citizenM Hotels: How This Cutting-Edge Concept Could Be Your New Favorite Hotel

The hospitality company citizenM Hotels opened its first location, at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), in 2008. The brand seeks to “disrupt” the hotel industry by offering luxury stays in prime locations but at an affordable price point for leisure and business travelers alike. 

Over the past year, it’s become one of my favorite hotel chains, thanks to its affordable pricing, high-quality amenities, and easy-to-understand loyalty program.

Here’s what you need to know about the niche citizenM brand and why its myCitizenM+ loyalty program has become my new favorite.

About citizenM Hotels

Today, citizenM has 3 dozen hotels on 3 continents, with properties in hot spots like Copenhagen, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Kuala Lumpur. Several U.S. cities have multiple citizenM properties, like Miami (which recently welcomed a second location), New York City, and Washington, D.C.

The chain places hotels in prime metropolitan locations, central business districts, and major airports. Future locations include Dublin and Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood.

I was instantly captivated when I first visited citizenM New York Bowery hotel in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to cowork as a member of the mycitizenM+ program, which I’ll talk more about later. Most offer gyms and rooftops, and some have pools for guests to enjoy. You can also purchase breakfast and dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

It wasn’t just the high ceilings and modern decor that played a role. Instead, it was that the hotel felt unpretentious. Hotels nowadays can feel so hoity-toity, less like a place to unwind and relax and more like a museum. The citizenM New York Bowery definitely didn’t feel that way — it felt playful and relaxed. Since my first visit to the hotel’s sprawling rooftop, I’ve been deeply impressed with the hotel and its business model. 

Rooms

The first thing you need to know is that citizenM rooms are on the smaller side. 

And that’s an understatement. The hotel’s own website playfully digs at the room size: “Junior, single, double, presidential suite? Nope! At all citizenM hotels, you’ll find one type of room.” The hotel says 2 people can fit inside a room, which comes in at a tiny 150 square feet. 

The room fits a king-size bed, an en suite bathroom, comfortable pillows and mattresses, and has space under the bed for your luggage. The hotel says all rooms are identical. Other in-room amenities include:

• App or MoodPad room controls
• Blackout shades
• Chromecast casting
• European cotton sheets
• Free Wi-Fi
• Full-size hair dryer
• International plugs (at most hotels)
• Wall-to-wall windows (at most hotels)
• Widescreen TV

As you see, citizenM rooms come with the basics and virtually nothing else. This philosophy won’t work for everyone, particularly travelers who like to spread out or spend much time in their room. But for travelers who want a cozy, comfortable place to sleep while exploring the city, citizenM can be a fantastic option.

Amenities

The citizenM perks don’t end after you check into your room, which is why it’s become one of my favorite hotel chains. Most of its hotels have robust coworking spaces and programming.

Let’s take a look at them. 

Coworking

More large hotel chains are embracing the hybrid coworking model at their properties. Gone are the days of hotel lobbies being spaces where travelers merely passed through on the way to their rooms or out to dinner. Now, hotels are entirely leaning in with amenities like free Wi-Fi, coffee, and even dedicated breakout rooms. 

One of the best perks at any citizenM hotel is the coworking spaces, which you can access when staying at the hotel or if you’re a member of the loyalty program. There are coworking spaces at all its hotels, excluding its Taipei location, and coworking is available weekdays between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

I frequently cowork from the citizenM New York Bowery, and booking a reservation is pretty simple. The citizenM app (iOS, Android) lets you reserve space, but I’ve never found it unavailable or particularly busy when I arrive.

Once at the hotel, checking in is a breeze: I show my membership card via the citizenM app and then pick a space to drop my gear. There’s free water, and you can purchase snacks, food, and drinks for 15% off. There are even printing services, though I’ve not used this benefit yet.

I’ve found the space quiet, with most people knocking out their work projects or schoolwork, as I typically do. A solid Wi-Fi connection is the mark of any good coworking space, and I’ve not been disappointed here.

One thing I love about the citizenM coworking model is that you can use the spaces even when you aren’t staying at a citizenM property. As long as you’re a mycitizenM+ member, you can access the spaces if they’re available.

