July 4th marked the opening of the CitizenM Bankside, the first property in London for the Dutch hotel group and the second property in the UK. With three more planned for London, the group are confident that their concept of “affordable luxury for the people” will be a big hit for travellers looking to stay in the capital for a competitive rate. Rates are between £99 and £199 per night, even during the Olympic Games period.The hotel is targeted on the tech-savvy business market with its self-service check-in terminals, meeting rooms and Samsung tablets in guest rooms, but will also attract the bohemian traveller with its positioning so close to the Tate Modern Museum and Globe Theatre. The interior design heavily focuses on modern artwork with the public spaces brimming with sculptures and prints. Indeed the exterior boasts a large sign with “Another world is possible” by Turner Prize-nominated artist, Mark Titchner.
In the ‘lobby’ area, guests are able to purchase the art, architecture, photography and fashion books on display or order them from tablets positioned nearby from Amsterdam bookstore, MENDO. This also adds another revenue stream for the group as competition for places to eat in London has always been fierce and the canteen-style set up in place here might not appeal to all travellers, especially if they’ve had a long trip and want to be waited on.
Amsterdam based interior designers, Concrete are behind the CitizenM Bankside, and the practice is no stranger to London, having completed work on the W London in Leicester Square (see our Miniview of it here). ‘W’ has mirror balls and CitizenM has ceiling lights, both showing the youthfulness of the market they are aimed at with their sparkle and sense of fun (see page two for panoramic image of the ‘lounge’ area).
