The Caledonian has stood at the west end of Princes Street for over a century, and generations of Edinburgh locals know it simply as ‘The Caley.’
Previously part of the ultra-luxury Waldorf Astoria collection, the hotel needed to establish a distinctive identity of its own within Hilton’s Curio Collection.
Reintroducing one of Edinburgh’s best-known hotels meant striking a careful balance: creating a new position in the market without losing the place it already held in the city’s affections.
The Caledonian has always been a place that brings people closer: to the city, to each other or to its own history. So we built the brand around that idea: True Connection.
The new positioning reaches beyond the obvious selling points of grandeur and heritage towards something guests already feel every time they stay.
The identity brings that idea to life through a logo built from three connecting lines forming a circular “C”. Those same lines ripple out into a wider graphic pattern inspired by railway tracks, reinforcing the idea of connection at the heart of the brand.
The wordmark uses a customised version of Azo Sans, chosen because it echoes historic railway station signage — a quiet nod to the hotel’s origins as the Caledonian Station Hotel. A warm, grounded palette draws on both the hotel’s interiors and the Scottish landscape beyond.
That idea ran through every part of the relaunch, from guest experience to communications. It came to life publicly through A Place in the Heart, a campaign built on the belief that what guests remember isn’t the room number, but how the place made them feel.
Beyond the visual identity, we created the wider brand toolkit, guest experience and launch campaign, ensuring the positioning carried consistently across every touchpoint.
“We appointed David and the team at Red Brick Road after a competitive pitch process… I can highly recommend their work. From the start of the project with strategic planning, right the way through brand positioning and creative activations and PR, the team delivered across all aspects… supportive, structured and collaborative.”
Jacquelane Airnes
Commercial Director, Klarent Hospitality (a Henderson Park Capital business)