From Milos With Texture and Type — Branding ANAIS

There's something about Euro summer that feels eternal. The kind of season you dream of while staring blankly at your inbox mid-April. For us, Greece is more than just a seasonal destination. It holds a special kind of resonance. Crete was the first island we chose to call home when COVID hit Singapore, and we were clawing at the walls for a way out of lockdown. We booked a one-way ticket, without knowing when we'd come back. We didn't know how to get Greek clients, how to run a design studio remotely, or if it would all fall apart.

But somehow, it worked. And five years later, we still return to Greece every other year, adding a new island to the memory map each time.

Last year, that island was Milos.

Now, this isn't meant to be a travel post (though trust me, the 500 photos we took say otherwise), so I'll keep it short: we stayed at ANAIS Milos Suites, a charming, family-run boutique hotel perched right by the port. Think whitewashed walls, bamboo pergolas, serene morning runs along the beach, and the freshest breakfast spreads. It was a dream.

Except for one thing The branding.

Despite being a thoughtfully designed property with boutique charm and quiet luxury, its visual identity felt dated. It was too approachable for a hotel that naturally exuded class and restraint. That disconnect sparked the idea: what if we reimagined ANAIS to become the brand it always had the potential to be?

Drawing from the Cyclades

ANAIS is a collection of 12 suites nestled in the soul of Milos. Its brand needed to feel like a modern, soulful escape for the curious and the quiet-hearted. We wanted to create a brand identity that was elevated, but not aloof. Something that mirrored the natural elegance of the Cyclades. Our approach was to build an identity system that embodied coastal sophistication: contemporary, warm, and organic.

Crafting the Logo

The logotype for ANAIS began as a sketch. Hand-drawn to reflect a human, imperfect touch. In our travels through the Greek islands, we noticed how hand-crafted signage and logos gave places a personality.

We explored a range of letterforms, testing uppercase vs. lowercase, experimenting with the balance of roughness vs. refinement. Ultimately, the lowercase "anais" felt just right with the distinctive double-storey 'a' and filled-in counters giving it a quietly playful edge. A raw elegance. One that doesn't try too hard, but still stands out.

Typeface Meets Tactility

Since heavy stylistic direction was taken for the logotype, this needed to be complemented with a secondary typeface that was simpler and easy to read, especially on physical collaterals.

We opted for the classic 'Helvetica Neue' grotesk font, a universal sans serif that distinguishes whilst exuding an editorial outlook. We also extracted some custom phrases such as 'MILOS SUITES', with a similar brush stroke effect to draw visual semblance to the custom logotype.

The occasional addition of such effects renders a human-centric quality to the brand, showcasing that the brand's quiet sophistication is sometimes also interspersed with moments of play and an element of not taking oneself too seriously all the time. Something that we observed was fundamental to Greek culture.

Sun-Soaked Shades with Stories to Match

While Greece is often characterised by its shades of whites and blues, we wanted a more nuanced approach to ANAIS. We drew inspiration from the property itself: its textures, materials, and natural surroundings. This meant a warm, sun-drenched palette.

Of course, we could not resist a little naming exercise. Rather than naming all the colours according to their immediate nomenclature (eg. blue, brown, black etc.), we decided that each would take on a character of their own. Blue was aegean, shades of brown were espresso, almond and crema, and black was ebony. All of this in the name of brand world building, creating an identity so believable that one day it (hopefully) manifests into existence.

System, Not Just Style

Branding isn't just a logo, it's the system that holds everything together.

We developed a grid-based system for layouts. Then we contrasted it with hand-drawn, cut-out graphics in the same visual language as the logo. That push and pull between order and expression is what made the brand feel alive.

The initials A, M, and S played a key role too. These cropped, oversized letters became framing devices in signage, menus, and collateral - sophisticated markers that were subtle, yet unmistakably ANAIS.

We took inspiration from brands we love: The Modernist, Scorpios, and Ergon House, brands that understand the power of restraint, layout, and texture. That spirit carried into everything we made.

The Visual World

More than a hotel, ANAIS captures a feeling. So, we built a visual system to reflect that.

We leaned into close-up imagery: fruit bowls kissed by morning light, towels draped over sunbeds, afternoon shadows dancing across stone walls. Less about showing everything, and more about evoking something. Atmosphere. Anticipation.

We wanted guests to feel something before they even arrived.

Hospitality Touchpoints

Once the brand was defined, it was time to bring it to life.

We designed a suite of hospitality materials: door hangers, notebook inserts, business cards, signage. Everything was made to feel tactile, intentional, and calm. A quiet kind of luxury.

We even explored digital extensions. Social graphics and a booking landing page to hint at how the ANAIS experience could unfold online.

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Branding a hotel is always an exercise in storytelling. In the case of ANAIS, the story already existed. Our job was to simply help it find its voice. A voice that's quietly confident, rooted in place, and ready to be discovered by travellers who crave a little more soul with their summer. If you're building a hospitality brand, or rethinking one, we'd love to help.