Mr & Mrs Smith extends the family with Goosebumps

James Lohan, co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith, said: “We’d always planned to extend our service beyond romantic breaks to include offerings for families, groups and business travellers.

“But we’d struggled to find a way of adding these new types of property without damaging what the Mr & Mrs Smith brand stands for: it’s a sexy, flirtatious brand aimed at couples. We’ve had a lot of fun building a cheeky tone of voice with a hint of innuendo – which feels very wrong when selling holidays to families or accommodation to business travellers.

“When Goosebumps came up with the idea, it made total sense. Here was not only a way of expanding the business without damaging our prized asset, but also the possibility of creating four new products, with the potential to add to our company’s commercial value dramatically.”

Mr & Mrs Smith is now one of the four sub-brands carrying equal weighting – with the other areas being Smith & Family, for families; Smith & Friends for groups; and Smith & Co for business accommodation.

Simon Cotterrell, founder of Goosebumps, said: “The Smith brand is based on a very simple principle.

“It’s all about leaving nothing to chance, guaranteeing the perfect hotel experience, for people who don’t have the time or the patience to get it wrong. When James started the company, it was the result of his difficulty finding the perfect hotel to help him woo his co-founder (now wife) Tamara. That desire for perfection is a value that can go way beyond couples.”

“As any parent will tell you, finding hotels that cater for children while allowing parents to have some well-earned pampering time is no easy task. So although the motivations are different, the desire to find the perfect hotel experience is exactly the same. The extension of the brand makes total sense, but it had to be done in a way that allowed each element to have its own distinct character.”