Hot Tip:

You can purchase a coworking day pass for any coworking space at a rate of $25, £20, or €23. But given how affordable a membership is, I recommend booking a yearly membership instead.

cloudM Rooftop

Several citizenM hotels, including New York, London, Paris, Miami, Rome, and Washington, D.C., have eclectic cloudM rooftops. The cloudM bar at citizenM Paris Champs-Élysées offers breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower. And the Washington, D.C., location offers a rooftop omakase sushi bar — including a 12- or 17-course sushi menu! 

Three cloudM bars in Austin and Miami have rooftop pools. The citizenM Miami Worldcenter even offers a night swim, where you can swim underneath the stars until midnight!

Hot Tip:

These spaces can get busy, but as a hotel guest, no reservation is required to enter!

societyM Meeting Rooms

Need a quieter place to host a meeting other than in the coworking spaces? CitizenM offers flexible meeting rooms at many hotels, which is dubbed societyM. These spaces include:

• Blackboard or whiteboard walls
• Free coffee, tea, and water
• Free Wi-Fi
• Pens, paper, mini notebooks, Post-its, markers
• Smart TVs

You can also add perks, such as a breakfast or lunch package, when you make your reservation. I’ve found the meeting rooms to be pretty pricey. For instance, a 4-hour meeting slot at citizenM Amstel Amsterdam costs $330 whether you’re meeting with 1 person or a dozen.

However, this program does make sense, particularly if you need a last-minute space to host a business meeting or event. And as citizenM is a hotel, you earn points or miles if you book its meeting rooms with one of the best credit cards for travel.

myCitizenM+ Program Benefits

CitizenM has a loyalty program, myCitizenM+, but it’s not like a major rewards program like Hilton Honors or World of Hyatt. The program is similar to Ennismore’s Dis-Loyalty in that there are no points to earn, elite nights to stay, or minimum spending requirements to meet. citizenM also doesn’t have a co-branded credit card. However, you still earn points or miles when you book your stay with a credit card that rewards you for travel purchases.

But is a citizenM membership worth it? Absolutely. When you join mycitizenM+, you get the following benefits:

• 15% off all stays
• 15% off food and drink (excluding breakfast)
• 15% off meeting rooms
• Up to 30% off during sales
• Complimentary late checkout at 2 p.m.
• Early access to sales before the general public
• Free coworking (excluding Taipei)
• Free premium view (if available)
• Guaranteed room availability (with 48 hours’ notice)

You pay an annual fee to join mycitizenM+: $120, £90, or €100 per year, depending on your location.

These benefits can be useful, especially in cities like Los Angeles, where hotel prices can be astronomical. While the benefits make the annual cost more than worth the price, the 15% off makes citizenM enticing, especially if you’re a budget traveler.

I’ll use Los Angeles as an example. A 1-night stay at citizenM Los Angeles Downtown costs $199 per night if you aren’t a mycitizenM+ member.

But that price drops to just $168 nightly with the membership — a fantastic deal for a 4-star hotel in Los Angeles.

Why Niche Hotel Programs Sometimes Make Sense

myCitizenM+ is quickly eclipsing some of my longtime favorite hotel programs. 

I’ll always be a fan of the major hotel loyalty programs. My Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Hilton Honors Gold, IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite, and World of Hyatt Explorist status would attest to that. And there will always be uses and a need for these programs. But as I travel more, I find myself drawn to the out-of-the-box, niche programs. The fact is this: As more people gain elite status, the top-tier perks at large hotel chains have begun to diminish. My own experience over the past 2 years has been fewer upgrades and more devaluations.

Programs like mycitizenM+ (and Ennismore’s Dis-Loyalty, which operates under a similar model) have started to make more sense for my travel. As someone who works remotely at home and on the road, having a dedicated space to charge my devices, work, take a meeting, or grab a quick bite without leaving the hotel is a huge benefit. 

Plus, its simple structure — no points, no night requirements — makes joining mycitizenM+ an easy choice. 

Final Thoughts

citizenM Hotels is quickly growing on me and is becoming my new favorite hotel in major cities. For someone who exclusively works remotely, having a dedicated coworking space to do work — and a rooftop bar to unwind at the end of the day — is more of a benefit than a space-available upgrade.

While citizenM probably won’t work for all travelers (especially in that it limits guests to 2 per room), I’ve found that its low prices and cheap membership program make it one of the best niche hotel chains out there.