Boutique Lodging Branding & Guest Experience Marketing
Rickhouse Retreats
When Clayton and Marie purchased the historic commercial property that houses Lionheart Whiskey Co., the vision extended far beyond the distillery itself. Included in the acquisition were already-operating guest suites located beside the business — creating an opportunity to transform an existing lodging operation into a more intentional hospitality experience tied to the growing downtown Hermann destination.
The challenge? The suites couldn’t pause operations for a full rebuild of the boutique lodging branding. Guests were actively booking stays while the brand, guest experience, operations, and digital presence were all evolving in real time. We created something layered and intentional without taking a single night offline.
This project is a good reference point if you’re launching a boutique lodging concept, converting a property into a short-term rental, or rebranding a space that’s already operating but hasn’t found its identity yet.
Solutions
Logo & Branding Identity
Website Development
Social Media Presence
VRBO & AirBNB Listings
Strategy & Consulting
Services
- Graphic Design
- Copywriting
- Website Design
- WordPress Development
- Guest Suite Photography
- Sub-brand Identity Development
- Email Marketing
- Planning & Strategy
Warm, Layered, and Intentionally Unhurried
A Transition to Rickhouse Retreats
The first priority was repositioning the experience to better align with the overall vision and emotional tone of the Lionheart brand while still allowing the lodging business to stand strong independently. That meant developing a distinct sub-brand, creating a standalone online presence, refining the guest journey, and establishing a stronger foundation for long-term growth.
Neat + Nimble led the transition across branding, website development, booking platform optimization, photography, copywriting, and launch strategy — helping transform the suites into what is now known as Rickhouse Retreats.
Scaling the Experience Without Shutting Down Operations
While guests continued booking stays, work began behind the scenes to quickly reshape both the digital and physical guest experience in phases.
During occupied periods, the focus centered on establishing a stronger digital foundation through website development, booking platform optimization, updated photography, and social media presence. Between guest stays, the suites themselves began evolving through a series of intentional styling updates designed to better reflect the tone and identity of the emerging Rickhouse Retreats brand.
Furnishings, textiles, artwork, lighting, and in-room details were thoughtfully refreshed over time to create a more cohesive experience that felt elevated, welcoming, and connected to the character of downtown Hermann and the Lionheart brand experience.
Ready to build a brand your property actually deserves?
We’d love to hear about what you’re building. Schedule a free discovery call and let’s talk through it.
Other Branding & Identity WORK
