Redesigning the Hotel Experience of the Modern Day Religious

Following the boom in KSA's religious tourism, Blue Hat was approached by AMAC INVEST to redesign its Medina City hotel to provide a differentiated service and brand identity for the modern-day religious tourist. After conducting a Spacial & Experience Audit and Ethnographic Research on the target audience and the city, Blue Hat launched the rebrand. The hotel was conceptualized as an immersive space reflecting Medina's vibes, celebrating Islamic art and local culture through unique touchpoints. The strategy direction was to reflect the outside vibes of the city inside the hotel.

Moment #1. “The Arrival: Discovering A Hidden Gem in Medina”
Blue Hat examined the guest journey from the moment they first thought of the service and until they checkout, redesigning key moments to add delight along the way, such as: Welcoming guests upon check-in with local delicacies to echo Saudi hospitality, and placing a monumental map at the lobby highlighting the city's main attractions.

Moment #2. “The Stay: Capturing the Medina Spirit”
Hotel floors were redesigned so that each floor includes a remarkable installation inspired by one of the landmarks in Medina to raise awareness to it and create “Instagrammable Moments” for visitors when checking into their rooms. Each floor had a museum-like display with QR codes for interactivity to learn about the landmark and its location.The hotel cafe included local gastronomy options in its menu, and featured a large artistic timeline visualizing the Prophet's journey to Medina. Both additions at the cafe provided an engaging way for guests to unlock the historical significance of the area and its rich culture.

Moment #3. “The Check-Out: Don’t Leave Empty Handed! “
The accommodation layouts were designed to mix functionality and aesthetics, taking into account the needs of different religious traveler personas. To ensure a memorable trip, the last touchpoint included a concept store that sells items suitable for gifting made exclusively by local artisans.

Blue Hat used design thinking to infuse the hotel with authentic, artistic elements and revamped the service to add value to its guests, differentiate from competitors and place it on the innovation track.