Pantone Hotel Branding & Licensing

Pantone Expands From Color Services to Hotels (With Rooms to Dye For) 

Pantone has been aggressively pursuing a new line of business: Product licensing, which culminates today in a new Pantone Hotel.in Brussels.

Every designer knows Pantone: Their numbered color-matching system identifies that exactly perfect shade precisely, ensuring its fidelity all the way to production. Yet even though it's a $200 million business, it's hardly a household name. They're hoping to change that with consumer products--and today, their latest licensing venture, the Pantone Hotel, opened its doors in Brussels, just off the chic Avenue Louise.

"We’re looking to exude a quiet authority, be more of an insider’s brand,” says Lisa Herbert, EVP of Pantone’s home and fashion division (and daughter of Lawrence Herbert, who created the firm’s core matching system in 1963). “If you have something Pantone, you’re in the know in terms of design."

The hotel is, for now, the company's big, branding mothership. Designed by Belgian interior designer Michel Penneman and Belgian architect Olivier Hannaert, each of the hotel's 59 rooms, which range from $84 to $184 a night, is inspired by different Pantone color palettes. On-site Pantone Color consultants are apparently available for "color consultations and educational seminars on color psychology and trends." And inside, you can buy any of the myriad products the company has co-created: The "Pantone Universe," which includes mugs, bath and body goods, clothes, cufflinks, keychains, stationery, bags, and folding chairs.

Those products take their cues from Pantone’s style guide, which dictates iconic touchstones such as hang-tags shaped like Pantone chips or chip-windows that stick to garments.

Follow the link for the full story - Pantone design, branding & licensing services for Hotels