citizenM, the pioneer of affordable luxury hotels, has unveiled the design of its fifth London hotel, citizenM London Olympia…
Slated to open in 2025 as the 38th hotel in the brand’s global portfolio, citizenM London Olympia follows recent openings in Boston Back Bay and Miami South Beach and the upcoming 2025 opening of citizenM Dublin St Patrick’s.
The new opening will form part of the transformed Olympia, currently undergoing a £1.3 billion regeneration led by Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International. Once completed, Olympia will become a showcase for global entertainment, emerging talent, and cutting-edge ideas.
Image credit: citizenM
The 146-room hotel will comprise the first floor with front-of-house and three guestroom floors, which will also accommodate three societyM meeting rooms. In a first for citizenM, the typically modern, design-led brand will also feature a listed living area: the historic Apex room.
An exciting interpretation of the citizenM living room and canteenM space, the historically listed Apex room will also be open to the public to enjoy. With the ornamental ceiling details, historical columns, and walls kept intact, the Apex room will be complete with panelled doors, oak wooden flooring, and walls lined with bespoke artwork, curated by citizenM.
The hotel interiors will be designed by the in-house design team and Amsterdam-based partner, concrete, and will feature designer furniture from long-term collaborator Vitra, as with all its 36 hotels globally. Guest rooms will include citizenM’s famous XL king-size beds, powerful rain showers, and large flat-screen TVs. Guests will be able to enjoy the same creative technology that has marked the brand as an innovative force in hospitality design, from online check-in to in-room iPads and hyper-personalised stays via the brand’s award-winning app and the new sleep guides.
“At citizenM, in all our properties, we create spaces that not only reflect the essence of modern living but also honour the rich heritage of their surroundings,” commented Claudia Abt, Chief Design Officer, citizenM. “With our upcoming London Olympia hotel, we had the unique opportunity to blend the vibrant history of this iconic location with our signature contemporary design. Preserving the historical elements of the site while delivering the comfort, creativity, and style that our guests expect has been an inspiring challenge. The result is a truly special space that connects the past and the present, whilst continuing to retain history and our citizenM flair.”
“We’re excited to partner with citizenM, whose blend of modern design and respect for Olympia’s heritage perfectly aligns with our vision,” added John Hitchcox, Chairman and co-founder, Yoo Capital, the developer behind Olympia. “As we look ahead to the launch in late 2025, this collaboration is a key step in bringing our ambitions as a creative destination to life.”
As in all 36 hotels, canteenM in citizenM London Olympia will be a 24/7 pit stop, catering to jetlag, late nights, early mornings, and everything in between, offering only the best food and drinks, from barista-made coffee and oven-fresh croissants to colourful salads and more. The perfect setting for big ideas, the societyM spaces will provide creative meeting rooms full of daylight, ergonomic Vitra furniture, innovative chalk and whiteboard walls, as well as inspiring art and design.
Non-hotel guests will also be able to enjoy the space thanks to citizenM’s new co-working benefit. By becoming a member, freelancers, entrepreneurs, hybrid workers, and café culture enthusiasts alike will be able to work seamlessly at citizenM London Olympia, as they now can at all 36 citizenM hotels globally.
First opened in 1886, Olympia’s future transformation will be co-designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC. In keeping with citizenM’s contemporary design approach, the hotel façade will boast iconic architectural features while respecting the heritage building underneath the hotel. Moreover, the facade will be strikingly set against the original features of the Olympia National Hall.
The Olympia regeneration project will see the refurbishment of the existing exhibition halls, as well as the addition of a 4,000-capacity live music hall, the largest new purpose-built theatre in London in nearly 50 years with 1,575 seats, 30+ new bars, restaurants and eateries, hotels, 550,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art office space, and the creation of 2.5 acres of public space for visitors to enjoy.
Main image credit: citizenM
