Marriott is acquiring CitizenM hotels, which I think of as a better Moxy, for a cost of $355 million.
CitizenM currently has 36 hotels in 20 cities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Their New York City rooftops are popular.
At closing of the transaction, Marriott will pay to acquire the brand and related intellectual property. Following closing, the citizenM portfolio will become part of Marriott’s system, with the hotels owned and leased by the seller subject to new long-term franchise agreements with Marriott. Stabilized fees for the open and under construction pipeline portfolio are anticipated to be approximately $30 million annually. The seller may also receive earn-out payments up to $110 million that are based on the future growth of the brand over a specified, multi-year timeframe. These payments would not begin until the fourth year following closing.
The transaction is expected to close this year. It’s not clear when integration with Marriott Bonvoy will occur. However a potentially interesting play s that CitizenM has a free status match offer and it’s open to anyone with any status with any airline or hotel program. So this may turn out to be a free backdoor into Marriott status.
The CitizenM status match offer gets you free access to their paid premium program, $12/mo ($144/year) gets you 15% off room rates, late checkout and premium view (subject to availability) and 10% off food and beverage outside of breakfast.
Perhaps CitizenM Plus members will be granted status in Bonvoy as the brand integrates into Marriott’s portfolio?
If CitizenM is integrated into Bonvoy, it will be interesting to see at what participation level.
Based on the current Amazon Prime-style loyalty program, it doesn’t seem like property owners will want to provide, for example, breakfast. Do they even have a restaurant?
Reading between the lines of Marriott’s press release it seems like CitizenM owners will pay Marriott a flat fee as opposed to a more conventional percentage of revenue plus fees for assorted services, etc.
I just don’t see what this acquisition gets Marriott. It already has Moxy and Aloft. I would be mad if I was one of the current Moxy or Aloft owners. Aloft is 20-years-old this year, 2025. It hasn’t been refreshed since its launch.
The only issue is you can’t sign up for the CitizensM loyalty program without paying for 1 yr membership, and you can’t do the status match without being a member
“Reading between the lines of Marriott’s press release it seems like CitizenM owners will pay Marriott a flat fee as opposed to a more conventional percentage of revenue plus fees for assorted services, etc.”
That’s not what the press release says. They will be slinging franchise agreements for this brand same as the other 48 brands:
Following closing, the citizenM portfolio will become part of Marriott’s system, with the hotels owned and leased by the seller subject to new long-term franchise agreements with Marriott.
Second that from Ron. How does one get past this?
Gary, I have the same issue, please advise.
It’s not a status match, its free paid membership, and it was offered via statusmatch last year
It will be sad when they get taken over by Marriott. Quality will deteriorate and prices will go up.
More importantly, clientele will change.
Interesting. Personally, had never heard of this brand, or their supposedly ‘legendary’ rooftops (and I live in Manhattan, sheesh!) Yet another reason why VFTW is worth visiting, you know, to learn about changes in the industry, and things in your own backyard, I guess. I mean, technically, TPG posted on this, too, but I loathe them for their corporate shilling, so I’d rather read about it here than there. Anyway, now that I am aware, I looked up their place in the Bowery, and it looks like it could be in John Wick. Though, I’m pretty sure the Soup Kitchen (Laurence Fishburne) is a homeless shelter. Bah! (@L737, please tell me you get the reference?!)
@1990 — Long live the King!
I too have never heard of this brand but after some cursory Google research I like the concept of these and would’ve enjoyed checking one out. Too bad it might be Bonvoyed.
@L737 — “Ok… you have made your point… you have earned my fealty…” (rooftop on a rainy day, Manhattan Bridge in the background…) *seven cuts* Epic scene.
@Ron, Steve, Beachfan, anyone else having trouble signing up for an account for free:
The page you want is: citizenm (dot) com (slash) register.
(You can get there via the “register” link near the bottom-left corner of the main page, under “connect with us.”)
Just successfully signed up and applied for a match using my Hyatt Globalist status. No idea if it’ll actually give (a meaningful tier of) elite Marriott status eventually, but worth a shot since I let mine lapse!
Has anyone actually seen on of the guest rooms? The room is so narrow that there’s zero clearance between the bed and the walls at the head , foot and side of the bed. Makes no sense to me.
The status match is being run by Loyalty Status Co, a company that is quickly amassing a global database of travelers and their array of elite status details. Caution.
@Junky, for sure – I could never sleep in a room that small; a standard 80″ mattress with zero clearance at the head or foot of the bed isn’t long enough for me (and I’m an average-height guy). Plus they only have locations in 2 cities I’m likely to visit anyway. The only advantage I see to this status match is the possibility of Marriott status later on, but no real downsides either, so I figured might as well.
Update: Just got an email that my status match was officially approved! Says it’s valid for “12 months from activation.” So hopefully if there is reciprocal status with Marriott at some point, it’s active before April 28, 2026. (Maybe I should have waited a bit just in case…but on the other hand, they could end the status match offer at any time without warning, so I think I’m glad I went ahead and did it now.)
Oh, I missed something important. It’s not a true “status match” in the normal sense of the term; that is, it’s not actually activated yet. There’s a promo code in the email that you use to “buy” (for $0) a year of mycitizenM+ membership. There’s no expiration date listed for the code, so I guess I can use it whenever I want, now that I have it? Maybe I’ll wait until May at least, if not June or July, to extend that 12-month period. (Sorry for double-post, but needed to correct that.)
I agree. It is a better Moxy. I’ve stayed at three or four of them in different cities and they are definitely what I wish Moxy was more of. The vibe is great and there are a lot of digital nomads. The ones in the US are mostly full of European travelers. People in the US are not aware of the brand.
Had a couple of drinks at one of the NY properties last year. Never heard of them until then but it was a good time.
This has closed. The website now says, “We are not accepting new Status Match applications at this time.”