Dutch hotel chain 'CitizenM' is entering the London market and with it bringing a fresh and new concept, not only in its clientele it wants to attract but also in its construction and development. They have two sites, the first in Southwark, on Lavington Street, a stones throw to the south of Tate Modern and NEO Bankside recently started construction. Rooms here should soon be full because as you can see in the photo below, construction is by modular rooms, prefabricated off-site.
Thanks go to London-se1 for the photos. Workspace Group sold the site to CitizenM for £4.5 million and the scheme when complete will provide 191 rooms. Here's what it will look like when finished.
As well as this site, 38-40 Trinity Square next to the Tower of London went to committee two weeks ago yesterday but was deferred. The site known as Tower House is expected back at the next committee with the recommendation to grant permission for 370 hotel rooms across 9 storeys. The site had a previous consent for 11,500sqm of office space and currently lies vacant with the basement levels already having been excavated. Again this will be built off-site saving costs and time within the construction.
If you want to find out more about the CitizenM brand check out their website. Here you will find this... their rather corny 'concept'.
Paul - I think you're being generous in describing the campaign as corny. To openly include people having affairs as your target audience is bordering on immoral in my opinion.
I'll be steering well clear.
The concept of a modular hotel is fine, I think the advertising is terrible.
Luxury? Ha! I work in the building next door and watched the pre-fab blocks being built up. At first we thought these were tiny offices for tiny people as they do not look big enough to sleep in! Another website says these rooms are luxury because 'the bed spans the whole width of the room' well when the room is only a few feet wide that is not going to be very hard is it? The reception is almost finished and looks very trendy, but it would have to be very 'affordable' to persuade me to stay there.