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La Quinta, a Texas-based hotel chain, recently updated their logo as they try to expand their customer base. In an effort to become a major hotel chain in North America, “La Quinta plans to nearly double its network of 586 hotels by 2011, focusing on Canada, the Northeast, Florida, California, the Northwest, and the mid-Atlantic. Later this year, it will open its first property in Mexico.”
The logo remembers its Texas roots, but incorporating a sun seems a little risky as Days Inn, a competitor, is known for its sun. Nonetheless, La Quinta’s logo has its own merits: The colors remain untouched from their prior logo and tie back to the Southwest — a bold move to help distinguish the brand. The typography is beautifully typeset, and doesn’t fall into the trap of “make it southwestern.” Their new mark should attract new clientele as well as be distinguishable in the new marketplaces.
For more information please read the press release.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
marko’s comment is:
I enjoy that the sun is both an abstract Q and is pointing its compass south west.
On Apr.30.2007 at 01:16 AM
Andrew’s comment is:
I don't get why the ray pointing to the N is longer. Anyone?
On Apr.30.2007 at 01:17 AM
Andrew’s comment is:
marko: oops, I was second too late on my post, but it looks to me like it's pointing to the south-EAST. hmm.
On Apr.30.2007 at 01:19 AM
marko’s comment is:
haha I just came to post that.. I was thinking... Never.. Eat... Shredded... Wheat... Oh. No.
I guess we can't have everything.
On Apr.30.2007 at 01:28 AM
Danny Tanner’s comment is:
looks like it got younger and more masculine. Feels classier, sharper... but it makes me question how comfortable the pillows are.
On Apr.30.2007 at 02:03 AM
Andrew Sutherland’s comment is:
Too many font sizes if you ask me - the "La", the "Q", the "uinta", the "inns/suites/", and the "&" are all different sizes. I think that makes it hard to follow.
On Apr.30.2007 at 03:21 AM
Christian Palino’s comment is:
The application and usage of this new logo mark will be the true test to how well its parts hold up. Typographically its refined and well handled (save the spacing around the ampersand which seems like the panama canal could wedge its way in there), even the varying sizes and weights help it from being too symmetrical and bound to a classic center-serif typesetting.
The sun may have been a missed opportunity to play up the compass approach – noted currently only in the two-toned rays and the possibly directional ray. The orange/yellow color scheme seems a little heavy handed in relation to the rest of the mark. Imagining that sun set large on a sign in relation to the typography, the balance will potentially be hard to handle. However, these are application issues.
Overall, this mark has the potential to be far more timeless and resilient than, for example, the new Days Inn mark – and the effort to rely on good typography will pay off.
On Apr.30.2007 at 04:37 AM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
The ® looks like it's hugging the 'A' too much?
On Apr.30.2007 at 05:51 AM
Frank’s comment is:
I'd be the first to bash any logo on here, but i actually like it.The sun/Q is a neat idea while not hitting you in the face with it, typography is nice as well.Also i like the fact that the logo has been modernized without being too trendy.
Personally i'd maybe make the tagline a little bit smaller than it is now and yeah the ampersand
spacing could be decreased as well but overall one of the better efforts seen on here lately.
Tony Goff’s comment is:
I like it, not sure of the sun pointing south is a little too much but I like the clean design and the chosen font. Makes a nice change to see a good redesign.
On Apr.30.2007 at 09:31 AM
L.Vazquez’s comment is:
Simplicity. It works.
I actually think the ampersand lined up with the tail of the Q and the bottom bowl of the U works together. If the ampersand were bigger, you may lose that spacing aesthetic. I don't think it's smaller size interrupts the flow.
On Apr.30.2007 at 02:02 PM
Paul Riehle’s comment is:
A fresh new identity. Really needed it. Here in AZ all the La Quintas have this logo... I dont know if there is a difference between "Inn" and "Inn and Suites"
Anyway, great new direction, aesthetically the only weird thing is the Q sun. It just looks awkward to me...
On Apr.30.2007 at 03:01 PM
Calvin Ross Carl’s comment is:
Yes, the text does feel a little unbalanced, but the logo is light years beyond what they once had. The sun's "Q" tail could be accentuated a little more, since right now, it is possibly too subtle, but thankfully they didn't go over the top with the sun being a Q like most companies would want to. All in all, pretty classy for a chain hotel.
On Apr.30.2007 at 06:47 PM
stock_illustration’s comment is:
First Days Inn and now this. Very clean and pleasant redesign...although I didn't see the "q" in the sun until I read marko's comment. Nicel done.
