By Jeanne Tan / 12-11-2008

Maximum luxury, minimum space

The Dutch hotel citizenM has been awarded The European Hotel Design Award of the Year at The 2008 European Hotel Design Awards, presented by Sleeper Magazine in London. The awards, of which there are 18 categories, recognise outstanding innovations in the hospitality industry and hotel design in Europe. Designed by Concrete Architectural Associates, the hotel won awards in three other categories: Innovation, Technology and Graphic Design and was also a finalist in two others: Best Architecture (Newbuild) and Best Interior Design (Standard Branded Guestroom). The hotel opened its first property at Schiphol Airport in June this year with a concept of providing maximum luxury in the smallest amount of space possible. The rooms are all identical, made from prefabricated modules which are stacked - even the whole interior is prefabricated right down to the shower, bed and lamps. The quirky identity was designed by Kesselskramer.

'This was perhaps the most hotly contested decision I have seen the judging panel have to make in the six years I have been involved in these awards. But I think it is fair to say that the (eventual) winner is a hotel that stood out from the competition in all aspects of its conception. Not just it's design and architecture, but also its use of technology, it's marketing, its future development potential and most importantly, the seamless integration of all these into a product that offers the guest a rewarding experience. The winning project was acknowledged by the panel to be a radically new hotel concept that will have considerable influence on others in the industry for years to come,' says Matt Turner, editor in chief Sleeper Magazine.

The second citizenM will open in Amsterdam in April 2009.

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