Case Study 3: Shangri-La Hotels
Case Study of a photographic project done for Shangri-La hotels.
Case Study:
Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts
Category: Hotel Architecture Photography.
Client: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Agency: VRX Studios, Canada.
Duration: Average of three days per hotel over several weeks.
Overview: A re-vamp of architectural images for 11 hotels in Asia and Australia
Hotels Photographed: Shangri-La Sydney, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Shangri-La Bangkok, Shangri-La Chiang Mai, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, Shangri-La Golden Sands Penang, Shangri-la Rasa Sayang Penang, Shangri-La Yangon, Shangri-La Jakarta, Shangri-La Surabaya, and Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Singapore
11 Hotels in 7 Countries
A major re-vamp of the hotel’s visual language.
Evolution is a fact of life in the hospitality industry. Hotels work in an ever-changing cycle of adapting their image, target audiences, vision., positioning and visual language. I was a part of this evolution as Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts management implemented major changes to how they presented their room and hotel facilities to the world.
They wanted a more modern, less cluttered, more natural look to their hotel room photographs. They wanted to present their rooms honestly, realistically, in daylight, maintaining their plush high-end luxury look, but without adding the bells and whistles.
VRX Studios worked closely with Shangri-La to develop and test a look that was right for them and then engaged photographers to implement this new look. I was one of those photographers.
An New Look.
Shangri-La Hotels wanted a fresh, modern look without the clutter and an emphasis on location.
Shangi-La Bangkok
The new look was a departure from the previous visual language that most often showed the rooms at night with high contrast and deep shadows. This new style involved turning all the lights off during the day, minimal and consistent use of flowers and props, and making the rooms appear light and airy. With hotel location being a key point of the group’s message, there was an emphasis on the view.
The View
Shangri-La Hotels place significant value on location, so particular attention was given to getting the views just right.
An important element of hotel room photography is storytelling. When I look at a hotel room, I always start by observing the space carefully, checking the angles, and identifying the story that needs to be told. My job is to give prospective guests a taste of the room experience. I need them to feel the fabrics against their feet, sense the natural light pouring in the room, immediately understand the layout of the room, and know that they are making the right choice through just one image. This is done with light, angles, making a bed look lush and welcoming, placing props in just the right place, finding balance in the viewfinder, and fitting stories within stories within the image.
Tell a Story
A room image should contain stories within stories, helping a potential guest picture themselves in the room in one image.
Case study notes: While this is the style the Shangri-La chose for their rooms, it is worth noting that every hotel should be shot according to their vision with their unique visual language. I would work with you on your visual language, ensuring your own unique hotel style.
The following images were made by me as they appear on the Shangri-La website:
Credit needs to be given to the VRX team who did all of the post-production on all of the Shangri-La images. By implementing the post-production in one studio VRX were able to maintain consistency and quality control across multiple photographers and continents.
