The hospitality sector suffered badly over the pandemic with travel coming to an almost complete standstill. Rattan Chada, Founder at citizenM admits that these were dark days for the hotel chain, but says that as customers begin to come back, their behavior is changed:

“One of the things we see after the pandemic is people are staying longer in the hotels. They're combining work with leisure. Instead of staying two days in a hotel, they're staying three or four days and they want everything with one click. Most hotels are not ready for that. citizenM has developed a whole new technology which means that you can check in at home, select your room, order food, and do everything, almost contactless. That's where we are resonating with our new generation of customers.”

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citizenM started in 2008 at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and has grown rapidly to a company of 30 hotels around Europe and North America, plus the beginnings of an expansion into Asia. As well as operating their hotels, citizenM also owns the majority of the real estate, giving huge control over the customer experience, as Robin Chada, CMO at citizenM explains:

“We create impact through our amazing design, architecture, and styling with our furniture partner Vitra. We have our fragrance identity and a sonic identity. Art also plays a significant role. And last but not least, the Ambassadors really make the place come to life. All those things together are exceeding guest expectations. And then the kicker of course, is the price. When we launched there were no other affordable luxury hotel companies. Now you see many followers.”

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Jennifer Cruz, Ambassador at citizenM, explains her role:

“An Ambassador is someone who's the face of the company. We're trained to do coffee, to do bar, to be at the front desk. We see the guests throughout their entire stay. We get to know them on a more personal level, being that this will be their home away from home, we make them feel comfortable.”

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Robin Chada says that the company has a tradition of using technology to enhance the experience for guests:

“Since our inception, we have had technology to ensure that guests have a fluid journey: a one minute checkout and a one minute check in. Since then, we've evolved and upgraded our technology to offer our customers their app, which bypasses check in altogether. We have a tablet in every room that allows you to control ambient lighting, blackout curtain, temperature and television. We also have preset moods. If you want to battle fatigue or jet leg, if you want to be sharp for a meeting, we've worked with neuroscientists in creating soundscapes and lighting to enhance your mood.”

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Among all these innovations, the company’s attitude to art is what makes each hotel truly unique. citizenM has a stated aim of becoming a platform for artists, from the specially-commissioned facades to individual artworks in public spaces.

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Robin Chada says that citizenM has commissioned over 150 works of art - and they can be found everywhere:

“Not only on the exterior, but also interior walls on ceilings, on carpets. Every single citizenM room has two pieces of art, especially commissioned by local artists. And we keep on pushing the boundary with art. And I think it's a key differentiator between us and other hotel companies as well.”

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In New York, CcitizenM has become more than a hotel - it has become a home to the city’s street art culture following the destruction of 5 Pointz, Queens, which had been a focal point for artists. Marie Cecil Flage, Curator at MoSA says that citizenM had the right

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“Originally citizenM approached us because they knew about the loss of 5 Pointz collective and at our first meeting, they gave us an idea of what they wanted to do. And we didn't want to do it. The answer was: okay, what would you want to do? How would you want to do it? And it became a wonderful, beautiful partnership.”

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For Rattan Chada there is no more “beautiful partnerships” than the one between hospitality, art and technology:

“I think the future of travel is only going to grow. Everybody can travel and they want to travel, especially in the major cities. But overall, I think our focus is not only opening hotels, but improving the experience to become like a one click hotel where we make your hotel stay as easy as possible.”