In a hotel café, branding is not just about the drink menu or customer service—it starts at the wall. Before guests glance at a croissant or hear the hum of an espresso machine, they see the sign, and in that moment, they start making decisions. Sheraton Hotel in Carlsbad understood this unspoken interaction and didn’t gamble on something generic. Instead, they called North Coast Signs, based in Vista, CA, to fabricate and install custom acrylic dimensional letters that aligned with their visual standard, brand palette, and the hospitality experience they promised every day.
Exact Color, Unmistakable Confidence
The letters were fabricated from ¼” thick acrylic, giving the wall presence, polish, and subtle dimensional depth without overwhelming the surrounding space. We color-matched the material precisely to Pantone 534c Blue, Sheraton’s specified shade, because no hospitality brand aiming for consistency should ever settle for “close enough.” This wasn’t just signage; it was a visual affirmation that every detail was curated. Guests never asked if the branding was correct—they felt the alignment. When a brand looks exact, it earns immediate trust, and when it earns trust before a word is spoken, the rest of the experience gets easier.
Matte Isn’t Just a Finish—It’s a Brand Strategy
Glossy letters reflect poorly—literally and metaphorically—especially in public spaces with mixed lighting conditions, glass, and camera flash. That’s why we finished this installation in matte, which absorbs glare, photographs cleanly, and delivers elegance without distraction. Matte isn’t a downgrade; it is restraint that reads as confidence. This finish allowed every guest to see the letters clearly from every angle, without reflection or eye strain, while reinforcing the premium feel of the hotel. In design-conscious hospitality spaces, matte is not just the safe choice—it is the sophisticated one.
Installation That Disappears Into the Architecture
The final café sign measured 35.5 inches wide by 15 inches tall, and each acrylic character was mounted with a stud or VHB application depending on surface tension, spacing, and material behind the wall. Using a custom-cut template, we aligned every letter with zero tolerance for drift, offset, or slant, ensuring the installation felt engineered, not improvised. The signage didn’t stick out like an afterthought; it settled into the space as if the room had been designed around it. Guests might not remember the spacing, but they’ll remember how the room made them feel—and they’ll feel the difference when every element aligns.
This Isn’t Just Typography—It’s Architecture in Letters
Lettering isn’t a label, and in high-end hospitality, it’s not simply a directional tool either—it is an atmosphere setter, a tone starter, and a quiet promise of what’s to come. At the Sheraton Hotel’s café in Carlsbad, the sign wasn’t just a marker for coffee; it was the first signal of brand alignment. It told guests that this space was thought through, that the experience would be consistent, and that the visual story didn’t start at the front desk—it started at the wall. When signage is executed like this, it fades into function, which is the highest compliment it can receive.
If the Sign Feels Like an Add-On, the Experience Starts on the Wrong Foot
If you are operating a café or hospitality venue in Carlsbad, and your signage looks like it was installed as an afterthought, then your branding is already lagging behind your service. North Coast Signs, located in Vista, CA, creates custom dimensional signage that brings visual credibility, architectural integration, and brand consistency into every inch of your space. Call (760) 536-5454 to upgrade your signage before it becomes the one detail your guests can’t unsee.
