Services
- Brand Ideology and Naming
- Architectural Art Direction
- Experience Chain Design
- Visual and Verbal Identity
- Communication
- Merchandizing Design
INdustry
- Horeca
Year
- 2023
Project Overview
Mushroom Hunters™ boutique Hotel Located in Dilijan.The proposed solution, “Mushroom Hunters,” blends the pursuit of happiness with Dilijan’s rainy weather, offering a quiet luxury experience centered around local mushrooms. The hotel aims to provide a distinctive and localized experience, emphasizing community, fun, and a connection to nature in Dilijan.
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Challenge
The challenge was to fulfill our client’s desire to make a smart investment into a piece of land they owned in Dilijan. To develop and curate a hospitality project of a niche hotel, in line with current travel trends and Dilijan’s unique landscape.
Based on our extensive research and data on hospitality branding trends and Dilijan as a developing destination, we
have outlined an empty niche for luxury boutique hotels. To fill it, we have developed an original, a bit quirky, highly localized concept of “Mushroom Hunters”, a place where happiness is only a rain away. This concept unifies two main themes: the modern lifestyle trend of the “pursuit of happiness” and Dilijan’s rainy weather. Additionally, we’ve
fully showcased local gastronomic offerings, the true gift of the rain, the mushrooms. In the end, Mushroom Hunters
became a place steeped in quiet luxury, sense of community, fun, nature and happiness.
Collaboration : TF+ Architects
DILIJAN: TODAY
Dilijan, with its breathtaking nature and landmarks, remains a must-visit in tourism offerings in Armenia.
The existing Hotel Ecosystem proposes similar and often faceless establishments and experiences, meanwhile Dilijan’s objective qualities – nature, organic produce and fresh air – are not creatively observed to become authentically unique icons of this destination.
THE OVERVIEW OF CURRENT VISITOR FLOWS AND EXPERIENCES IN DILIJAN
TOURISM SPECIALIZATION
Established: Cultural, Adventure
Emerging: Ecotourism, MICE
Untapped: Wellness
KEY VISITOR PROFILE
Both domestic and foreign tourists
Families, groups (private/business)
250-300K
visitors per year
2-4
Nights average stay
$100
Average spent per day
DILIJAN’S MISSING LINK
Authentic signature amenities that breathe its essence and redefine its destination appeal.
HOW CAN A CONCEPTUAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL BRING DRASTIC CHANGE?
As a unique amenity, a Conceptual Boutique
Hotel has the capacity to:
– Express creative freedom, whether through the design of its space or the crafting of unique experiences for visitors. Here, every detail, from the vanity set to the ice cube in a cocktail, contributes to the desired ambiance.
– Be dynamic, adapting to meet the constant eagerness of travelers to discover new experiences or reinvent the familiar ones.
– Maintain its own personality and character, drawing inspiration from the culture, history, environment, theme, and atmosphere of its exact location.
BUILDING UP ON AUTHENTICITY
Trends come and go, so when we create a boutique hotel in an iconic neighborhood, the solution should be authentic for the place, and fascinating for newcomers.
Familiar, yet different
Local & Authentic
Worth spreading a word
Diversifying and New
Natural & Authentic
Wishing to go back
WE SAW DILIJAN AS A
TRANQUIL NATURE
KISSED BY A CONSTANT RAIN
That forces locals to stay at home
Meanwhile, nurtures them with
gifts of new life
BERRIES, GREENS
the Signature MUSHROOMS
WHO WE ARE TO GO AGAINST NATURE, CAN WE BEAT THE RAIN?
YET WE CAN CHANGE HOW WE SEE IT.
Yet, happiness is an ever-moving destination. We can never quite settle at it, yet we can pursue the feeling of happiness through small moments in simple things.
All we need to do, is to…
Search it, find it, embrace it, just like
MUSHROOM HUNTERS
In the background of the emblem, two crossed knives are prominently displayed, emblematic of the noble pursuit of mushroom hunting. Adorning the shield’s frame is the dignified slogan, “Happiness is a rain away.” Positioned at the base of the frame lies a refined monogram. Encircling the inner perimeter of the shield is an intricately woven rope, within which unfolds a picturesque tableau portraying figures amidst a rich tapestry of Dilijanian local flora, specifically centered around mushrooms. Emerging from this captivating scene is a ribbon proudly bearing the esteemed Brand Name.
“MUSHROOM APPROACH”
MUSHROOM AS METAPHORS
Our approach refers to mushrooms as the promise it
offers to reimagine our relationship with the planet and
good things sometimes happen over night.
MUSHROOM IS THE THING THAT
All humans on earth hunted for centuries right after the rain
Shows us that SOMETHING THAT can be easily ignored, nevertheless remains critical to the vitality of cultural soils and the importance of staying connected.
“The thing with mushrooms is that there are unseen things all around us that are magnificent, although can appear overnight.”
THE IDENTITY
CRAFTING THE VISUAL AESTHETICS AND DESIGN STRATEGY:
USING THE MOTIFS
Whimsical motifs symbolizing growth, symbiosis of embracing the nature with less traditional values.
ARCHITECTURE ITSELF AS ENTERTAINMENT
Something that will itself bring joy and entertain
Pushing the boundaries of design or construction sometimes creates buildings that are entertaining because they exceed the expectations of the public and are aesthetically outstanding becoming a tourist attraction.
DESIGN
EXPERIENCE CHAIN
Guiding concepts towards livability and efficiency through ongoing maintenance and performance management. Designing the full circle of interactions and experiences
THE PROPOSED IDEOLOGY IS CAPABLE TO CONVERT
AN ORDINARY THINGS into SIGNATURE THINGS
EXAMPLE OF COMMUNICATION:
Chef Aram’s cuisine at Mush-Mush restaurant is worth a visit: order wild tree mushrooms with eggs and matzoon together with a side of his take on local greens with mananekh and you will become a happy-er person indeed, at least while you are at the table.
