I usually do not advertise businesses but I thought that one was so well put together that it deserved to be mentioned.
It is rare to see a well designed and appealing third-party travel website and I must say, Mr and Mrs. Smith Boutique and Luxury Hotels Specialists (http://www.mrandmrssmith.com) does make me want to book. Over and over.
What a great name, a great logo and great visual identity! Well done. Superb. Up to the tiniest details.
While usually most of the travel sites are putting all efforts into navigation and functionality but ignoring design and user experience, the site managed to find the right balance between all.
The homepage is very well put together with all features very well organised. None is over shadowing the others:
– Promotional offers
– Hotels grouped by themes (Children friendly hotels, Spa hotels, wedding and honeymoons etc.)
– User friendly booking mask
– Top hotels and Top destinations
– Non intrusive news display / Social media short cuts / Blog
– Geographic location recognition
– Refined tone of voice
– Rich content
– Etc.
The site is all about designed and sophisticated hotels & resorts. The brand has been built and brought to life around these key principles. It is is true for everything they do. They are staying in brand all the way through.
Also very important to note that Mr and Mrs Smith online successes have now been expanded offline. An excellent case of successful branding where the brand has been horizontally integrated with the release of a series of travel book collection. More than a travel website, it is now a lifestyle brand. A brand with credibility.
I don’t know how much the principals have invested into their brand and content, but I know it was worth every penny!
Fabrice Burtin – August 2010
Ps: I have no direct or indirect involvement with this website or the Mr and Mrs Smith brand.
Erin
August 3, 2010
Hi Fabrice,
Thanks for the lovely post about Mr & Mrs Smith, glad to know you enjoy the site, the books and the brand at large. We go hammer and tong to bring the best to the table, so again, thanks for the compliments!
Best wishes,
Erin
Fabrice Burtin
August 3, 2010
You’re welcome Erin. Keep up the good work!
Simon
August 5, 2010
Great post, and totally agree – Mr & Mrs Smith is a fantastic website, with most importantly, a fantastic product that really sells itself.
cazinou online
August 21, 2010
I LOVE THIS BLOG!!!
Fabrice Burtin
August 22, 2010
Hi Greg, thanks for the positive comments. I’m delighted you are enjoying it. All the best, Fabrice Burtin
cazinou online
August 24, 2010
Do you guys have an RSS feed?
Fabrice Burtin
August 24, 2010
https://fabriceburtin.com/feed
Rebecca Alleyne
December 1, 2010
Hmmm…a lot of boutique hotel websites have really upped their game recently, notably i-escape.com which, in my opinion, tops Mr & Mrs Smith (who are too corporate for my taste) and all the others in the market for content, style and usibility. Tablet hotels also have a really nice site.
Fabrice Burtin
December 3, 2010
Hi Rebecca,
You are right, however my post was more about the entire Mr and Mrs Smith brand creation that I still think is outstanding. Thanks for sharing the other boutique hotel websites which I’m going to visit and review right away. All the best,
Fabrice