Soaring to New Heights
Santa Barbara Canary-Style
When the Edward Thomas Collection purchased their third luxury hotel they set their sights on creating a destination that was fun, fashionable, and would provide a unique high-end experience different from the resort destinations for which Santa Barbara was so well known. ETC Hotels turned to With a Net with the question we love most… “tell us what this hotel should be.” This was music to our ears as we helped them imagine a hotel with a vivid brand identity complete with playful guest amenities and services. With a Net also consulted on pricing, yield management strategies and positioning that would allow the hotel to find its place in the Santa Barbara hotel market and feel right at home within the community.
A Canary’s Eye View
Delving into the area’s Spanish heritage, local inspirations, and our multi-dimensional knowledge of luxury hospitality, we convinced the ETC team to christen this new gem ‘Canary’ — an English word with a rich Spanish heritage. Canary, of course, holds many meanings: a bird, a color, a rare diamond, the islands off the coast of Spain… to name a few.
With a Net and ETC Hotels envisioned a vibrant, beautiful property imbued with playfulness, celebrating Spanish design, art, regional wine and laid-back coastal luxury with warm, “We can at Canary” service — which became the staff mantra.
The name Canary, most importantly, fulfilled the owners’ very first request: it was definitely going to be fun.
Wellness and Wonder
An exotic oasis located steps from State Street shopping, with native sounds and plants from the Canary Islands greeting you upon arrival as you entered the porte cochere, Canary offered a true multi-sensory guest experience.
On the wellness front, we partnered with a local spa and fitness facility for in-room spa treatments and local gym access. Next, we dreamed up the Good to Be Bad Mini Bar — a selection of health conscious yet great-tasting impulse-buy indulgences. Every room had a bright yellow yoga Gaiam yoga mat and in room yoga classes on demand on the TV.
In addition, there were binoculars, a Santa Barbara bird watching guide, and a downloadable Red Tile Walking Tour and map of the local architectural landmarks. These were just some of the touch points that awaited Canary’s first customers.
What’s in a Name
For a name like Canary we needed an elegant yet whimsical icon, one that would say fun, but would also convey the hotel’s luxury stature. Set on Canary, we collaborated with several graphic designers. Ultimately it was David Carter Designs whose interpretation of the bird felt as though it had been drawn by the prolific Spanish artist Joan Miro — it was literally ‘spot’ on.
We christened the hotel’s rooftop The Perch and developed programming to attract locals there for cocktails and stunning sunsets. Even today The Perch remains a premier gathering spot for locals, visitors and events.
(In a rare move, Canary’s current owner, Kimpton Hotels chose to keep Canary’s identity instead of re-branding, in a nod to its one-of-a-kind look and feel, and its playful DNA.)
Bird Dogs
The APPA (American Pet Products Association) reports that between 25% and 35% of people travel with their pets (primarily dogs), so Club Canario was born. The Canary Islands were actually named for the wild dogs, the Presa Canario, that inhabited them, not the birds. A robust pet program was the perfect fit for this pet-friendly destination. Inducted to the Club upon arrival, each four-legged guest was gifted an etched dog tag with their name, a J. Crew dog bed, walking services, special treats, and more — giving Canary guests even more to tweet about.
Fine Print
The hotel’s in-house collateral carried on the playful and elevated theme while being easy to read and concise. From the room service menu and ‘do not disturb sign’ to the tag on the yoga mat in the room, every guest touch point stayed true to the story and the lively spirit of the staff. In addition to guest touch points, With a Net created credo cards for the staff that they carried with them to remind them of the “We Can at Canary” service ethic. While Santa Barbara has no shortage of beautiful hotels and resorts, we can proudly say that we hatched the first really fun luxury hotel on the American Riviera.
“With a Net’s approach to the opening of Canary Santa Barbara and to all of etc hotels projects is always creative, thoughtful and cognizant of budgets. That said, they have been known to push us beyond our comfort zone, which we welcome as we are committed to keeping our properties top of mind, authentic and relevant.”
— Tim Dubois, Ciervo Advisors/Former President of ETC Hotels