●●Boudreau Studio
Iconic branding systems designed for growth.
   
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 🏨 Hotel Willo

Hotel Willo is a boutique hotel in the heart of Vancouver—frequently acclaimed as Vancouver’s smartest stay. More than just an affordable and welcoming escape, every booking directly funds YWCA BC programs. Their former identity, “YWCA Hotel”, carried strong associations with the YWCA’s broader community and social services, which led people to assume the property was a shelter or women’s residence. This also overshadowed the real win here: the chance to enjoy a quality hotel while supporting a broader social mission.

We started by renaming the brand to Hotel Willo; inspired by a native Vancouver tree known for its charm and shelter. For the logo, we embraced the willow tree’s iconic silhouette with balanced looping strokes. We then built a design system featuring welcoming typography, joyful iconography, vibrant colours, and a cheery photography style, proving that staying at a social–enterprise hotel is worth celebrating.

Made at Rethink
Brand Design, Web Design, Photography
2026

CREDITS ● Partner, Group Creative Director, Design, Alex Bakker ● Creative Directors, Pamela Rounis, Morgan Tierney ● Associate Design Director, Zoë Boudreau ● Designers, Val Sheymardanova, Esabelle Chen ● Associate Creative Director, Hannah Au ● Sr. Motion Designer, Jesse Shaw ● Head of Strategy, Elyse Sander ● Strategy Director, Meg Siegel ● Strategy Analyst, Ana Sanchez ● Group Account Director, Kennedy Crawford ● Account Manager, Mika Labreque ● Clients, Vice President, Communications & Advocacy, Amy Juschka ● Vice President, Social Entrepreneurship, Janet Burgess ● General Manager, Hotel Willo, Barbara Lane ● Sales Manager, Hotel Willo, Puspa Affandi ● Associate Director, Marketing Communications, Marina Arnaud ● Senior Marketing and Communications Strategist, Heiky Kwan ● Marketing Communications Specialist, Hotel Willo, Laura Duong ● Photographer, Brad Kasselman