Hotel Brummell is an urban oasis created by friends. It’s off the beaten track, yet an easy walk to the city, mountain, or sea. The 20-room boutique hotel embodies a new concept dubbed ‘tropical modernism’ – a magical combination of exotic elements and Nordic style without losing the connection to its Mediterranean origins. The result is a laidback and casual place to hang out, rest, and indulge.
Brummell’s music identity reflects the hotel’s innovative trademark concept of casual luxury with a twist: a mix of feel-good indie pop, modern chanteuses, and soulful grooves blended with notes of tropical sounds mirroring its Sri Lankan-inspired interior design. It welcomes people from near and far into its friendly, warm environment.
“We think Barcelona is a city full of contrasts: urban and natural, chaotic and calm, casual and cosmopolitan. Thanks to Movement, we were also able to translate these impressions into our perfect soundtrack.”
– Christian Schallert, Founder
Developing a Cohesive Sound
Prior to partnering with Movement, the hotel’s music was disjointed and disconnected from the tropical oasis vibe of the space. Whoever was working reception would play whatever Spotify playlist they wanted “from heavy metal to Britney Spears to mainstream sounds or to very alternative,” hotel founder Christian Schallert shared. “There was no identity, we definitely needed an external agency to take care of that. The process since has been lovely.”
The hotel’s staff enjoy being able to share their feedback and participate in creating the perfect soundtrack. Their tailored music programming is designed day by day, hour by hour to set the right mood of the hotel, but sometimes the mood of the environment changes unexpectedly. When the situation calls for it, “reception can choose what type of music to listen to based on the current mood of the hotel. The interface is very interactive and easy to navigate,” Schallert said.
“Movement is one of the best provider relationships we have. They’ve been to the space, we have barbecues in the garden together, they understand us. It’s been amazing getting to know these professionals who love their job.”
– Christian Schallert
Spotify Music Channel
Since 2017, we have carefully developed the concept and layout of the Hotel Brummell music channel. It was a collaborative process from the beginning between our team and Christian Schallert, who is not only an enthusiastic entrepreneur but also a passionate music lover.
Every month, we share our ideas with him and he provides feedback and specific song suggestions. It’s always a discussion that works the other way too. The final song compilation, with buzzing new releases that reflect and expand the music universe, is published on Spotify and promoted on all of their social media channels. This also allows them to connect with musicians locally and around the world, Schallert shared, “I’m tagging the artists on social media, and they’re talking back to me commenting on the posts. They’re happy that they’re included in our top ten picks, and quite a lot of musicians propose to be included in future editions.”
Music Editorial
As part of their business strategy, Brummell decided to go one step further. That’s why we developed a branded monthly music editorial strategy for their guests, fans, neighbours, partners, and supporters. The editorial includes a popular newsletter informing followers about Brummell’s music channel activities, what’s currently playing at the hotel, and other relevant music news from near and far.
The music editorial turned out to be an effective way to stay connected with the hotel’s community throughout the COVID-19 quarantine periods. For example, “Movement continued to provide our personalised editorial even though the hotel was closed. We were thrilled because we wanted to be positive and to let our subscribers know that we are here. Even as this crisis is happening, we’re still thinking about our music selections and our community,” Schallert reflected.
He continued, “In general, it’s such a great thing to talk about music because everyone likes it, especially our travelers who visit and are delighted to know the new musical trends and up-and-coming artists from Spain. It’s great to receive the feedback from our newsletter subscribers.”
“We don’t have to talk about the hotel to build brand awareness. I think it’s more effective and fun to talk about the common language that is music.”
– Christian Schallert
Music Curation for Events
What would a lively and colourful place like Brummell be without well-thought events? In the past, Brummell’s Market Editions were not only popular because of their excellent choices of up and coming Barcelona-based designers and brands that showcase one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothing, bags, illustrations, and decorative objects but also because of the fun vibe that was created by a great selection of food, drinks, and Movement music.
For each Market Edition, we focused on a musical direction, curated a custom playlist plus collaborated with other curators, music labels, DJs, and artists to design the perfect event soundtrack.