In early 2025, Marriott introduced that it was buying “progressive way of life model” CitizenM for $355 million — and now these lodges have formally built-in into the Marriott Bonvoy reserving platform.
Based in 2005 as an impartial lodge model, CitizenM’s CEO, Lennert de Jong, advised TPG that CitizenM has all the time handled its model like an actual residing individual. “We have been a child, then we managed to have the child survive its first years, the primary lodges,” de Jong mentioned. “Then we grew to become a toddler [with] an occasional tantrum: You recognize, what are we going to do with this model? How is it going to work in New York?”
With over 35 lodges open all over the world and the chance to hitch the world’s largest loyalty program, it is secure to say CitizenM raised that youngster proper. “And now,” he mentioned, “it is time to ship off our lovely teenage lady to school.”
Over the previous couple of years, Marriott (together with all the opposite main lodge manufacturers) has been snatching up way of life manufacturers left and proper. So, it wasn’t a shock to see CitizenM be a part of the combo, particularly contemplating the size of the model and its properties in prime places and classy neighborhoods throughout cities like London, New York Metropolis, Paris and past.
However past what de Jong calls “superior places,” what actually units the model aside is its vibe, its ethos and its distinctive, tech-forward and streamlined strategy to lodges.
“We [named] our model after cell residents, those that journey lots, and we seemed on the frustration that the folks have,” de Jong defined. “We give attention to the issues that actually matter and we take away the issues that frustrate you.”
For starters, the check-in expertise is fast and environment friendly. It typically depends on a painless self-check-in mannequin by way of a touchscreen kiosk.
Slightly than a conventional foyer, company will discover a vibrant residing room-like house with loads of seating, tons of visually interesting parts, video games, books and a bar-restaurant dubbed CanteenM. The intention behind this house, described in its advertising and marketing as “curated chaos,” is to make company assume: “Wow, I need to invite a pal over right here to hang around with me.”
The visitor rooms at CitizenM are additionally a bit unconventional. Beforehand, TPG described the rooms as small and slim however enjoyable and practical. Visitors will discover an enormous mattress usually pushed towards a big window framing an Instagram-worthy view; there can even be a TV on the wall, storage underneath the mattress, a really small rest room and bathe hidden behind an opaque wall, and a small sink space within the main house. For probably the most half, these rooms are cookie-cutter throughout the entire model’s lodges. It is secure to say they are not for everybody, however everybody ought to give them an opportunity.
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The bedrooms are supposed to be effectively designed and aesthetically nice, de Jong defined. And whereas they’re small, de Jong argues that if they’ve all these nice design qualities, does dimension actually matter? Whenever you’re in your home, “You exit of your bed room, you go right into a lounge and also you make your self a cup of espresso. It would not matter what time of the day it’s, you get one thing out of the fridge,” he mentioned. “And that is how I might describe what CitizenM does.”
At present’s CitizenM company run the gamut, from highway warriors clocking dozens of nights per yr and staying close to main enterprise districts to the cool youngsters who journey the world to sip espresso and cocktails on this planet’s hippest neighborhoods. Having the ability to welcome each varieties of company — and everybody in between — was very a lot by design.
“I believe it is actually plenty of manufacturers — effectively, possibly not even manufacturers — plenty of experiences that you’ve every single day are type of vanilla as a result of they attempt to be every thing, or, you already know, they attempt to be one thing for everybody,” he mentioned. “Whereas CitizenM tries to be every thing for somebody.”
Now with Marriott Bonvoy’s attain of over 230 million members, that “somebody” is about to be an entire lot of “someones.” However do not count on a conventional Marriott Bonvoy expertise at CitizenM properties: The character of the model requires a novel strategy to becoming a member of a conventional loyalty program.
“Bonvoy members are used to a differentiated expertise. Whether or not you examine right into a Ritz-Carlton or a Moxy, you already know, they’re distinct experiences, and the best way that you simply get your advantages may barely in a different way per property, however general, the advantages are the identical, proper?” de Jong mentioned.
Nonetheless, since CitizenM makes use of a streamlined and tech-centric self-check-in course of, the model’s laptop programs will deal with all of the work for members by means of a specifically designed program that hyperlinks CitizenM and Marriott Bonvoy. There, company with elite standing can select totally different room classes (assume: a high-floor room on the towering CitizenM Bowery New York) or a food and drinks credit score for use at CanteenM.
“We’re gonna attempt to preserve as a lot of our pleasant, human ambassador strategy [as possible]. However on the identical time, we’re going to acknowledge transactional obligations we have now towards each totally different standing throughout the [Marriott Bonvoy] ecosystem.”
Marriott Bonvoy members can even earn elite evening credit (on qualifying stays) and the usual variety of Marriott Bonvoy factors (plus extra for greater elites). They’re going to additionally obtain different customary advantages at CitizenM’s properties all over the world.
On the time of writing, award pricing at well-liked CitizenM places fluctuates with Marriott Bonvoy’s dynamic pricing. Whereas it appears that evidently some properties are nonetheless importing award availability, TPG discovered nights at CitizenM London Shoreditch (a private favourite) from 40,000 factors per evening and CitizenM Paris Opera as excessive as 67,000 factors per evening.
Now, solely time will inform if de Jong and his workforce despatched their youngster to the suitable “school” — and whether or not Marriott Bonvoy loyalists will take to the unconventional model.
Curious to know if he had a favourite property that may seal the deal for newcomers to CitizenM, de Jong shortly mentioned, “It is all the time tough. It is like, ‘Who’s your favourite youngster,’ you already know?” However nonetheless, he had various good issues to say in regards to the model’s Paris and New York Metropolis places. We’ll definitely be checking them out as quickly as we will.
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