‘Cool!’. This is the definition, accompanied by many exclamation marks, that perfectly fits the new Shoreditch Hotel, which opened to the public in London last September. The hotel is faithful to the approach that owner citizenM takes towards all its hotels around the world. “You want luxury for a good price, we have luxury for less” is the motto of the holding company, which has identified a new type of traveler: independent, respectful of different cultures, with a ‘young heart’, encompassing professionals, vacationers and shoppers. What do they like? “Accommodation that, despite being temporary, offers style and design, high quality, a sociable atmosphere, entertainment, a comfortable bed and fluffy towels. All at an affordable price.”
The Shoreditch Hotel, the company’s third hotel in London, is designed to accommodate the needs of its customers and is situated in a strategic location for the future, Shoreditch, an area currently being redeveloped and expanded, which is experiencing a new lease of life thanks to a boom in shops, offices and residential spaces. The architects, the Concrete firm in Amsterdam, which designed the Tower of London opened in July, worked with the owner to maximize the hotel’s appeal. Starting with the entrance. Multi-colored panels by AVAF, a collective of artists based in New York and Paris, and an impressive spiral staircase leading to the first floor welcome guests to the hotel. Here a large living room allows you to work, freely surf the internet – available on a series of Mac computers arranged on large tables – meet people, eat, socialize and check in and out directly online via the hotel’s free wi-fi. The designers predominantly chose Vitra’s top-of-the-range products, with a selection of iconic seats, sofas and tables designed by masters of design such as Verner Panton, Jean Prouvé and Charles & Ray Eames, alongside accessories by Artek and Hay. The hotel features a range of light fixtures created by Anglepoise, Moooi, Modernica and Artek.
The 216 bedrooms contain super-king-size beds with custom-made mattresses, desks with power sockets, floor-to-ceiling windows and showers with Hansgrohe multi-jet shower heads.
All equipped with flat-screen televisions and tablets to control the various bedroom features. There is no shortage of contemporary art: each room features two artworks, directly selected by Concrete from The Public House of Art gallery in Amsterdam. citizenM is working on a strategic expansion plan in Europe, Asia and North America. Only for mobile citizens.
Client: citizenM
Design team: Concrete
Furnishings: Anglepoise, Artek, Corian, Hansgrohe, Hay, Modernica, Moooi, Vitra