Proactive Solutions Create a Seamless Signage Experience

With attention to detail and responsive project management, ASI fixes issues before they become problems for our clients.

Hotels constantly have consumers moving in and out of its space, and hotel signs serve many purposes. The design, functionality, and clarity of signage connects consumers to the hotel’s brand, directs guests where to go, and keeps guests safe with emergency instructions.

ASI recently completed a complete signage package for the Element by Westin hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa. This modern hotel is committed to eco-friendly practices and healthy living. ASI’s goal was to match the hotel’s sleek style and focus on sustainability. The hotel’s complex series of signage required ASI’s hands-on approach to design, manufacturing, quality-control, and installation.

Illuminated, Custom Branded Exterior Signage

Drawing colors from the Element hotel’s logo, the exterior aluminum and acrylic signs are dark gray with pops of lime green. LED illumination is a savvy choice with low-energy costs and minimal maintenance.

Luckily, ASI signage experts were engaged early in the process. A potential issue was identified with an exterior illuminated letter set and craft a solution before it became an expensive problem for the client. Directly behind the letters of the exterior sign with the hotel’s name was a guest room. To avoid interrupting the guests’ experience with bulky transformer boxes, ASI was able to mobilize several months early in the overall construction process & install all secondary LED wiring necessary for the illumination and relocate the transformers to an interior hallway. This solution allows easy access to the transformer box without impeding on a guest’s space.

Sleek & Attractive Wayfinding Signage

Sign placement and messaging are critical to wayfinding signage within the hotel. With local project managers onsite, ASI signage experts could adapt signage from the original architectural plans to match the elements in the finished product. For example, a grassy courtyard design was updated during construction, and instead of placing the sign in the middle of a new sidewalk, ASI was able to update the location and install it in the best place.

The signs also had to blend seamlessly with the hotel’s smart, stylish look. Laser etching on frosted acrylic that appears to float over a bamboo backdrop provides directional signage that suits the modern spa-like feel of the hotel.

Fire Code Compliant Emergency Exit Signage

Between the design phase and completed construction on the hotel, ASI discovered that fire code regulations had changed in West Des Moines in 2017. They were able to make design changes, update the signage placement plan, and install the correct fire code information on a multitude of signs throughout the building. This proactive solution saved the client time and stress.

“Having a partner that is willing to run with signage on a hospitality project in a turnkey fashion is critical for us, says Dave Thorpe, Managing Director, Design & Construction.

It’s beneficial to clients to have local project managers and professional installers working with architects and contractors early in the process to help identify and address issues to prevent frustrating delays later on during construction. Solving issues before they become a problem for the client is how ASI’s commitment to excellence distinguishes itself from the rest of the industry.