Lisbon-based brand designer Nicoleta Costin shapes the rebrand of MStay into NOX Hotels at Creative Clinic, building a nocturnal visual identity from a single anchoring idea that has remained consistent and scalable across multiple London locations since 2021.
The brief arrived at a particular moment: 2021, the hospitality sector emerging from the disruption of COVID-19, needing to rebuild trust and relevance from the ground up. MStay, a London-based boutique hotel group, had the footprint but lacked the identity. Nicoleta Costin, working at Creative Clinic, had the opportunity to start from a real idea rather than a visual fix.
The name came first. NOX, drawn from the Roman goddess of the night, gave the brand an evocative and specific foundation to build from. The core brand idea followed: Stay the night, seize the day, framing the hotel stay as a purposeful pause between movement and rest. That single line became the anchor for the entire system, shaping tone of voice and visual language in equal measure. “A single idea, applied consistently, is what gives the brand its strength,” Costin says.
The visual system built from there. A rich, nocturnal palette, a chiselled typographic approach, and a distinctive slanted cut graphic device created a structure that is recognisable without being rigid. The brand was designed to unfold across both atmosphere and fine detail: signage, digital platforms and the smaller, more personal moments within the guest experience. Since its 2021 launch the system has continued to evolve, most recently in a campaign feature for Eurostar’s onboard magazine. Its longevity is the measure of how well it was built.
Nicoleta Costin is a Lisbon-based brand designer and creative working in hospitality and beyond, using simple, intentional ideas to shape tone, experience and visual systems built for the long term.
Website: nicoletacostin.com Instagram: @nico.dsgn
NOX Hotels rebrand, 2021 to present. Creative Clinic. Photography: TAG Visual Media.
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