CANVAS Hotel
Brand Development • Creative • Public Relations • Social Media • Website Development
An on-trend boutique hotel property in the vibrant Cedars District of Dallas, a 76-room was transitioning from a chain to an independent property, Braintrust was engaged to develop a new name, brand, and then bring the brand to life with a robust marketing campaign. The result was the art-inspired CANVAS Dallas Hotel.
Transform and Connect
Located in a unique and resurgent section of Dallas that was bustling with cafes, art galleries, and indie boutiques, the hotel featured an industrial chic décor with exposed brick and loft-inspired rooms. This combination allowed us to create a brand that was inviting, authentic, with just a hint of wit and whimsy.
Develop a strong brand foundation
CANVAS Hotel Dallas represents free spirited, creative types, young or young at heart, and is a property that fosters an authentically Dallas experience for travelers especially through its utilization of art, food, music and fashion. From this perspective, we developed five core brand pillars for the brand:
Authentic: We represent Dallas and we’re proud of that.
Visual: We offer a place worth seeing — and being seen.
Social: We treat our guests like old friends, gathering for a good time.
Artistic: We create experiences for creators and encourage creation from all our visitors.
Progressive: We aspire to inspire by expressing ourselves first; we lead by example.
Color Outside the Lines
We travel to create experiences. CANVAS Hotel offers guests the ideal location to create a Dallas experience of their own. Because the best way to enjoy Dallas is to get out and live it. CANVAS Hotel is a home base for wayward trendsetters, an inspirational hub for relentless artisans, and a creative destination for locals to unwind and relax during the week (and especially on the weekends). CANVAS Hotel offers an authentic-yet-unconventional Lone Star State adventure. And, nobody’s adventure is going to be the same — we’re a blank slate for everyone to create their own experience.
Social Media Following
Between February 1 and March 31
47
%Facebook impressions.
65
%Facebook engagement.
14
%Instagram profile clicks.
58
%Instagram followers.
35
%Instagram engagement.
Public Relations
Within months of launching the hotel, Braintrust HAD secured more than 50 pieces of coverage across travel, food and beverage, meetings and conventions, and lifestyle outlets, achieving the objectives to create buzz about the hotel in local, regional and national media including:
- VOGUE Australia
- USA Today
- PaperCity Magazine
- D Magazine
- Dallas Observer
- Among others
While most media outreach focused on the hotel’s stunning rooftop and art galleries, Braintrust worked with the CANVAS team to create elements that would create buzz on social media and traditional media outlets through creative and on-brand partnerships that provide authentic and unique experiences:
Dallas property shows off overhaul
Formerly known as NYLO Dallas South Side, CANVAS Hotel Dallas has opened after a top-to-bottom renovation with loft-like rooms, a new rooftop lounge and pool, a lobby restaurant, and redesigned meeting and event spaces.
Created and managed by INTRIGUE Hotels & Resorts, the CANVAS hotel emphasizes art and design.
“CANVAS is nestled in an eclectic neighborhood undergoing a renaissance in terms of culture, shopping, food, art, and music,” says Jack Matthews, president of Matthews Southwest, lead developer and co-owner of the property.
Canvas a Hotel That Dallasites Hang At
On Jan. 1, NYLO Dallas South Side officially became Canvas, bringing The Cedars a new arty, upmarket boutique hotel owned by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a third-party hotel management company. The hotel celebrated its grand opening last Thursday.
Chef Jeana Johnson has a serious Dallas food resume that includes stints at Mot Hai Ba, Ciudad, the Mockingbird Diner and Good 2 Go Taco, which she owned in East Dallas. Bar manager Leann Berry has a resume too long to list, including stints at Komali, the Cedars Social and Ciudad, where she worked with Johnson. The duo have reunited to run the food and beverage program for a hotel that’s trying to change its image in Dallas.
Where to Find the Best Dallas Pools
The bar is a little cooler, and more lounge-y than it once was, and that’s a new menu too. The deck has great views of Downtown Dallas from the Cedars, but it doesn’t get as crowded as spots like Waterproof or The Adolphus. The hotel hosts yoga classes and pool parties periodically, but you can always stop by for a sip and a dip.
Setting the Culinary Mood at CANVAS Hotel Dallas
Feeling flirty, cheerful, mellow, energetic or bold? There’s a F&B option-the Mood Menu at the art-centric restaurant and rooftop at CANVAS Hotel Dallas. The paired dishes and drinks provide options based on one’s current mood, and they are cleverly displayed on color swatch palettes.
Facials and Flow
Braintrust secured a partnership with up and coming, urban face mask company Graffiti Collective. As a brand centered around art, the partnership was an ideal fit for the hotel. Braintrust secured representatives from Graffiti Collective at the grand opening of the hotel, brought them on as an in-room amenity, and launched summer rooftop yoga and express facial treatments called “Facials and Flow” which garnered significant press, while the available in-room amenities created a tertiary revenue stream for the property.
Mood Menu
In order to enhance the creative experience at CANVAS Hotel, Braintrust developed a brand-new service for both The Gallery Rooftop and Chef’s Palette for ordering according to the guests’ mood. Cleverly paired dishes and drinks, displayed on color swatch palettes, provide enticing options based on different moods, from flirty to mellow or bold. Braintrust secured initial coverage in meeting and event outlets, establishing CANVAS on the cutting edge of custom culinary experiences and earning media coverage by consumer and trade media alike, including Meetings & Incentives Magazine and Recommend.
Adult Juice Boxes
To garner buzz around CANVAS’ rooftop for the summer, Braintrust worked with CANVAS to develop an adult “Juice Box”, branded with the hotel’s signature design and filled with frozen cocktails. Launched just in time for summer pool season, the item was the perfect poolside drink to garner extra social media and media attention during the summer, exclusive to CANVAS Hotel Dallas.
