The CitizenM hotel near Times Square in New York City is known for its smart use of technology and emphasis on affordable luxury. It’s an ultramodern, glass-and-concrete box of 230 small rooms (each is about 150 square feet), a 2,300-square-foot oversized, living room-style lobby on the first floor with grab-and-go food, a bookstore, a bar, and a rooftop lounge.
Being laser-focused on tech-savvy travelers led the Amsterdam-based hotel chain to use technology platforms to offload as many basic tasks as possible. This means using computer kiosks in the lobby to handle the check-in and check-out duties—with assist from the hotel staff—and smart pads to control each guestroom’s TV, HVAC, blinds, and lights. And Wi-Fi is fast and free throughout the property. But perhaps the slickest implementation of technology is the hotel’s RFID keycards, which tie into a PMS that automatically stores each guest’s settings and preferences for the next visit.
