The Dutch brand expands its reach with two colourful, design-led hotels in the US
Photography courtesy of citizenM featuring the hotel’s Miami location
Words by Claudia Baillie
Since its launch in 2008, ‘affordable luxury’ has remained the focus for award-winning Dutch hotel brand citizenM, and with new properties recently opened in Miami and Chicago – expanding its current portfolio to 29 – this has proved to be a winning approach.
Offering modern travellers ‘everything they need and nothing they don’t’, the compact and contemporary prefabricated rooms by Amsterdam-based multidisciplinary design firm Concrete remain the same at every hotel and are optimised for relaxation with a wall-to-wall king-size bed, a jetlag-busting shower, superfast Wi-Fi and an HD TV with streaming capabilities as well as a ‘MoodPad’ tablet to control the lighting, temperature, blinds and entertainment.
Where the hotels do differ however, are on the exteriors and in their communal areas, which are styled not only with classic pieces by the company’s furniture partner Vitra but with a carefully curated selection of artworks, many by local artists.
In the Miami location, a 252-room property in Brickell, the city’s buzzing financial district, this translates into five dynamic murals by Miami born and raised artist Jen Stark, which come together to create an unmissable totem on the building’s façade. ‘Cosmic Connection’ takes its inspiration from the shapes and patterns found in the natural world, filling the public space with waves of hypnotic colour.
Photography courtesy of citizenM featuring the hotel’s Miami location
Inside the hotel in the ground floor entrance, which also functions as a gallery space, ‘Good Life’, a graphic commissioned work by London-based artist Lakwena Maciver greets guests, while in the main lobby pieces by Guyanese American artist Theresa Chromati, New-York-based artist Leigh Ruple and Austrian American photographer Marco Walker are just some of the works that add colour to the vibrant interior.
In addition, 10 local artists were selected via an open call and their lively work, all of which is inspired by the creators love for the city, is showcased throughout the guest rooms.
Boasting a spacious living room style lobby, eight societyM meeting rooms, canteenM, which serves food and drinks throughout the day and night, a terrace and a 24/7 gym, Miami Brickell is also home to the brand’s first rooftop pool and bar, and going forward, January 2023 will see yet another art-filled property, Miami World Center, this time on the coast near Biscayne Bay.
Almost 2000 miles north of the Florida location, citizenM Chicago Downtown is a newly constructed, 280 room hotel designed by Chicago’s bKL Architecture in collaboration with Concrete. Putting the property firmly on the design map, Chicago native Nina Chanel Abney, known for her large-scale, geometric murals was commissioned to transform the building’s 2,000 square foot exterior terrace and entrance walls with the abstract ‘Chi Chi Frou Frou’, which takes its cues from Chicago’s nickname, Chi-Town.
Photography courtesy of citizenM featuring the hotel’s Chicago location
Moving inside, the interiors are hung with a selection of work including ‘Mystery is the promise…’ by Vienna-based Muntean/Rosenblum, which dominates the downstairs lobby, as well as ‘Red Black Pink Amoeba by Dutch artist Bob Eikelboom. Here, citizenM also partnered with ArtLifting, a platform supporting local artists experiencing a variety of challenges from disabilities to homelessness, via income through the sale of their work.
These pieces by creators Alex Scott, Kenneth Williams, Sheila Smith and Ted Gram-Boarini can be found throughout the guest rooms. A 24/7 gym, a relaxed living room with designated working areas, a terrace, three societyM meeting rooms and round the clock food and drink from canteenM complete the comprehensive offering.
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