The new wave of hotels owes a great deal to him. CitizenMwith its establishment opened in 2008 at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, launched this generation of establishments which is flourishing with its limited size rooms, but compensated by vast lobbies filled with long tables d'hôte and design objects and sofas. The hotel inaugurated in June at Parisin the La Défensebehind the Grande Arche and directly opposite the future Arena, is no exception to the rule.
The lobby, which continues onto a large terrace, features furniture selected by Vitra, including iconic pieces by Jean Prouvé and Charles and Ray Eames. The 175 roomsThe 17 m² rooms, all identical, are aimed at frequent travellers looking for the essentials above all else: a good bed - 2 m in this case - a large walk-in shower and the latest technology with a iPad mini controlling the home automation of the room. There's also a self-check-in counter to retrieve the room key in a very simple way.
Start AugustBusiness travellers will find a similar setting, as trendy as ever, with the conversion of a former office building linked to the Gare de Lyon station by a footbridge. A special feature of the facility is that one of its five meeting rooms can be used for meetings. panoramic view of Paris. "We have evolved our concept and are increasingly offering seminar facilities in our hotels."says Robin Chadha, Managing Director of Marketing. This is the case in London and Amsterdam, but also at La Défense.
Heading for Asia and the United States
As well as Paris, CitizenM is also putting the heading for Asia with the opening of a first hotel in Taipei on 1 July, followed by Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur in 2018. While some twenty hotels are expected to be built in the major cities of South-East Asia, the brand's future lies mainly on the other side of the Atlantic, with construction underway in Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and a second CitizenM at New York. Copenhagen and Zurich will also see the emergence of this pioneering brand.
