New St Andrews boutique hotel identity crafted by Crown Creative

Located right next to the Scottish town’s iconic golf course, the Old Course, lies The Kithmore hotel. Formerly The Ardgowan Hotel, the property was redeveloped over two years, with global design agency Crown Creative completely reimagining its identity around the town itself.

Following the hotel’s repositioning around “The heartbeat of St Andrews,” its new name aims to evoke the idea of bringing people together. With the Scottish word ‘kith’ meaning familiarity, friendship and belonging, the name Kithmore was designed to welcome all potential visitors, from locals and golfers to weekend visitors.

During the renovation, fragments of original Scottish signpainting were discovered. Crown Creative used these as inspiration for the design, including its bespoke typographic identity. Elsewhere, elements taken from vintage scorecards, engraved irons, caddie uniforms and golfing ephemera can be seen across the wider visual language.

Ryan Crown, creative director at Crown Creative, says, “The ambition was to make The Kithmore feel unmistakably connected to St Andrews: somewhere contemporary and distinctive, but with the warmth and familiarity of a place that has always belonged.”

In addition, the creative agency also designed the identity for the hotel’s restaurant and bar, Bennie’s. The design centres on the handwritten recipe book of Margaret Bennie, whose family was long associated with the property’s hospitality.

Reinforcing the brand’s connection to place and craftsmanship, each sign was carefully brought to life by bespoke sign painter Thomas Paints.