One Year Later: CitizenM and Lessons in Adaptation Under the Marriott and Bonvoy Umbrella
Celebrating one year since Marriott's $355 million acquisition of the CitizenM brand, highlighting a surge in occupancy from Bonvoy members reaching 50%
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Marriott acquired the CitizenM brand for $355 million last year.
- Marriott Bonvoy members drive an average of about 50% of occupancy across the hotel network.
- Another Star, the brand's vendor network, retains the rights to operate as a franchisee.
- Expansion moves forward with a clear roadmap, including the first asset sale in Rome.
Selling a brand to a giant hotel conglomerate while staying on to manage the hotels yourself is a rare strategy. A full year later, Lennert de Jong, CEO of Another Star—the newly rebranded company following the sale of the CitizenM brand to Marriott—stated that this business model continues to run smoothly, with the other party acting as the franchise buyer and hotel operator.
CitizenM's unique model, featuring compact rooms, kiosk-based check-in without a reception desk, and AI-driven service, remains intact. Meanwhile, the biggest change is the influx of new customer demographics using the services, largely driven by Marriott Bonvoy members.
"If you fly within Europe, you can fly British Airways or Ryanair. They both fly the same brand of plane. But if you look inside the plane, there are different people. That's the biggest change we've seen. There are new people walking through our doors."
Lennert de Jong, CEO of Another Star
The successful integration of a lifestyle and tech-heavy hotel brand like CitizenM into a global giant network like Marriott is an interesting case study in filling market gaps, particularly in the U.S. where boutique brands often struggle with distribution costs and reaching a large customer base. Marriott bringing in Bonvoy members to boost the ranks immediately solves this challenge without altering the original service structure.
In terms of technology management, Marriott holds the intellectual property (IP) rights, but the Another Star team still controls the product roadmap. This is a collaborative structure that the industry is watching closely to see how sustainable this relationship will be as the brand grows in the future.
For expansion, it proceeds through Another Star's tangible project pipeline, such as in Dublin, Washington D.C., and London, alongside interest from investors in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The acquisition of the CitizenM Rome property by ADIA marks the brand's first asset sale, setting a market benchmark and reflecting that sovereign wealth funds view the brand as investable.
Source: Skift
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