The Dutch hotel developer, citizenM, opened its first property at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in 2008. It was the beginning of conceptualizing a hotel for world citizens. Since then, citizenM has expanded to America and Asia and opened 31 hotels, with three more coming this year.
The recipe for their success lies in the off-site modular construction of compact rooms with large glass windows framed in metal, allowing them to optimize for the best views.
When citizenM New York Bowery opened in 2018, it became the world's tallest modular hotel.
CitizenM's latest New York post is on Bowery Street in Lower Manhattan, surrounded by some of the hippest neighborhoods: Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, and Greenwich Village.
When you enter, the lobby's computer station is the hotel's modern interpretation of a reception where you can check in and out using integrated tablets.
The compactness of the 300 (!) rooms allowed communal spaces to be generously spacious.
The centrally located bar area is surrounded by an art-filled space where you can hang out or do some work on your laptop.
The large-scale public art in the lounge puts many exhibitions to shame, but not everything is just for the eyes. You can pick a book from the shelves and use the hotel's iMacs.
CitizenM's curated art collection is awe-inspiring. And best of all, you can sit among them on these stepped wooden platforms.
The brick-walled patio with a Spiderman figure ready for action lets you breathe some fresh air without all the noise and traffic of NYC.
Museum of Street Art
What sets this hotel apart from the rest (and even citizenM's other properties) is the hidden Museum of Street Art (MoSA Bowery). Normally, you would be mad to use the staircase in a 20-story tower, but not here.
Starting from the rooftop bar, you can walk down the stairs where 21 artists painted the walls as a tribute to the 5 Pointz street art project.
Modular Rooms
So how compact are citizenM's rooms exactly? One hundred fifty square feet (14 square meters), but the clever layout and under-bed storage drawers (which can easily gulp a couple of bags) help alleviate the crampedness.
All 300 rooms come with a king-size bed, so a big part of the space is dedicated to it. And it all makes sense when you have a view like this from the bed that's tucked under a large window.
A classic trait of citizenM hotel rooms is the bed pushed to the edge of the window, with walls surrounding it from three sides.
You have a panoramic view of Chinatown and New York's skyline, including the One World Trade Center and the awesome Jenga Tower (56 Leonard Street) if you get one of the West-facing rooms.
Internet is fast enough for 4K video calls, and the rainfall power shower with purple (or any other color you set) illumination feels like a mini spa.
The bedside smart TV has a list of free movies to watch. Yep, that's right, finally, a hotel where you can just switch between films and not pay a dime.
Next to the bed, on the desk that doubles as a nightstand, a tablet controls the mood lights, so you can play with it until you find your favorite color. You can also control the blinds, curtains, and the temperature.
The CloudM
Open from 1:30 PM until 30 past midnight, CloudM is the crown jewel of the hotel, with some of the best views of New York that you can get anywhere in the city.
The rooftop bar has indoor and outdoor seating with views to die for.
From plush sofas to small bar stools, you can find what fits your mood and group the best.
The bar serves chilled crafted beers, and their talented mixologists can create the rightly spiced cocktail for a magical sunset experience.
When CitizenM designed their latest hotel in New York, they knew they had to build high to exploit the potential of this amazing location.
Twenty floors above ground level, you get an incredible panorama of the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
189 Bowery, Lower East Side, New York, NY 10002, United States of America
