Marriott Acquires citizenM Hotel Brand in $355 Million Deal

Marriott International is acquiring the citizenM hotel brand. The deal, announced Monday morning, will see Marriott pay $355 million for the brand and its intellectual property, with the hotels owned and leased by the seller subject to new long-term franchise agreements with Marriott.

citizenM, known as an industry disruptor when it launched in 2008 with tech-forward features and an artsy aesthetic, will now join the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.

The deal adds 36 hotels—more than 8,500 rooms—to the Marriott portfolio, with three more hotels expected to open, bringing another 600 rooms online by the middle of next year.

Marriott President and CEO Anthony Capuano said in Monday’s announcement that the company was “thrilled to add citizenM as a unique, differentiated offering to our select-service brand portfolio as we continue to strengthen Marriott’s foothold in this valuable market segment around the world.”

citizenM opened its first property at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in 2008 and started expanding shortly after, adding another Amsterdam property in 2009, one in Glasgow in 2010, and another in London in 2012. At the moment, there are 36 citizenM properties worldwide, with three more in the pipeline, bringing another 600 rooms online by the middle of next year.

Because of their locations inside major cities, citizenM’s hotel rooms trend smaller compared to the industry at large. The design is efficiency-forward, clean and contemporary, with each guest getting a fully digital experience—everything can be done through the citizenM app—and the properties leaning into their locales to facilitate a connection with the surrounding city.

Each citizenM hotel targets business travelers. Speaking to TMR in 2022, citizenM’s then-chief commercial officer, Lennert de Jong, said the goal was to provide a hybrid experience: a place to stay for business meetings, with free Wi-Fi to work onsite, comfortable furniture, 24/7 food and drinks available, and more—while also allowing guests to live as a “mobile citizen” (citizenM for short).

The brand’s Austin, Texas hotel, for instance, offers rooms with HD widescreen TVs, along with the signature citizenM living room concept, which offers a space to bleisure travelers to work. Also onsite is canteenM, a snack outlet that is open 24/7, along with a 24/7 gym, rooftop bar, and pool.