CitizenM Bankside opens in London
Budding Dutch hotel group CitizenM has recently brought its brand of 'affordable luxury' to London in the first of what will be a trio of concept hotels in the city. Conveniently sited across the road from Wallpaper* HQ, seconds from Tate Modern, CitizenM Bankside is the fourth hotel from the group, which also has bolt-holes in Amsterdam and Glasgow, with more planned in New York and Paris.
CitizenM caters to a new generation of technophile travellers, and its latest effort is a notable step-up for a company already known for rethinking the budget hotel concept. Filled with eclectic furniture, accessories and books, the Bankside hotel's striking open-plan lobby is 'styled to look like the living room of a very well-travelled person', according to CMO Robin Chadha.
Guests are offered a self check-in service, using touch screen terminals, and they can refresh themselves at the self-sevice CanteenM - the brand's antidote to the notoriously exorbitant mini-bars, arguably the biggest bane of modern travel.
'We looked at where people spend their time,' says Chadha. 'Do you spend time in the bedroom? No, it's always the living room - and, even more, the kitchen.' The bakery-style kitchen is open around the clock, and serves up sandwiches, salads, sushi, warm dishes and beverages, while the adjacent coffee bar morphs into a cocktail bar as day turns to night.
Unique to this CitizenM is a newfound focus on contemporary art. Turner Prize-nominated artist Mark Titchner features on the exterior of the building with a text piece boldly claiming 'Another World Is Possible', a sentiment that also formed the basis of the design of the hotel. Inside eagle-eyed art enthusiasts may recognise works by Hans op de Beeck, Gavin Turk and Mario Testino. Also new for the hotel group is a partnership with Amsterdam-based bookshop Mendo, the self-styled 'candy store for book aficionados'. In the pop-up bookshop, guests can purchase tomes on photography, architecture, fashion or travel, and have them sent directly to their home address.
The hotel is built around a serene atrium that offers a rare green haven in the bustling metropolis, with tall birch trees reaching up through hanging lanterns and encompassed by a bold 35-meter mural from art collective Assume Vivid Astro Focus. A dramatic spiral staircase leads up to the first floor, where 'business nomads' will find a collection of seven meeting rooms that eschew the corporate look, featuring wooden bookshelves, Eames 'Plastic Chairs' and dramatic lighting fixtures.
The rooms at CitizenM Bankside are compact cubicles of cool, featuring wall-to-wall windows, superking-size beds, space-age rain showers, furniture from design powerhouse Vitra, Skype-based phones, global plug sockets and complimentary wi-fi and films. Remote controls are made obsolete by a bespoke touch-screen tablet that controls everything from the expected (television, window blinds, temperature) to the unexpected (social media channels, ambient mood lighting and themed wake-up alarms).
With rates starting from just £99, CitizenM has set a new standard for techno-forward budget luxury.
ADDRESS
20 Lavington Street
London UK, SE1 0NZ
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Looking forward to Tate Modern’s 25th anniversary party
From 9-12 May 2025, Tate Modern, one of London’s most adored art museums, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a lively weekend of festivities
By Smilian Cibic Published
-
‘Music is in the DNA of the brand’: AV Vattev on creating this year’s loudest accessory
Rising London designer AV Vattev – who has recently outfitted Charli XCX and Troye Sivan for their viral ‘Sweat’ tour – talks about the influence of music on his ‘bold and unapologetic’ collections
By Jack Moss Published
-
The case of Casa Batlló: inside Antoni Gaudí’s ‘happiest’ work
Casa Batlló by Catalan master architect Antoni Gaudí has just got a refresh; we find out more
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
‘London: Lost Interiors’ gathers unseen imagery of some of the capital’s most spectacular homes
This new monograph is a fascinating foray into the interior life of London, charting changing tastes, emerging styles and the shifting social history of grand houses in the heart of a fast-changing city
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Anglepoise and National Trust look to Britain’s coastal landscape for a new blue lighting collection
Anglepoise and National Trust announce their third lighting collection, Neptune Blue
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Designer James Shaw’s latest creation is a self-built home in east London
James Shaw's east London home is Filled with vintage finds and his trademark extruded plastic furniture, a compact self-built marvel
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Art’otel Battersea opens with immersive interiors by Jaime Hayon
An exclusive tour of Art’otel Battersea, the first UK opening from the group, located opposite the Battersea Power Station and featuring immersive interiors by Jaime Hayon
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ælfred: the new east London destination for vintage Scandinavian design
Ælfred opens in Hackney Wick, offering democratically priced Scandinavian furniture, lighting, ceramics and glassware
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Hyperlocal design: these Atelier100 products are made within 100km of London
Atelier100 launches its retail space and debut locally focused design collection in London’s Hammersmith
By Martha Elliott Published
-
Peek inside London’s One Park Drive penthouses by Herzog & de Meuron
Herzog & de Meuron unveil bespoke penthouses at One Park Drive tower in Canary Wharf with furnishings and styling by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio
By Martha Elliott Last updated
-
Dimoremilano opens immersive Marylebone residency around Frieze London 2022
Coinciding with this year’s Frieze London, Dimoremilano has opened an immersive residency at The Invisible Collection’s new Marylebone HQ
By Mary Cleary Last updated