Why some of today’s leading hospitality brands are completely making things up… and connecting with guests

We’re all told that authenticity is the key to connecting with today’s travellers. We need to keep it real, at least that’s what 97 percent of consumers said when asked about authenticity in a recent Clutch research.

Cue marketing directors spending countless hours and vast budgets trying to unearth the hidden historical narratives of their historic properties. There era heritage plaques to commission, cocktails to name after local historical figures, and the painstaking work to restore the exposed brickwork that proves their genuine connection to the neighbourhood.

But would a complete work of fiction work just as well? 

What happens when, instead of relying on the real-world history of a building, you build your entire luxury brand around a wild, maximalist, and completely fabricated fairytale?

Meet Cristine Bedfor. She is an avid reader, a tireless traveller, and the daughter of a Spanish diplomat. She spent her childhood on a mythical, drifting island called Clementine, floating somewhere between the African coast and the Strait of Gibraltar.

She is also entirely fictional.

Cristine is the English alter-ego of Spanish entrepreneur Cristina Lozano, the founder of the Cristine Bedfor boutique hotels - which has properties in Malaga, Menorca and Seville. 

Instead of relying strictly on the authentic history of her beautiful heritage properties, Lozano chose a wildly ambitious path: using an over-the-top fictional character as the anchor for her brand's aesthetic, operations, and guest experience.

And she’s not the only one. There is actually a whole cohort of hospitality brands creating their own stories to connect with guests. Along the way, they’re giving us all a masterclass in modern hospitality brand building. And showing that fiction can sometimes feel far more authentic than corporate reality.

How OTT storytelling can give you commercial leverage

Creating a fictional backstory may seem like a quirky creative exercise. But it can actually work as an effective commercial strategy - and it solves some major operational challenges for independent hotel groups.

1. It creates an unbreakable brand thread

When you operate boutique hotels across distinct destinations - perhaps with different styles of buildings or some in cities and others on the coast - maintaining a cohesive vibe is hard. If they all feature similar design, t can all feel a bit “cookie cutter”. If they’re all entirely different, what’s teh thread that binds them together? 

For Cristine Bedfor, the character of Cristine acts as the brand’s unifying anchor. Because the overarching ethos is that you are visiting the curated home of an eccentric, well-travelled friend, the brand feels cohesive regardless of the geographic coordinates. The narrative transcends the location.

2. It dictates a distinct design language

A strong fictional narrative gives interior designers complete artistic freedom. There are no restraints or restrictions.

For Cristine Bedfor, designer Marta de la Rica translated the fictional character's background into a maximalist daydream. The spaces are defined by bold burgundies, striped skirts on sinks, vintage ceramics, and curated antiques. 

Even the restaurant in the Málaga property is designed as a tribute to Cristine’s fictional horse-loving friend, Anne, leaning heavily into equestrian aesthetics. The fiction directly informs the physical reality, resulting in a design language that cannot be easily replicated by competitors.

3. It builds deep emotional resonance

We all know that facts inform, but stories connect. The storytelling at Cristine Bedfor is so immersive and meticulously detailed that the hotel provides actual books detailing the adventures of the characters within its universe. 

In a sign that the story works, Malaga’s hotel manager told us that guests often take these books home, carrying a physical piece of the brand’s fictional world back to their own living rooms. 

When hospitality is overflowing with generic “barefoot luxury” offerings, creating an imaginative, tangible narrative is a massive differentiator - even if it’s not based on fact.

The other hospitality brands creating fictional narratives

It may seem an unusual approach to building a brand, but Cristine Bedfor is far from alone. There are other brands in the hospitality sector creating their own fictional stories so they have a solid brand thread across multiple properties. 

Mama Shelter: The eccentric matriarch archetype

While Cristine Bedfor has buit out a detailed biography of its protagonist, this hotel brand - now majority owned by Accor, through Enniscore - has created a powerful archetype. 

It was a brand originally founded by the Trigano family (of Club Med fame) and brought to life by designer Philippe Starck. Each Mama Shelter property reflects the persona of an eccentric, protective, and slightly cheeky matriarch.

You’ll see that mama persona reflected in the intentionally chaotic, playful design elements - the foosball tables in the lobbies, superhero masks as lampshades etc. It’s also upheld by the messaging. As a guest, you’ll find playful "Mama loves you" and "Mama has your bed ready" communications in each hotel. 

It means the brands can drop into any city in the world and still remain part of a cohesive identity. The premise is always the same: Mama has moved into town, and she is throwing a dinner party.

Room Mate Hotels: The fictional friend

Another Spanish brand, the Room Mate hotel chain has taken that “visiting a friend” concept and buit it into the brand identity. 

The premise of the whole brand is the idea of staying with a fictional local. Each hotel is named after a character (Mario in Madrid, Giulia in Milan, Aitana in Amsterdam) with a distinct personality, profession, and design aesthetic to match. 

It allows what is really a mid-range hotel chain to completely bypasses the cold, corporate tone that so many lifestyle hotels fall into, and immediately creates a unique atmosphere for each property, while remaining part of a cohesive brand. 

The Beaumont: The fictional founder

It’s not just hotel chains that have decide to embrace fictional storytelling to build a brand. What do you do when your sleek new property used to be a Selfridge’s parking garage? 

When The Beaumont opened in London’s Mayfair in 2014, it didn’t have a fabulous architectural backstory to rely on. So hospitality legends Chris Corbin and Jeremy King created a fictional founder called Jimmy Beaumont. 

A entire backstory was created. A former manager of New York’s Plaza hotel, Jimmy fled Prohition.era America fro London t open his own hotel. The story is reflected through the 1920s Art Deco design, there’s a glamorous transatlantic feel to it al. And the story even open up brand partnerships - such as one with Savile Row tailors to create a capsule wardrobe inspired by Jimmy.

The story gives the property soul, a sense of place and a historic feel. You’re buying into the tale of Jimmy - despite the fact he is completely fictionalised. 

So how can fiction outperform corporate reality?

We’re all so focused on being authentic, that sometimes we forget the role imagination can play in travel. The hospitality industry and world of travel actually invite the chance to be creative. We’re not working as accountants or lawyers, we have the opportunity to build brands that are emotional. 

When an independent hotel relies entirely on the fact that its building was constructed in 1885, it is relying on a static fact that a guest can read once on a bronze plaque and immediately forget. It is authentic, but it can feel a bit sterile.

But if you lean into a playful, fictional persona, you have the chance to explore it in different ways through the guest experience you offer. It creates and emotional hook people can connect with, a universe to immerse themselves in and a story for them to tell their friends. 

If you opt for a fictional tale, it needs to be executed with absolute, uncompromised commitment. But when done right, it’s more welcoming than a historic building that’s lacking soul. 

Have you defined your brand narrative?

Are you relying on static facts to sell your rooms, or are you inviting your guests into a compelling narrative? Sometimes, you can feel like you’ve created your brand and focused on what you stand for, but have you ensured that it can be levied and felt through every touchpoint?

At Peregryn, we help independent hospitality brands move beyond generic luxury standards to craft highly distinct, commercially viable brand identities. Whether rooted in deep local heritage or a brilliantly crafted fictional universe, we ensure your story connects with high-intent travellers and drives direct revenue.

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