citizenM Rotterdam

When people talk about Dutch design they’re generally thinking small — quirky furniture, innovative products, whimsical graphics and installations. But in hospitality what’s more relevant is the large-scale Dutch design philosophy: the efficiency, the economy, the canny cleverness that allows this most densely populated of countries to tackle its geographic challenges and live together harmoniously. CitizenM is, in that sense, Dutch hospitality design distilled to its purest essence — and the CitizenM Hotel Rotterdam shows what this enterprising chain can do with the home advantage.

The setting is the Oude Haven, the newly redeveloped old harbour, a bustling nexus of urban activity — perfect for an efficiency-minded, youth-oriented “affordable luxury” hotel. What exactly does that mean? In Hollywood the saying “put the money on the screen” is a reminder to avoid blowing the budget on items the audience won’t notice. Here a similar edict is at work: by placing Frette linens on the wall-to-wall king beds, they put the money where you’ll feel it the most.

And then they cut out the rest. It’s largely a self-service operation, from kiosk-based check-in to the vending-ticket food concept, where café meets cafeteria meets public library. This is the co-working space of the future, essentially, just with better drinks and desserts. There’s an art focus as well that’s quite welcome, as a bit of high culture in the lobby library goes a long way toward beating the dot-com blues. It’s not for everyone — some of us still want our shoes polished, our baths drawn for us — but if there were a CitizenM in every major city, the world would indeed be a better place.