Client, Year

Meyer Jabara Hotels, 
2024

Services

Brand Positioning
Brand Stories
Naming & Taglines
Messaging & Tone
Logos & Marks

Identity Development
Brand Guidelines
Brand Applications

Awards / Press

Baltimore Banner
Baltimore Sun
Biz Journals
CBS News

Photography

Lauren Daue

The William Fell

Capturing the heart and history of a renowned hotel

The William Fell, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, is a historic boutique hotel located in the heart of Fells Point, Baltimore’s beloved waterfront neighborhood. Previously known as the Admiral Fell Inn for 40 years, the property was undergoing significant renovations when Meyer Jabara Hotels sought Ashton’s rebranding help. Together, we walked through each step of the process, from choosing the name down to designing the door keys, to help them prepare for a successful relaunch.

To ensure The William Fell would stand out as the crown jewel of Fells Point, our approach was three-fold: one, unlock the historic hotel’s inherent value by tapping into the building's rich legacy of hospitality; two, elevate public perception of the hotel, which had gained a reputation for being charming but dated; and three, attract both weekday business travelers and weekend leisure tourists.

The first step to realize this strategy was to choose a new name for the property. We dove into local research, brainstormed options, and ultimately vetted the winning choice—taking the area’s first settler and shipyard founder, William Fell, as its namesake. We then built a rich written and visual story, with the Fell family as our thematic anchor.

When designing for a hospitality project, it’s critical to create a sophisticated, complementary identity that can be layered across the property’s many touchpoints. As we were working with a person’s name, signature and monogram elements became central to our approach. Calligraphic flourishes create a visual motif between marks, while others, like the seal or underlined “M,” reference typographic treatments common in the 18th century.

When William Fell arrived in 1730, he built the area’s first colonial home and shipyard—two landmark structures that helped define the port. Soon after, his daughter-in-law, Anne Bond Fell, officially incorporated the family’s land as Fells Point.

The neighborhood quickly grew into one of early America’s most important hubs for trade and naval activity. Fueled by bustling commerce and the production of clipper ships, Fells Point rose to prominence during the maritime “Golden Age.”

As the port thrived, so did its population. With more travelers arriving by land and sea, lodging was in demand. In 1900, a guest house called “The Anchorage” opened on the corner of South Broadway. That building now forms the architectural heart of what is today The William Fell.

Over the following decades, the site served many roles: a sailors’ boarding house, a YMCA, and even a vinegar bottling facility. In 1985, it was reborn as the Admiral Fell Inn before becoming The William Fell in 2025.

The property maintained its signature domed awning, which draws visitors from all directions in Fells. Inside, the interiors reinforce the nautical theme.

Illustrated icons add an element of depth and a quirky dimension to The William Fell’s identity. They were mined from historical typographic specimens and selected for their nautical and ornamental elements.

With so many elements at play, a comprehensive brand guide document is crucial. This one makes it easy for future marketing and operations teams to apply the brand across all physical and digital touchpoints.

No detail is too small in a hotel. Key card sleeves are hand stamped with the room number upon check-in, to immediately harken them back to earlier times. In the rooms, naval and sailor lingo is put to use as a homage to the area’s nautical legacy.

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PO Box 50337, Balt., MD 21211

©2024 Ashton Design

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