In a time where everything seems to have been invented, considered and tried, there’s still room to uncover new ideas.
And that’s exactly what Rattan Chadha did when he opened his first CitizenM hotel in Amsterdam back in 2008. The idea of creating a space where image and location-driven travelers could stay at a design hotel while not breaking their bank came from his time in the fashion industry. Dressing like a star for less had existed in the industry for years but nothing of sort had been seen in the hospitality arena.
“To predict the future is to invent it” – Alan Kay
That’s exactly what Rattan Chadha did. He invented a brand new market space (Blue Ocean) and by doing so disrupted the hospitality industry as we knew it then.
The concept is genius! There’s no reception, no concierge and check-in is done with a simple swipe of your credit card. The investment that would have gone into hiring expensive staff goes into the location (always prime), maintaining a stellar quality and experience at all time.
In lieu of the usual staff we’re all so used to, CitizenM works with Ambassadors coming from all walks of life. They look for people who are unique, genuine, and interact with guests as if they had been life-long friends.
Rooms
Basic, practical with a clear attention to details. Rooms are all exactly the same (size, design and decor) and go for the same price (fluctuates depending on season and demand). The mattress is beyond comfortable (I want the same for my house!), the shades are fantastic and the shower works as it should (perfect water pressure, space to move around and clean).
Opening Party in full throttle
Last week marked the official opening of CitizenM in Zurich with a big party, London or New York style. For once I didn’t see the usual Zurich suspects. The crowd was very different (except for my crew!)and that was so refreshing.
DJ Tanja Lacroix was doing what she’s so good at – infecting the guests with her tireless energy and catchy music.
The rooms on the first floor turned into different chapters of the CitizenM book. Each told a different and unique story, always in a fun and interactive way. We went from tasking Gin, to dancing Disco to “Back to the Future”.
I had so much fun! That’s the exact kind of vibe Zurich needs more of. Let’s have a Redo – please!!
Meet Noreen Chadha, General Manager of CitizenM.
Who is Noreen Chadha?
With a Dutch mother and an Indian father, we always travelled a lot when I was growing up, and I’ve always loved hotels! When it came time to graduate highschool, I only applied to one school: L’Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland. However, the industry is so traditional, it doesn’t pay well and staff gets treated so poorly, that after an intensive 4.5 year course I decided not to work in hotels ! After 6 years of exploring other areas (event planning, concierge services, fashion and art), I found myself living in New York and having a conversation with my father and brother about citizenM (a brand that my father had founded a few years prior). They were about to launch their first hotel in the US, and they needed someone to get things off the ground. citizenM was unlike any other hotel company I had ever come across. How could I say no to such an amazing opportunity? I ended up running our New York property and having the time of my life. Fast forward to today, I am living back in Europe and working on a variety of projects for citizenM, including assisting with the launch of our (soon to come) app, and some of our upcoming openings.
Describe one day in your life.
I tend to have a pretty structured weekday life, gym classes, healthy food, emails, calls, meetings and preferably 9 hours of sleep 🙂 so I try to break free of that as much as I can on the weekend, when I love to get out of my comfort zone by traveling, exploring new neighborhoods, and trying new restaurants.
What is really special about the citizenM hotels?
When you walk into a citizenM you will undoubtedly notice our oversized living rooms with Vitra furniture and cool contemporary art, where you can work, relax and socialize amongst our collection of inspiring books, with a central bar where a perfectly made cappuccino or freshly shaken cocktail is available for you all day long.
The easy self check in/out, our customizable rooms (through an iPad) and Apple TV’s all allow technology to make your stay a lot smoother and more convenient. (Not to mention our XL beds are probably the most comfortable you’ve ever slept in….)
However, what I believe to be the most special about us is our team of ambassadors. The genuine service they provide, and the way they make you feel instantly comfortable and at home, I find very unique. Our ambassadors also do everything in our hotels, from being a barista to a mixologist to helping with check in/out, booking you a restaurant or helping with your luggage. This also means they are available to you throughout your experience, and you never have to hear “sorry that’s not my department”. I’ve been to many beautiful hotels, and you either get amazing service but you pay an arm and a leg for it, or you don’t pay as much but the service doesn’t match the beautiful interiors. We like to give you a luxury experience, without the crazy price tag.
