September 1st, 2020, exactly 13 months after landing in Zurich, citizenM - the multi-award-winning Dutch hospitality and lifestyle brand - is opening a new hotel in Geneva. This is citizenM's second property in Switzerland, 14th in Europe, and second of three openings for 2020 - counting Seattle South Lake Union and Washington DC Capitol (opening soon).
citizenM is the creator of the 'affordable luxury' approach to hotel stays. This starts with selecting well-connected, prime locations in the world's most popular cities, putting business and leisure travellers in the heart of the action. Each property creates a streamlined, smart experience - including high-tech amenities, genuine and efficient service, luxury guest rooms, and just-like-home living rooms filled with contemporary art and books. In Geneva, the citizenM 'affordable luxury' hotel stay will be one of a kind - a truly fresh, new alternative in a market dominated by expensive old-world luxury hotels. Today's mobile citizens of the world will appreciate having more choice in style of accommodation, with prices starting from 129 CHF per night.
In summer 2020, citizenM took its tech-savvy philosophy to the next level by introducing the world's first contactless stays via the free app for iOS and Android. Using only a smart device, any guest can check-in and pre-select a room on the way to the hotel, open doors, order food, control room ambiance, pay for all purchases and check-out. For today's health-aware travellers, the completely contactless experience is precisely what they need to alleviate their worries.
With the contactless experience in place, the new citizenM Geneva is an extremely attractive destination for design-and-tech-loving mobile citizens of the world. The 144-room hotel is a conversion of a former office building on Rue du Marché - Geneva's main shopping street. The hotel overlooks Place du Molard, close to the famous Old Town and picturesque Lake Geneva. It's an A+ prime urban location - as usual for citizenM - with superb public transport connections, tourist attractions and a multitude of international business headquarters nearby.
The hotel rises above the ground-floor retail units up to the 7th floor. On the first floor, the famous Vitra-filled living room - an instantly recognisable feature of all citizenM hotels - is U-shaped and wrapped around a beautiful inner courtyard which reaches down to the retail floor. In the living room, it's citizenM's unmistakable mix of colourful objects, world-class art, and ultra-comfortable furniture to relax or work on - just like at home. Stylish seats and tables are ideally spaced alongside windows - ideal for relaxed, intimate meetings.
In the heart of the living room, the canteenM kitchen is open 24/7 for mobile citizens arriving from all time zones. canteenM serves great hot and cold local food, perfect coffee and drinks for every mood. In order to offer the best of the city and the region, canteenM works in partnership with local companies who share the same passion for quality and taste. These partners include Street Gourmet, Boréal Café and Les Passeurs de Vin, institutions that are already well known and appreciated by locals. Visitors not residing at the hotel can enjoy the bar, every day, from 06:30 to midnight.
Upstairs, the 144 bedrooms all have the features citizenM guests know and love - the world's most comfortable XL king-size beds with luxury pillows and duvets; super-powered showers; HD TVs with free movie libraries, and superfast free Wi-Fi for working, streaming and surfing. All citizenM rooms are perfectly designed for a maximum of two citizens and are controlled via the bedside MoodPad (adapted iPad) or the free citizenM app - with a single tap or swipe, guests can change the temperature, lower the blinds, browse movie libraries, or change their room lights to any colour. Mobile travellers will appreciate the unique pre-set TV moods by Brainwaves - a light-and-sound combination in three versions: sleep, focus, and anti-anxiety.
For every hotel opening, citizenM seeks exciting local art collaborations for facade, indoor and in-room pieces. For citizenM Geneva, the Master Photography students from the world-famous École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ECAL) created facade banners and in-room works on the theme of 'time'. This is citizenM's first ever student collaboration. Front-of-house indoor art is by Geneva-born world-acclaimed artist Kimou Meyer (Grotesk). He has contributed a multi-surface wallpaper and canteenM ceiling mural entitled 'Le Dernier Tram' - inspired by memories of late nights out with his friends, partying too late and missing the last tram home. The colours are inspired by Geneva's flag and Lac Leman.
The final touch to the extraordinary citizenM hotel experience is the genuine, non-scripted customer service provided by the hotel ambassadors - the people who make the world feel at home. They will assist with the one-minute check-in at the kiosk, mix the perfect cocktail, help with luggage, or recommend great local places for dining, entertainment, and shopping.
citizenM Geneva is assuringly poised to become the smart new alternative to traditional hotels in Switzerland's second most popular city. Bookings are now available for stay dates from September 2020 onwards.
