Debora Szpilman Checks In at The Webster

Debora SzpilmanHospitality and Travel Illustration
Written By Dutch Uncle

For The Webster hotels, Debora Szpilman created brand illustrations for a new identity designed by 01-20 Studio.

The project centres on “the magic of presence,” a brand idea shaped by hospitality, literature, conversation and place. 01-20 Studio built the identity around The Webster’s history, including a reference to Gabriel García Márquez, who stayed at the original Webster Hotel in New York.

The Webster has hotels in Covent Garden, London, and Times Square, New York. The London address is 62 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JW, beside the city’s largest public square. The New York hotel is listed at 38 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036, close to Times Square and Midtown. The name refers to the historic Webster Hotel on West 45th Street, a 1902 building with a place in literary history. Gabriel García Márquez stayed there with his family in 1961. The brand uses that connection to link hospitality with writing, culture and social life.

Photography: Murray Orr

Debora’s commission gives the brand a clear illustrated voice across print, digital, motion and guest-facing materials. Her work sits within a wider visual system that includes typography, photography by Murray Orr, and hotel collateral.

The result is a thoughtful piece of hospitality illustration, where Debora helps The Webster feel literary, social and specific. A good room, as ever, comes with a little room for wonder.

The Illustrations by Debora Szpilman

Credits

Design: 01-20 Studio
Brand: The Webster Hotels
Illustration: Debora Szpilman
Photography: Murray Orr

Further Reading

Dutch Uncle

Dutch Uncle is an award-winning international illustration and animation agency founded in 2006 by Helen Cowley. With offices in London, New York, and Tokyo, we operate across every major timezone, connecting the world's most ambitious brands with exceptional global creative talent.

Over nearly two decades, Dutch Uncle have built one of the most decorated artist rosters in the industry. Our artists have produced Gold Clio and Cannes Lions award-winning work for clients spanning fashion, luxury, fintech, tech, healthcare, and publishing. We have collaborated on prestige illustration and animation projects for global leaders, including Hermès, Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Rimowa, as well as Apple, Google, Mercedes, Netflix, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, The New York Times.

We represent illustrators and animation directors who lead their fields in conceptual thinking, visual intelligence, and craft. Artists whose work cuts through algorithmic sameness to deliver genuine cultural impact.

Beyond our core roster, we also draw on an international network of talent across five continents to meet the scale and complexity of any brief.

Dutch Uncle operates as a full-service creative production partner, managing everything from artist sourcing and briefing through to licensing, copyright, animation production, and final delivery.

We specialise in complex, multi-market projects that demand creative precision and seamless execution. Whether that is a single editorial commission, a suite of high-impact social media assets, or a global animated campaign.

For nearly twenty years, the world's leading agencies, publishers, cultural institutions, and brands have trusted us to bring their most ambitious work to life.

https://www.dutchuncle.co.uk
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