Context
Idaho’s Schweitzer Mountain Resort partnered with Seattle’s Little Hands of Stone for a creative re-fresh that would draw more Washington residents. A key part of this effort was to name the boutique hotel that would become the centerpiece of its newly re-imagined ski village. They needed a meaningful, memorable, “it could only be Schweitzer” name for the hotel and its restaurant.

Solution
LORE led the hunt for a name that would entice Washingtonians to make the long drive to Schweitzer yet make local Idahoans proud. The sweet spot: an unexpected name that invites discovery, has a sense of story, and is inspired by the history of Schweitzer and the Sandpoint area. SMR ran with the name Humbird — inspired by Humbird Lumber Company, the lifeblood of Sandpoint’s economy and community in the early 1900s.

Impact
Humbird opened during the 2022/2023 winter season to well-deserved fanfare and debuted its restaurant and bar, Crow’s Bench, also named as a tribute to local history. (During the Wild West days, “the Crow’s Bench” was an outdoor spot in Hope, Idaho, where hard-working locals gathered to talk, drink and scuffle with a view of the railtracks below.) The hotel and restaurant are thriving. Their success helped position SMR to sell its resort operations to Alterra in summer, 2023.

Why It Works
Schweitzer Mountain Resort chose names that appeal to both new and existing customers, retaining all that’s good about the beloved brand while defining new territory. The names Humbird and Crow’s Bench threaded a complicated needle, pleasing three distinct constituencies: management, Washington skiers, and locals. The names are intriguing, memorable, and give the hotel and restaurant truly interesting tales to tell.