Case Study: Hotel Rebrand Signage
Sudima Hotels: One Rebrand, Three Hotels, One Team
In 2019 Sudima Hotels rolled out a new brand identity across its hotels in Rotorua, Christchurch and Auckland. Signbiz handled the hotel rebrand signage from end to end: over 1,000 signs, from illuminated building letters facing the Auckland motorway down to braille plaques beside every accessible toilet.”
The Project
Sudima Hotels Rebrand Project Overview
In 2019 Sudima Hotels rolled out a new brand identity across its hotels in Rotorua, Christchurch and Auckland. The identity was created by Ocean Design, timed with a period of major growth for the group. Sudima needed one signage company to take that identity and put it on three buildings in three cities, inside and out.
That job came to Signbiz. Being one company rather than a franchise network meant a single project manager ran all three sites, with our own installers and EWP certified crews in each city. We started with two days of surveys at each hotel, measuring every sign location before a single file went to design, so nothing got designed twice.
The scale ran from illuminated 3D building letters up to 4.5 metres wide, a new pylon for Auckland and refits of the Rotorua and Christchurch pylons, down to room numbers with UV cured braille and laser cut toilet icons. The common thread was colour. Sudima’s yellow, Pantone 130c, had to match across painted acrylic edges, cast vinyl, translucent lightbox vinyl, spray painted frames and road marking paint. Different materials take colour differently, and we matched them all, so the yellow on a braille plaque in Rotorua is the same yellow on the pylon in Auckland.
Signbiz managed the full delivery across all three hotels, with fabrication and installation completed in a little over three months:
Client
Sudima Hotels NZ
Sector
Hotels: Hospitality
location
Christchurch, Auckland, Rororua
Scope
Full interior and exterior signage system
Services
- Fabrication
- UV printing
- cut vinyl
- installation
Completed
2019
Signage Covered
- Building Site Hoardings
- Illuminated 3D building signs
- Pylons and plinths
- Interior wayfinding
- Room and facility signage with braille
- Evacuation and safety signage
- Vehicle branding
- EV charge stations
Signs Produced
1000+ items
the Brief
A Full Rebrand Rollout in Three Cities at Once
Sudima Hotels had a new brand identity, designed by Ocean Design. They needed one signage company to roll it out across three hotels in three cities, inside and out. Fabrication and installation took a little over three months. The scope covered:
- Six illuminated 3D building signs with opal acrylic faces and brushed aluminium returns, including a 4.5 metre wide sign facing the Auckland motorway
- A complete interior wayfinding system in printed cast acrylic, every edge hand painted to match Sudima’s Pantone 130c yellow
- Room, conference and facility signage, including direct printed UV cured braille and laser cut 3D toilet icons
- 643 evacuation signs across the three hotels
- Exterior work: a new pylon built for Auckland, the Rotorua and Christchurch pylons refitted in the new brand, plus entry plinths and car park signage
- Vehicle branding across the hotel fleet and a full rebrand of the EV charge stations, right down to the car park line marking
What We Delivered
Sign categories across the Entire building
Illuminated Building Signage
Six 3D illuminated letter sets across the three hotels, up to 4.5 metres wide. Opal rimless acrylic faces, brushed aluminium returns painted black, front lit with 12V LED and waterproof Meanwell power supplies.
Pylons and Plinths
A new 3.3 metre pylon fabricated for Auckland, the 4.8 metre Rotorua road pylon refitted, and the Christchurch pylon refabricated. Plus illuminated entry plinths, a 4.2 metre corner road plinth and car park plinths.
Interior Wayfinding
Over 55 printed acrylic wayfinders across the three hotels, plus oversized lift wayfinders and LED lightboxes. Every edge hand painted to match Pantone 130c, Sudima’s brand yellow.
Room & Facility Signage
53 room number signs with direct printed UV cured braille, 24 conference room signs, 36 staff signs, toilet wayfinding with braille plaques, and 26 laser cut 3D toilet icons in black acrylic.
Compliance & Safety Signage
643 evacuation signs installed across the three hotels, plus emergency exit signage, accessible car park signs and braille plaques meeting accessibility requirements throughout.
Vehicles & EV Signage
Six hotel vehicles branded in Avery Supreme cast vinyl, including one full wrap. EV charge stations stripped, repainted to Pantone 130c and rewrapped, with new line marking for the EV car parks.
Sign Volumes
| Sign Type | Rotorua | Christchurch | Auckland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evacuation Signs | 246 | 244 | 153 |
| Interior Wayfinding27 | 27 | 24 | 7 |
| Conference Room Signs | 6 | 10 | 8 |
| Room Numbers with Braille | 53 | – | – |
| 3D Toilet Icons | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Illuminated 3D Building Signs | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Pylons | 1 refitted | 1 refabricated | 1 new build |
| Vehicles Branded | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Gallery
The Project in Pictures
Our Approach
One Project Manager, Three Live Hotel Sites
We started with two days of surveys at each hotel, measuring every location before a single file went to design. Three hotels in three cities meant one set of brand rules applied to hundreds of different situations, and the surveys meant nothing got designed twice.
The hardest part of any rebrand is colour consistency. Sudima’s yellow, Pantone 130c, had to match across painted acrylic edges, cast vinyl, translucent lightbox vinyl, spray painted plinth frames and road marking paint. Different materials take colour differently. We matched them all so the yellow on a braille plaque in Rotorua is the same yellow on the pylon in Auckland.
Ocean Design created the brand identity. Our job was to make it physical and make it last: choosing the right materials for each location, from 10mm cast acrylic wayfinders to LED lit building letters rated for Auckland weather. Because Signbiz is one company, not a franchise, the same project manager ran all three sites, with our own installers, scaffolding and EWP certified crews in each city.
the Result
A Rebrand That Turned Into A Partnership
All three hotels were rebranded in 2019, with fabrication and installation completed in a little over three months. But the work didn’t stop at handover. Signbiz still looks after Sudima’s signage today, maintaining and updating it across their sites as the group has grown. When something new turns up, we brand that too. The latest arrivals: Sudima’s room service delivery robots, which now do their rounds in a full Signbiz wrap.
Why Choose Signbiz?
What sets us apart.
In addition to premium signage, and great service, Signbiz is pleased to offer its ‘Workmanship Guarantee’ to give customers additional confidence in every project delivered.
As the saying goes, You get what you pay for.
