Stay Hush Aparthotel
Hidden in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, Stay Hush is an independent aparthotel that feels more like discovering your own place in the city than checking into a hotel.
Work
- BRAND STRATEGY & NAMING
hospitality consultancy
- LOGO & VISUAL IDENTITY
interior design
- SIGNAGE & WAYFINDING
website design
- BRAND GUIDELINES & IMPLEMENTATION
- TONE OF VOICE & STORY TELLING
- GUEST COLLATERAL
F&B CONCEPT
COLLABORATORS
- LSG CAPITAL
- studio lba
petta studios
nathan hinze photography
rybka mep
john dennis
SF structures
Bringing together strategy, brand, interiors and digital design, S+Co partnered with the client from the earliest stages shaping the concept from the ground up and transforming a historic building into one of Edinburgh's most exciting new destinations.
our response
Nestled within Cooper's Close, just off the iconic Royal Mile, the property sits just a few steps from one of Scotland's busiest tourist streets. Yet despite its central location, arriving at the building feels like stumbling across a hidden corner of Edinburgh that many visitors simply walk past.
The name Stay Hush perfectly evokes that feeling of calm after noise; a quiet retreat hidden in plain sight where guests can escape the pace of the city without leaving its heart.
A QUIET STORY
A sense of discovery became the project's defining idea; helped along by a story embedded within the historic fabric of the building.
During the 18th century, Cooper's Close formed part of Edinburgh's thriving brewing industry and was home to the renowned William Younger's Brewery. Younger's Edinburgh Ale was famously rich and full-bodied – said to be so thick it almost glued the drinker's lips together, leaving them…hushed.
INTERIORS THAT TELL A STORY
Our team developed the brand strategy, name, visual identity and tone of voice, while our interior designers crafted spaces that share the same personality — playful, contemporary and quietly confident.
Rather than creating a generic boutique hotel aesthetic, the interior design takes its cues from the building's own story. The challenge was to transform a historic industrial property into a contemporary aparthotel while preserving the character, quirks and imperfections that make the building unique.
Urban-inspired detailing and industrial materials nod to the past, while a playful colour palette and homely furniture introduce a softer, more welcoming feel.
celebrating the building's heritage
Instead of forcing a standardised hotel layout, we worked with the individuality of each space including varied room shapes, lower ceilings and unusual apertures. The historic fabric of the building also meant exposing pipework, ducting and other services. Rather than concealing them, we decided to celebrate these elements as part of the visual language.
Urban-inspired detailing and industrial materials nod to the past, while a playful colour palette and homely furniture introduce a softer, more welcoming feel. This balance continues through to the kitchens and bathrooms, where we worked with specialists Solus Ceramics to select tiles that use colour, texture and pattern to add depth and visual interest.
Together, these elements create interiors that feel contemporary yet timeless, balancing the character of the original building with the familiarity and comfort of home.
BEYOND THE BEDROOMS
Alongside the accommodation, S+Co developed Mile Yard — a neighbourhood food and beverage concept designed to bring energy, connection and a sense of community into the building throughout the day.
Created without a traditional restaurant kitchen, the concept embraces flexibility and discovery. Guests can begin their morning with a carefully curated continental breakfast tray featuring local producers, while daytime and evening offerings evolve through relaxed pop-ups, collaborations and events throughout the year.
We carried the Mile Yard identity through every guest-facing detail, designing printed collateral from menus and coasters to loyalty cards. These everyday touchpoints give the F&B concept its own character while keeping it firmly connected to the wider Stay Hush experience.
ONE CONNECTED EXPERIENCE
Rather than delivering individual design outputs, S+Co created an entire hospitality experience — one where strategy informs storytelling, branding shapes interiors and every guest interaction reinforces the same feeling of discovery.
We designed the full suite of brand touchpoints, including the website, environmental graphics, signage and printed collateral, and art directed the photo shoots to create a visual language that captures not just the spaces themselves, but the feeling of staying at Stay Hush.
The website sets the tone before guests arrive, while the wayfinding and interiors bring the same story to life throughout the stay.
The result is a destination that feels authentic to Edinburgh, true to its location and unmistakably Stay Hush.
Because S+Co was involved from the outset, we were able to shape every part of the guest experience as one connected whole.