Why did you pick this neighbourhood primarily populated with banks? How has the response been so far and who are your customers? What have been some of the challenges?
We always pick our locations based on the needs of our travelers. A lot of our guests appreciate the proximity to where they might need to be for work during the week. For guests that are more here for leisure or on the weekend, it’s such a central location that makes it easy to explore Zurich from. So far we have had an extremely positive response, people that are new to citizenM are now fans of the brand. It’s a big compliment to the team!! There are always challenges with any new property in a new city, but luckily nothing major.
How do you select your team members? And are they different from the “standard” hospitality industry staff?
We believe that when you walk into a hotel you just want to be treated like a human being. You don’t need someone following a formal script or memorizing your last name, you want to feel at home, and you want to experience authenticity. We don’t necessarily hire people from the hotel industry, we take people from all walks of life. Some have had hotel experience, some have never made coffee before in their life. We care much more about their personality, who they are as a person, are they warm, positive, do they have a sense of humor? All the other practical things we can teach them. At citizenM our team is encouraged to be completely themselves, we hired them for who they are, and we don’t want to change that.
Earlier this year we hosted a bunch of focus groups with our guests, from very regular guests to occasional ones, and what we found interesting to learn is that one of the things they value most about staying at citizenM is talking to one of our ambassadors about “what to do” that day or night. Chatting with them about their personal tips and favorites was what made the experience more real.
How do you make sure that the quality and standards always stay consistent?
We are a one stop shop in the sense that we own, operate and develop our hotels. This allows us to be extremely consistent when it comes to the brand and the standards we have set for ourselves.
How do you approach your marketing? Does it change according to the city you’re in? How did you have to adapt it for Zurich?
We always like to introduce ourselves to a new city in a way that connects with the local community. We never want to just open our doors in a place where nobody knows us, without having properly introduced ourselves and done our homework so to speak. Prior to our Zurich opening we got to know some of its inspiring female residents by launching a campaign called “meet the women shaping Zurich”. A photoshoot, shot by local photographer Lauretta Suter, profiled 36 women, all doing interesting things in their lives in their own unique ways, whose pictures we then displayed on our building as a temporary public art piece. We like paying our respects to a new neighborhood we are stepping into, while at the same time displaying some of our personality as a brand.
How do you keep innovating?
What’s important for us is not necessarily innovation just to innovate, but to truly think ahead at the needs of our travelers. What will they want 5, 10 years from now? We think of new ideas and concepts probably every day (that’s simply part of our culture), especially when it comes to new opportunities within technology. Most of the time it’s more about saying no than it is about saying yes. We only want to launch or incorporate something truly new in our business when we feel it will be sustainable in optimizing our guest experience.
Describe the next generation traveler. What trends and changes do you notice in this industry?
Travel is becoming easier and easier for people so we are getting more and more spoiled and hungry for efficiency. With the countless travel booking apps available to us, and services that allow you to send your luggage in advance, or rent outfits at your destination (so you don’t even have to pack), we are obsessed with wasting the least amount of money, spending the least amount of time in transit or in queues, and the most amount of time enjoying the local things that matter to us. We are also constantly blurring the lines between business and leisure. We want to explore an art gallery in between our meetings, and we want to spend an hour catching up on emails on a Sunday afternoon.
We are definitely noticing a shift towards more digitalization, sometimes well executed and sometimes not … and the traditional hotel brands are all playing catch up to the younger more forward thinking brands in enticing this new generation of travelers. From co-working in hotel lobbies to providing access to local experiences and events, and even more multi functional staff, there is a common realization that the traditional way of doing things might simply not be interesting enough anymore.
What’s next for citizenM?
A lot of growth! We are very excited for a number of new hotels spread across Europe, the US and Asia to join the family soon, and the continued learning that comes from that. Stay tuned for some cool new brand partnerships as well!!
Check out CitizenM for yourself – 20 to choose from worldwide!
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