Boston YOTEL Opens with Smart Spaces in Seaport District
Branding, Exterior Signage, Interior Signage, Original Posts, OthersWe’re very excited about YOTEL Boston’s Grand Opening! The forward-thinking micro hotel offers a “smart, flexible space that suites individual needs.” It’s a business model we love: providing smart and flexible designs that are tailored to meet individual needs is what we strive to do every day.
Signage must meet the needs of a business, while being flexible and innovative in order to shine and celebrate the uniqueness of each commercial enterprise.
Members of the Metro Sign & Awning team have been working closely with the city of Boston and YOTEL developer Boston Global Investors (BGI) for more than a year to make sure the signage – inside and out – would be as smart, bold, and bright as the YOTEL concept itself.
ADA Compliant Signs Specific to a Hotel/Hospitality Project
Interior signage in any hotel or hospitality project must be ADA compliant, with primary consideration for accessibility given to those with visual impairments. At the same time, interior signage needs to carry a brand throughout the architecture, conveying the corporate image throughout the building, for everyone inside.
That’s a tall order for signage that includes “mundane” functional elements such as evacuation maps, room identifiers, elevator and restroom locators and panels, emergency call buttons, and more.
Experienced Engineering and Signage Project Management
Yes, the exterior signs are also Metro fabrications! Looking for signs that get the best kind of attention for your business? Contact us!Well-versed in how hotel and hospitality signage differs from residential signage projects, Metro’s own Jamie Potvin, Graphic Designer, managed the project from the ground up. Working with YOTEL to get the sign package as detailed and accurate as possible, Jamie spent hours in direct communication with city officials and BGI to ensure everything was in compliance. At the same time, Jamie managed samples, approval of shop drawings, production requirements (and about 800 other details) in order to make sure the signs were fabricated, delivered, and installed in time for a very exciting mid-June grand opening.
So, What Exactly is YOTEL?
YOTEL bills itself as a new kind of hotel, one delivering a smart, flexible space to suit individual needs, whether for sleep, relaxation, entertainment, or rejuvenation. The new Boston hotel is the second YOTEL hotel based in the USA. (New York was the first; another is under development in San Francisco) Located at 65 Seaport Boulevard, in the heart of the Innovation District, the hotel is in sight of Boston Harbor and within walking distance to the World Trade Center, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, The Institute of Contemporary Art and the financial district. Learn more about YOTEL-Boston at the YOTEL site, or from write-ups in Hotel Business and High Profile magazine.
Tell us what you think of the flexible future of hospitality (and how you like the signs!) on our Facebook or Instagram feed.
Beautiful Results, Thanks to a Professional Team
Every project is a collaboration, and this one certainly was successful thanks to a tremendous amount of work and cooperation among all parties.
Of course, it wasn’t all hard work – or at least, we should say, we had fun along the way. Look closely at the photos and you’ll quite a few of the people (including many from the Yotel Team) filming our installers in the cab of the crane during high-rise installation. A lot of people deserve thanks and recognition for their work in getting to the installation – and grand opening! – phase. They include:
Boston Global Investors (BGI), the main partner and developer in Boston who hired us, and developed the building that YOTEL is leasing. The parcel abuts the Four Point Channel Historic District, and BGI was committed to paying homage to the 19th-century architecture, creating a promenade through the building, maintaining sightlines and including pedestrian pathways from Seaport Boulevard to the historic district. Thank you especially to BGI Vice President Jamie Gerrity and Project Manager Greg Loukas, and congratulations on a beautiful project!
YOTEL’s Brand Compliance team – Stuart Pannel and Joe Sencen – were true professionals. Thank you for being such a pleasure to work with!
Boston Inspector John Lyons is also a joy to work with. We appreciate his tireless attention to detail and thorough understanding of the spirit and the laws of ADA compliance – the city is better because of your work!
Our team at Metro never ceases to amaze me (and consistently delights our clients). Some special shout outs are warranted: Adam Brodeur handled the project management and successful execution of the production and installation of all interior signage and architectural elements; Brian Clooney handled the project management and successful execution of all production and installation of each of the three exterior signage sets; Adrian Medina and Mark D’Olimpio handled the exterior sign installation; Jamie Potvin handled design and ADA Compliance, working with city officials, development managers and YOTEL branding managers to ensure the signage would meet or exceed all point in the inspections, be fully ADA compliant and carry the brand throughout, beautifully. Pete Nolan, Tim Goguen, Mick O’Shea, Julie Gianni, and Scott Walker were responsible for fabrication of the custom way-finding cubes and the numerals located in each elevator lobby; Craig Wondrasch, who estimates projects several times before to ensure that each one is a win/win for the client budget and Metro’s team; and finally, special thanks to Corey Fisher, who engineered the project.
“Teamwork” and “collaboration” are words that are often used lightly; I can assure you that this group worked together in the most professional manner. This is the kind of work that makes me truly proud of my work as Metro Sign & Awning Client Relationship / BRA, and why I so enjoy working with clients to bring their visions to reality.
CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM on another project very well done! ~ Elena Berry, Metro Client Relations/BRA
