NEW YORK—citizenM has attempted to revolutionize the hospitality experience for today’s mobile traveler with an emphasis on affordable luxury, technology and style at five hotels throughout the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Now, the Amsterdam-based company is expanding its international presence with the first citizenM hotel in the U.S.
Located near Times Square, citizenM New York represents one of two opportunities for the brand in the Big Apple. citizenM acquired two locations in Manhattan—one in the trendy Bowery and the other in Times Square. “Speed to market was crucial to us, and we thought Times Square could use some cool injected into it,” said Robin Chadha, chief marketing officer of citizenM. “We therefore chose to start with Times Square, and later this year, we will start construction on the 300-room Bowery property.”
The brand, which already has properties in Amsterdam, Glasgow, London and Rotterdam, is currently scouting for additional sites in Manhattan, as well as other destinations in the U.S. Potential locations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, DC and Miami.
In addition to the company’s U.S. pipeline, citizenM is exploring new opportunities in Europe and the Middle East. The brand will soon open its first property in Paris at Charles de Gaulle Airport and is close to securing additional city center sites in Paris. The company also has additional hotels confirmed for London and is close to signing a property in Istanbul.
Further expanding its global portfolio, citizenM recently signed a joint venture with the Artyzen Hospitality group for up to 50 hotels across Asia. The first location has been signed but not been released yet to the public at press time. “We are also preparing for a fact finding mission to South America to look for potential joint venture partners,” said Chadha.
Founded by Rattan Chadha, former owner and founder of Mexx International fashion company, citizenM caters to today’s mobile travelers, who are looking for affordable luxury in popular metropolitan cities. The letter “M” stands for “mobile,” as the hotel’s target demographic is characterized as “mobile citizens,” defined as contemporary, well-informed, influential, youthful and value conscious.
“We see this demographic as crucial and only growing as travel and technology becomes more accessible,” said Chadha. “Luxury for these new, modern travellers is about emotion, experience and efficiency. There are certain luxuries they will not compromise on but others they can do without. citizenM offers all this and more.”
Mobile citizens, Chadha added, represent a new generation of smart travelers. “They want a quick and efficient check-in, amazing beds, power rain showers and luxury amenities, technology that works, and free WiFi, phone calls and movies,” he said. “They also want 24-hour food and beverages. These are all things citizenM offers with an inspiring environment in amazing locations.”
Like the brand’s other properties, citizenM New York offers numerous amenities, including self check-in, highly customizable guestrooms through touchscreen MoodPads, communal workspace and Apple iMac stations, a design partnership with Swiss furniture brand Vitra, an outpost of Amsterdam’s well-known bookstore Mendo, several outdoor spaces, including a rooftop bar with panoramic views of Manhattan and canteen—a 24-hour grab and go-style cafeteria featuring an open kitchen with a full-service cocktail and coffee bar.
The development team for citizenM New York included citizenM Hotel and Brack Capital Real Estate. The design for the 80,000-sq.-ft., 21-story, 230-room hotel was a collaboration between Amsterdam-based design architect Concrete and New York City-based executive architect Montroy Andersen DeMarco. The preliminary design was completed in late 2010, and the final design was completed in 2011. Construction began in the summer of 2012, and the structure was topped out in 2013.
The hotel keeps with the chain’s aesthetic and branding as a whole. The design team focused on optimizing space and quality, while maintaining citizenM’s scale and design standards. The 2,300-sq.-ft. first floor houses a main lobby, 500-sq.-ft. seating area and public canteen with a multi-sectional modular sofa with leather skirting and chrome steel details, and a 300-sq.-ft. bar. The lobby acts as a central hub for guests with an oversized living room design and 26-ft. ceilings.
The design of the hotel brings together various unique elements. The elevator core is clad in black granite engraved with oversized human silhouettes with engraving filled in with gold leaf, a commissioned art installation by Julian Opie. To the west of the main entrance on West 50th Street, the design team incorporated a one-story-high concrete feature wall with the citizenM logo embedded in it, surrounded by flash glass windows. Above the glass-enclosed main entrance are seven large, bell-shaped light fixtures, mirrored by identical fixtures installed inside the lobby.
Overall, citizenM strives to deliver extremely high customer satisfaction and service. “The way citizenM operates hotels is via ambassadors,” said Chadha. “There is no hierarchy thus all ambassadors know the check-in systems, are all expert baristas and cocktail mixologists. Their only role is to provide customer satisfaction to ensure the best experience for the guest.”
In striving to revolutionize the hospitality experience for today’s modern mobile traveler, citizenM has re-interpreted the entire model of the hospitality experience. The brand follows the latest lifestyle trends that are relevant to guests. “We understand our customers, and know where they spend their time, both on and offline,” said Chadha. “The design of our hotels, the living room concept, our 24-hour canteenM, our room design and the advanced technology we use all contribute to this transformational product.”
As opposed to defining its competitive set with other luxury hotel brands, citizenM competes geographically on price but also, more widely, on lifestyle. Depending on the city, the brand’s competitive sets differ. “I believe our brand offers true value and true experience for the guest,” said Chadha. “It is hospitality re-invented, and we try to stay ahead of the competition by staying close to our customers and continuously enhancing our product and services.”
After identifying the affordable luxury movement, citizenM designed its hotel brand around this movement and its consumers. “The movement started early on when H&M launched its first collaborative collection with Karl Lagerfeld; this was a revolution for the fashion industry,” said Chadha. “Today, the consumer travels by train but drinks champagne. They wear ripped jeans and a T-shirt from the Gap but also an expensive Rolex on their wrist.”
According to citizenM, the brand’s consumers purchase products they find important to their lifestyle. As a result, the company offers a commissioned contemporary art collection throughout its hotels to add to the experience and discovery. Technology plays a vital role to the guest experience, and the brand has developed an in-room tablet that controls the entire ambient experience in the room. “From the ambient lighting to the digital art frame, it has all been designed to be simple and easy to use,” added Chadha.