The Read House
never miss a party.
A near-total renovation of a century-old hotel, brought back through historical research rather than reinvention.
Avoset Hospitality Group brought Maycreate on for a nearly two-year renovation of The Read House, one of Chattanooga’s oldest hotels, gutted down to its outer walls for the first time since a fire roughly a century earlier. Maycreate led brand strategy and identity from demolition through reopening in 2017.
The Read House’s interior, rooms, and branding had gone largely untouched for decades. Avoset wanted a complete transformation targeting an upper-middle-tier traveler, but arrived without a clear direction for what the new hotel should feel like.
Rather than invent a new identity, we uncovered one: over 160 hours of archival research turned up original matchbooks, coasters, and a saved paint chip from the hotel’s original “Green Room,” along with a guest history that included Winston Churchill, Al Capone, and Elvis Presley. That research set the direction for the new brand.
We paired the hotel’s real history with a modern take on its most glamorous era, the 1920s. That informed a new logo, color palette, and custom Art Deco–inspired wallpaper, along with branding for the hotel’s steakhouse, Bridgman’s.
While renovations were underway, we turned construction fencing into a marketing asset, wrapping it in historical timeline graphics to tease what was coming. The reopening was marked by a Great Gatsby–themed ribbon-cutting for roughly 1,100–1,200 guests.
Advertising
Website
Social Media
Photography
Promotional
Environmental
Strategy
Copywriting
Hotels
The Read House reopened to strong local and visitor demand, quickly becoming a go-to destination for Chattanooga locals on weekend nights, not just overnight guests. This reception has been held for nearly a decade since.
year timeline of guests and events, researched from scratch
Agency of Record since the restoration was announced
disciplines delivered across the relaunch
“A modern-day version of an era remembered for its grandeur and opulence, celebrated again at the new Read House.”