citizenM Rotterdam

If House of Bols, Heineken and IKEA got together and made a hotel…
I am a huge fan of the Citizen M concept and once you have tried them for yourself I’m quite confident you probably will be too. They specialise in cheap, no-​fuss but chic good quality self service hotels where you can check yourself in and out 24 hour. There is however always someone around to help but you don’t have to stand around with jetlag and heavy bags and ding a bell to get to your room. They have funky colours and artwork and a living room/​lounge space and 24 hour bar and shop/​buffet to maximise the wall to wall comfy bed in your room. The room is controlled by a tablet and you have custom mood lighting and music. There is a black out blind again great for jetlag and watching one of their many movies. I even love their shower gel. You have a zesty one to wake up the early bird and a sultry one for the night owl. I love both. This is the second time I’ve stayed at citizen M, Rotterdam and Glasgow, and I find it top quality and great value.

Nice and clean. Small rooms but really has all you need.

At first I was impressed with the sleek, electronic, automated «noir» of this hotel. The automated check-​in, iPad controlled room (curtains, heat, lighting, television, etc.), and pod-​like design are amusing. The breakfast has a lot of good, fresh, simple options.
After three nights here, I have noticed its failings; the sheets aren’t soft, the food options at the bar are essentially pre-​packaged microwaveable meals; there isn’t really a front desk attendant or concierge — instead an «ambassador»; the housekeeping service comes around too early; they’re skimpy on the products (no lotion, robes, or washcloths) and then of course the electronic iPad quirks — my heat wouldn’t adjust, the television randomly came off and on, and the worst… on two occasions (one at 3 am in the morning and the other while I was in the shower at 9 am) the staff banged on the door because they «were receiving a fire alarm» (nothing audible or blinking in the room). While the design and concept are fresh, I think they will quickly age and then this will be hostile-​quality, student accommodations.
There is construction on the road leading to the main entrance of the hotel, which is tucked inside a plaza. The GPS takes you to what looks like a dead end, but with some persistence you can still arrive there to drop-​off your bags. Afterwards, head to a nearby garage, which is € 22 overnight and a 5 minute walk or risk street parking free until 9 am.
The location is great near the Markt (which is fantastic) and the free porn and wifi are greatly appreciated.

Trendy hotel for the business traveller, doesn’t quite accommodate big families the rooms are small yet very functional. It is close to Rotterdam Blaak train station right across the street and market. Also quite a few restaurants at walking distance.

This hotel is supposed to be very high-​tech. Yet it is very low working, too.
It starts right away when entering and trying to use the elevator. It obviously waits for the room key to bring it’s users to their respective floors — but the sequence remains a mystery (first key, then button; first button then key; key and button simultaneously?). There is no explanation whatsoever and it is just a waste of time.
Secondly the check in is self-​service. But also their is an employee assisting. This is really weird and annoying — wastes time again and probably doesn’t save the hotel any money either.
Up in the room, it all starts again. There is a tablet to control all the settings of the room. It is used for light, the blinds, music and TV. It is also dead, DEAD, slow. This really is just useless tech. Also the alarm clock function doesn’t work. Better not depend on it.
The free WiFi is great at 25Mbits up and down speed.
The hardware in the room is really good though. It is all very clean and neatly set. All the «citizenM says» stuff is obnoxious but oh well. The bed is spacious and comfortable. The bed is right on the window with beautiful views. The shower is tiny but alright. The sink in the middle of the room is weird. There is not enough space to put the standard utensils of one let alone two people. It is very quiet in the rooms and also with the blinds shut it is quite dark, which allows for a good sleep.
In the morning my water pressure was so low, that showering was almost impossible. When i called the reception they were really attentive and friendly, yet still unable to help. For 2 hours that is. They were obviously working on it right away, but this really didn’t help me. I don’t know if that was just a fluke or if it happens frequently. The time to resolve this issue was far too long. They compensated me with a few goodies from their take-​away, which was fair enough.
Breakfast is overpriced. There is not a lot to choose from. One kind of cereal. Two kinds of cheese. Four types of jams. Orange juice and water. Awesome Croissants and coffee though. Sadly the bar isn’t really a dedicated breakfast place. Service is in over it’s head and slow.
All in all a neat place to stay with great beds. Probably a little tight with two people, but also very low price compared to the standard rates in Rotterdam. They have many issues to work on to make the stay an all-​round pleasant one…

Hotel ultra design ! Personnel très accueillant, la petit chambre HiTech est vraiment chouette. On commande tout sur une tablette. La couleur des lumières en fonction des humeurs, une série de films gratuits, les stores, …
Le bar et les différents salons vous donnerons envie de rester dans l’hôtel toute la journée!