metadata.
04Voice & Tone
How we speak.
S&S speaks with the clarity of an agency that knows its lane. We are direct booking forward, which means every message we put out reflects that focus: practical, confident, and built around outcomes that matter to hosts.
Confident, not boastful
We don't oversell. We let the quality of what we represent speak for itself. Superlatives are earned, not assumed.
"Properties that consistently outperform their markets, because the details were never overlooked."
Warm, not casual
We're approachable and human, but we don't use slang, contractions in formal contexts, or empty enthusiasm.
"We'd be glad to walk you through the reporting, it's designed to give you exactly what you need, without the noise."
Precise, not clinical
Numbers and data matter, but they should always be in service of a story. Context turns statistics into insight.
"Direct bookings were up 14% this week, which means less commission paid out and stronger guest relationships built."
Aspirational, not exclusive
We celebrate exceptional properties without being dismissive of those on the journey toward that standard.
"Every property in our portfolio is at a different point in its growth, our job is to help each one reach its potential."
S&S photography communicates a particular kind of stillness, the hour before guests arrive, the view from the terrace at dusk. It is never performative, always earned.
Natural light, always
Avoid flash and artificial studio lighting. Golden hour and soft overcast conditions are ideal. The light should feel like it belongs to the space.
Negative space
Leave room. S&S images breathe. A terrace with an uncluttered view says more than one filled with props. Let architecture and landscape do the work.
Warm, muted tones
Edit toward warmth and restraint. Linen whites, stone greys, and amber highlights. Avoid heavy saturation, cool filters, or high-contrast HDR treatments.
Authentic moments
Where lifestyle imagery is used, it should feel unstaged. A guest reading on a terrace, not posing with a champagne flute at camera.
Architectural honesty
Show the property as it is. Straighten lens distortion but never digitally alter structures or remove contextual elements that define the character of the place.
Seasonal integrity
Don't show a property in summer on a ski resort listing. Match imagery to the season guests are booking. Authenticity builds trust.
Preferred direction
The terrace at duskNatural last light. Warm stone. A single chair. No people. The composition suggests a life lived well, without showing it explicitly. The property becomes aspirational through restraint.
What to avoid
The stock photo shootOverly styled. Limit use of models. Models when used should feel more candid versus posed. HDR pool photography.
06Core Messaging
What we say.
These are the foundational statements that define what S&S stands for. They can be adapted for context but should not be contradicted.
Brand Positioning
S&S Hospitality Group is a direct booking forward agency for vacation rental hosts and boutique hotels across domestic and international markets.
Direct bookings. Done properly.
Your property. Fully represented.
Revenue that belongs to you.
Marketing built for exceptional properties.
For property owners
Whether you manage a single vacation rental or a boutique hotel, S&S builds the direct booking engine that reduces your dependence on OTAs and puts more revenue in your hands.
For OTA-dependent clients
Every booking through an OTA is a commission paid. S&S shifts that balance so more of what guests pay goes directly to you.
For new partners
We work with vacation rental hosts and boutique hotels across domestic and international markets. Our focus is direct bookings, not just visibility.
07Do's & Don'ts
The full picture.
A quick reference for anyone creating work in or for the S&S brand. When in doubt, ask, not after.
Always
Use the approved fonts: Clash Grotesk and Instrument Serif only
Keep the palette within the approved color system
Give the logo clear space, never crowd it
Write in sentence case for body copy; title case for proper nouns only
Proofread all copy before sharing with partners or publishing
Use natural photography that reflects the property honestly
Attribute data to its source when used in materials
Seek approval for any co-branded materials before distribution
Maintain a consistent tone: calm, assured, expert
Never
Use third-party fonts or substitute approved typefaces
Place the logo on a cluttered or low-contrast background
Use the word "luxury" as a descriptor: it's a default, not a distinction
Create unapproved color variations of the logo
Use stock photography that could appear in any hotel's marketing
Publish claims about competitor products or services
Use exclamation marks in formal or brand communications
Apply gradients, shadows, or effects to the logo
Share client data, revenue figures, or portfolio details externally
Questions about the guidelines?
Before creating any materials that carry the S&S name, reach out. We'd rather advise upfront than correct after the fact.
