GLADSTONE HOTEL—

Celebrating a Queen West landmark destination.

OPPORTUNITY

Before it became Gladstone House, the Gladstone Hotel was a Queen West favourite—part boutique hotel, part community hub, and full of creative energy. To bring that personality online, we set out to redesign the website with a focus on improving the user experience, reducing bounce rates, optimizing for mobile, and boosting online bookings.

SOLUTION

The website design leaned into what made the Gladstone special, its bold spirit, creative energy, and sense of fun. Vibrant photography, playful patterns, and distinctive typography captured the look and feel of the space, while the layout kept things practical and intuitive.

IMPACT

The new website brought the Gladstone’s story to life in a way that felt fresh, welcoming, and unmistakably local. While the site was later retired following a change in ownership early in the pandemic, it served its purpose by giving the hotel an online presence as dynamic and full of character as the space itself.

Translating vibe into visuals.

From the beginning, it was clear the old website didn’t capture what made the Gladstone so special. It lacked the energy, creativity, and charm that greeted you the moment you walked through the doors. In early conversations with the team, we focused on what mattered most—clear navigation, quick access to key info, and a visual style that reflected the hotel’s personality.

At the same time, the strategy aimed to improve overall performance by reducing bounce rate, optimizing for mobile, enhancing the user experience, and increasing online bookings. From there, we built wireframes and layered in bold photography, playful patterns, and expressive typography to bring the Gladstone experience to life online.

Designing with personality and purpose.

The wireframing process focused on clarity and ease of use, ensuring visitors could quickly find what they needed—especially the Book Now button, which was placed prominently across key pages for maximum visibility. Once the structure was in place, the visual design brought the Gladstone’s eclectic charm to life.

An animated background added subtle movement and layered texture, giving the site a sense of depth and energy. Playful patterns, vibrant colour blocks, and expressive typography were all inspired by the hotel’s artist-designed rooms, resulting in a look that felt just as bold and memorable as the space itself.

A cohesive touchpoint in the guest journey.

The final site felt like a true extension of the Gladstone—vibrant, a little quirky, and easy to navigate. It gave both guests and locals a real sense of the hotel’s spirit before they even walked through the door.

More than just a place to book a room or check event times, the website became part of the Gladstone experience, helping tell its story in a way that felt warm, genuine, and true to the community it served.

Interested in collaborating?

Let’s chat—hi@meglynch.com

© 2025 Meg Lynch
A random fact about me—I love puffins.