On Apr.30.2007 at 07:08 PM
denny’s comment is:
Hmmm. At first I was all,"HEY, that's much better." But then that sun/Q thing really threw it all out of whack. Would a normal looking sun have been so bad?
Is this some designer trying to force a concept where it doesn't fit?
humanot’s comment is:
my only two real problems with this update are the awkwardness coming off in the different font sizes for LA and QUINTA ... and also the Q sun.
I love the idea of it ... but they should have made it more obvious and playful in some way, or done away with it completely ... using 10% of an idea doesn't give it much a chance to be successful.
On May.01.2007 at 01:05 PM
jenn.suz.hoy’s comment is:
Having stayed in their hotels (and actually enjoy them as a mid-range option), I find the new logo suits them nicely. HUGE improvement over the old one. But then, I'm a sucker for whitespace.
On May.01.2007 at 01:19 PM
disgruntled designer’s comment is:
surprisingly this is quite pretty. i admire that someone had enough sense to experiment with typography and actually do something that is correct with making the ampersand the scale it should be. sure the word spacing is a bit wide there but i can accept that. la does look a bit lighter visually than the other text but it actually somewhat balances out this heavily centered design.
i like this so much better than days inn.
On May.01.2007 at 05:40 PM
loren’s comment is:
it's good that they're getting away from the look of fellow inn, Quality Inn.
Bobby Henderson’s comment is:
I don't like the new logo.
First, the use of Trajan Pro is screwed up with the inconsistent weight of the "La" element. That's as bad as faked small capitals. Second, it's not very imaginative. Maybe I'm just tired of Trajan since it seems like every other movie poster uses it and it is now as ubiquitous as Myriad in Adobe applications.
Next, even though the old logo was old fashioned, this new one is likely to be a downgrade when it comes to outdoor sign functions. Legibility distance will probably not be nearly as good. I also shudder to think what will happen if they use that white background and that light type on an interior lighted cabinet. At night those elements will disappear in white overglow.
On May.02.2007 at 11:48 PM
Leanne Johnson’s comment is:
It's a bit TOO sharp and precise for me - it doesn't say either modern, sleek designer hotel or comfortable night's sleep!
I don't like the 'La' being smaller than the 'Quinta' - it's thrown the mark off-balance and the letter Q dominates too much. It's a nice idea that I think just needed some typographical tweaking to make it a bit more comfortable, and properly balanced.
On May.03.2007 at 09:12 AM
jack’s comment is:
reminds me of Days Inn. I wonder if that was intentional.
On May.08.2007 at 01:38 PM
jack’s comment is:
oh, that's already been said. sorry. ;)
On May.08.2007 at 01:39 PM
Joseph’s comment is:
I see the similarity to Days Inn but this "feels" much classier and more expensive to me. I like the sun and I really like the Q, but I wish "La" was the same size as "uinta." Also, I'd have put "inns & suites" up beside the tail of the Q like so:
It makes the spacing of the ampersand seem a bit more deliberate. It is also cleaner to me. "Inns & suites" just seems to be dangling there in the original.
Mark’s comment is:
Seems some design aspects can stand the test of time.
Regardless whether it influenced this logo or not, I can't help but be reminded of the old Southern Television logo in the UK.
http://freespace.virgin.net/mymail.athome/channels/compass/southern/files/page20_1.jpg
Interestingly enough I've never been in the UK once, always lived in the US. I only discovered this logo through the internet.
I think the logo pretty elegant and simple.
On Jun.05.2007 at 12:01 PM
kevin’s comment is:
The Q in the sun is brilliant! Who want's a normal sun anyway! Marketing is getting people to talk anyway. That creates the buzz and I think that gets them on the right track to their aggressive marketing initiative!
On Oct.09.2007 at 10:58 AM
John’s comment is:
Well, I don't know how the Official Tagline will fit into all of this. You know, the tagline that is the english translation of "La Quinta" from spanish. It means "Next to Denny's."
(ba dum BUM)
Thank you, thank you very much. I'll be here all night.
On Oct.10.2007 at 04:29 PM
ElKid’s comment is:
I like it, but the sun is not obvious as a Q and will leave lesser eyes wondering "What the heck is wrong with that sun? Dumb logo."
On Feb.12.2008 at 05:44 AM
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Cam Villar’s comment is:
What I like about the sun is that the rays are not directly across from each other, but in a sort of radial, moving pattern.
On Oct.13.2008 at 12:58 PM
balabo3_eg’s comment is:
On Apr.27.2009 at 12:08 PM
balabo3_nb’s comment is:
On Apr.27.2009 at 02:55 PM
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