Based on a concept of ‘affordable luxury for the people’, citizenM has opened its US flagship hotel within the culturally rich and vibrant Bowery area of downtown Manhattan. Standing 246 feet high on the oldest thoroughfare in Manhattan, with an expansive cloudM rooftop bar, outdoor terrace, and spectacular 360-degree views of New York, the citizenM Bowery hotel is the tallest building in the neighborhood. Occupying the entire 21st floor, cloudM features oak cabinets, Vitra chairs and couches, and chandeliers so large, they’ll catch the eye of pedestrians on the street.
The hotel is designed by Amsterdam-based firm Concrete, a long-time partner of citizenM. Their design for the Bowery is – as usual – unmistakably citizenM, without duplicating anything they’ve done before.
At the front of the building is a public plaza with trees, benches and picnic tables. A 5,000-square-foot wall mural will draw the guests towards the hotel. The author of the mural is the renowned Jonathan ‘Meres One’ Cohen – the New York-based lead artist of 5 Pointz creates, with a street art career spanning over 30 years. His second work will be displayed on the 21st floor at the cloudM bar: a dramatic rendering of the view, and a dynamic display of his well-known wild tags and layering technique.
As guests enter the hotel through the plaza, they will meet citizenM’s ambassadors, and get their key in just one minute at the self-check-in/check-out kiosk. A striking spiral staircase leads towards the living room on the lower ground floor, featuring double-height ceilings, bookshelves, and a 24/7 canteenM bar at the heart of it. Glass walls stream in plenty of daylight and open to a view of the park outside, mirrored inside with benches and picnic tables for the same fresh relaxed vibe as the public plaza.
Highly noteworthy is citizenM’s collaboration with 5 Pointz creates, a well-known street art collective. 20 artists – led by Meres One and curator Marie Cecile Flageul – will together cover the full 21-story internal stairwell of citizenM New York Bowery to create a Museum of Street Art, the first such project in the hotel industry worldwide.
The MoSA is the largest public project for 5 Pointz creates since the original 5 Pointz site was demolished in 2013. Together, they have clocked over 420 hours, 500 spray cans, and 1,000 caps on the installation. The Museum of Street Art will be open to the guests and the public.
citizenM’s philosophy of ‘affordable luxury’ is best experienced in the bedrooms. They are smartly furnished with everything modern travellers need, and nothing they don’t. Everything in the room is the very best: the bed is XL king-size wall-to-wall with a superb mattress and luxury bedding. An HD TV features a library of on-demand movies, plus streaming options via free superfast Wi-Fi. A powerful shower with full-size shower gel and shampoo (as well as giant fluffy towels) will soothe all long and short-haul travellers. The room ambiance is fully controlled by an iPad – the blinds, the TV, even the lights with changeable colours (and settings like ‘romance’ and ‘movie’).
citizenM Bowery draws inspiration from the local community for the hotel’s interior, which will be filled with an eclectic mix of contemporary art, photography, and objects by local artists. citizenM has commissioned the New Museum, and its incubator NEW INC, to supply art for the guest rooms. Known for its rich cultural heritage and vibrant art scene – anchored by the New Museum and emerging art galleries – the Bowery is an ideal home for the new citizenM hotel.