Tenderling Brand Strategy and Design

The hospitality industry is a world of vibrant experiences, yet many hotels struggle to create a distinct identity. In a sea of competition, standing out takes more than great service—it requires a compelling brand story that captivates guests and keeps them coming back.

This is where Tenderling Brand Strategy and Design excels.

The company provides specialized hospitality branding and storytelling that keeps the hotel’s target audience, budget needs and end booking goals in mind. Founded by James W Moore and Penny Moore, the duo has over 40 years of combined experience launching hospitality brands from idea to execution—providing full-service branding and strategy through beginning development to direct booking.

Under their leadership, Tenderling is helping hotels craft immersive experiences that guests don’t just see, but feel— moments that linger long after they leave. Beyond aesthetics, it builds brands that are both visually stunning and seamlessly functional, ensuring every detail enhances the guest experience.

Full-Service, Custom 360 Brand Solutions

Tenderling’s services span the entire branding journey:

• Brand Strategy: Market research, brand positioning, storytelling opportunities, guest demographics, naming, and trademarking (via partnerships with legal experts), as well as team strategy workshops.

• Brand Development: Visual and verbal identity creation including themed activations, sensory branding, and staff training workshops.

• Brand Execution: Content development, design and production for all hotel touch points from websites to signage to marketing and in-room materials.

• Brand Maintenance: Ongoing design services that keep marketing efforts in lock-step with the brand.

“We’re not just designers—we’re partners in execution,” says James W Moore, partner and creative director. “If a hotel can’t implement our vision, we’ve failed. That’s why we create unique brand solutions that work with their reality, not the other way around.”

No wonder Tenderling has been entrusted to market over $8B in luxury hospitality assets, working with the world’s top brands.

Holistic Approach to Branding

Tenderling rejects one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, it dives deep into a hotel’s unique ethos, crafting brand experiences and stories that align with its history, location, guest expectations and its architecture and design. Unlike firms that apply generic templates, Tenderling crafts each identity from the ground up, ensuring an authentic and distinctive brand.
A key part of its process involves deeply exploring a hotel’s identity, market positioning, and guest expectations. This research is immersive, uncovering the essence of a brand through sensory elements and localized storytelling.

The company’s brand immersion workshop extracts business insights, defining objectives before creative work begins. To ensure continuity, its brand teaching workshop trains hotel staff, empowering them to embody the brand in every guest interaction.

This philosophy underscores its approach—every sensory element is considered to create a fully realized guest experience.

Here’s what General Manager, Fairmont Austin has to say about their collaboration with Tenderling Design, “As a truly valued extension of our team, they provide in-depth hospitality expertise and an adept ability to create key design and branding elements that have enabled our property to become a luxury landmark.”

At the Forefront of Hospitality Branding

Tenderling goes beyond aesthetics, integrating branding seamlessly into hotel operations. Many agencies develop concepts that look great on paper, but prove impractical to implement. By leveraging its team’s extensive hospitality experience, Tenderling eliminates this disconnect, ensuring branding solutions align with operational realities.

“We don’t just create logos; we build narratives that bring brands to life,” says Penny Moore, partner and creative director.

For instance, a boutique hotel in a historic district must evoke a different atmosphere than a tropical island resort. Tenderling ensures every branding decision aligns with the property’s essence, target audience, and operational needs.

One standout transformation is The Pelham Hotel in New Orleans. With a rich history, but low occupancy rates, the hotel needed more than a facelift—it needed a compelling story. Tenderling uncovered its deep ties to New Orleans’ theater history, weaving that narrative into every aspect of its branding. Marketing materials reflected the voice of a theater director; custom-designed carpets echoed stage motifs, and vintage-style hats at check-in immersed guests in the theme.

The result? A once-overlooked hotel became a sought-after destination with dramatically improved occupancy rates.

Pioneering the Future: Innovation and Growth

As branding evolves, Tenderling continues to push creative and technological boundaries. The company integrates AI-driven solutions to streamline branding processes, enabling faster turnaround times without compromising quality.

Its newest innovation, Turnkey by Tenderling, caters to hotels needing high-end branding on a condensed timeline. This service provides pre-curated branding kits that can be brought to life within two weeks, balancing speed and thoughtful design.
AI enhances, rather than replaces, creativity. Tenderling employs AI-driven data analytics to assess branding trends, optimize digital presence, and refine marketing strategies in real time. By automating repetitive tasks, the team can focus on crafting unique brand identities, blending cutting-edge technology with human ingenuity.

Unlike firms that prioritize rapid expansion, Tenderling Design takes a selective approach. Its focus is on the quality of projects rather than geographical reach, ensuring every assignment aligns with its passion and expertise.

A Lasting Impact on the Hospitality Industry

Tenderling’s team includes former hotel directors of sales and marketing, operations specialists, and designers with decades of hospitality experience. This hands-on expertise ensures solutions are both creative and operationally practical.

For example, its in-house web development team seamlessly navigates brand standards for Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott, while food-and-beverage specialists design menus, activations, and social media strategies tailored to a hotel’s staffing and resources—whether for a 1,000-room convention property or a 65-room boutique. The agency also fosters a culture of collaboration, with weekly cross-team critiques and field visits to hotels, art installations, and museums to keep ideas fresh.

“We hire for talent and heart,” says Penny. “Our team isn’t just skilled—they’re passionate about creating brands that hotels can execute with pride.”

Tenderling Brand Strategy and Design is not just changing the way hotels look; it is redefining how they are experienced. The company’s immersive branding approach transforms properties into destinations that guests connect with on a deeper level. In an industry where differentiation is key, Tenderling Design’s work ensures that clients stand out—not just visually, but emotionally.

As the hospitality landscape grows more competitive, Tenderling’s blend of storytelling, operational expertise, and ethical passion positions itself as the partner for hotels seeking not just customers, but lifelong advocates.

The philosophy is clear: A hotel is not just a place to stay—it’s a story waiting to be told.