The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
In an industry where bigger often seems to mean better, citizenM hotels are proving that luxury doesn’t need to come in oversized packages.
The Netherlands-based hotel and lifestyle brand continues to grow rapidly across the U.S., opening its 16th location in the country this month.
citizenM Boston Back Bay – its second property in the city – opened its doors on September 3, with an official launch party held for local media, businesses, and hotel guests last week.
Standing tall at 15 stories, the Boston Back Bay location is the brand’s largest hotel to date, featuring 399 signature rooms – with a rooftop bar promising stunning views of the city set to open in early 2025.
Nestled in the heart of the historic Back Bay neighborhood, it’s located just steps away from iconic Boston sites and popular tourist attractions such as Fenway Park and Newbury Street.
The latest addition is part of citizenM’s ongoing U.S. expansion and its goal to double its portfolio by 2030.
A room at citizenM’s new Boston Back Bay location
The Netherlands-based hotel chain and lifestyle brand continues to expand in the U.S., with 16 locations across the country so far. Pictured: citizenM Boston Back Bay
And it seems like the company is on track to do just that, having already celebrated the launch of properties in Austin and Miami this year alone, with its first Washington D.C. hotel currently under development.
citizenM’s rapid expansion, as ambitious as it is, appears to be a testament to the success of its brand and its unique, streamlined design and concept.
In fact, the hotel chain was launched in Amsterdam in 2008 with a purpose – to ‘disrupt the traditional, stale hotel industry’ by redefining ‘affordable luxury’, according to the company.
It started with founder Rattan Chadha’s vision to create a hotel that is equipped with ‘everything travelers need, and nothing they don’t.’
That same philosophy was applied during citizenM’s U.S. debut in 2014 and is now evident in all its compact, yet comfortable guest rooms, showcasing the hotel’s commitment to innovative design and high-tech amenities.
The concept has even simplified the hotel booking process by eliminating the overwhelming range of options and ‘unnecessary extras’ and offering every guest the same, sleek, but comfortable experience instead.
Each room consists of 150 square-feet and is equipped with a XL king-sized wall-to-wall bed and luxury bedding.
Within the property, guests have access to stylish amenities, including a cozy living room perfect for leisure travelers catching up on emails
General views of citizenM Boston Back Bay hotel’s ‘living space’
Guests can enjoy amenities such as a cozy living room space for business travelers, the 24/7 canteenM (pictured) for snacks and drinks
All rooms also include a 4K widescreen TV offers streaming options via free super-fast Wi-Fi, so that guests can enjoy their own content.
The en-suite bathroom – although tight – makes up for its size with a powerful rain shower with full-size shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, as well as giant fluffy towels.
The room ambiance is fully controlled by an in-room iPad – the blinds, climate, the TV, even the lights with changeable colors – or via the award-winning citizenM app.
The hotel offers unique amenities outside the guest rooms, such as a cozy ‘living room’ space for business travelers, as well as a 24/7 ‘canteenM’ for snacks and drinks.
The new Boston hotel, which comes five years after the city welcomed its first citizenM location in North Station in the West End, has also provided Back Bay with a more scenic, modern backdrop and a new view of the city.
The property was built as part of the mixed-use development, Lyrik – designed by citizenM’s long standing architecture partner concrete Amsterdam – on what was once a mere shabby bus stop overlooking the Massachusetts Turnpike.
As part of its Boston Back Bay debut, citizenM launched a photography exhibition spotlighting eight local ‘citizens’ representing Boston’s rich cultural tapestry
‘We are thrilled to open our largest hotel yet in such a creative city,’ said Robin Chadha, Chief Brand Officer.
‘citizenM Boston Back Bay will not only showcase local artistry but also become a vibrant hub for travelers seeking both luxury and affordability.’
The hotel brand is also unique in its commitment to engage with the local community of its host city.
As part of its Boston Back Bay debut, citizenM launched a photography exhibition spotlighting eight local ‘citizens’ representing Boston’s rich cultural tapestry.
The display, also considered ‘a love letter to all the creators, entrepreneurs, artists and storytellers who call Boston home’, features Kimberly Flynn, director of marketing at Trident Booksellers, founder of The Sausage Guy founder David Littlefield, electric violinist Vivian Luo, the Boston Celtics official DJ Brek.One, fashion designers Doug Ansine and Frank ‘The Butcher’ Rivera, Boston’s Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola, and Boston-based muralist Rixy.
The exhibition – which will be on display until November 11 – comes as a continuation of the brand’s ‘citizens of the world series’ program which first launched in 2018 with the citizens of Bowery campaign during the citizenM New York Bowery opening.
As of August 2024, citizenM’s portfolio has 36 hotels in 21 exciting cities: London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Rome, Zurich, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Menlo Park, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur.
