I have uploaded my photos of the opening to Happy Hotelier’s Flickr Account. Some final observations:
The name
Correctly spelled the name is CitizenM and not Citizen M. I cannot change this in my prior posts because of the archiving system I am using here.
The Launch Party
After the Press conference there was the official opening. Rattan Chadha (Chairman) and Micheal Levy (CEO) held a speech and then everybody attending got a piccolo of champagne with the request to have the cork popping out at the same moment after a count down. The photos show a Happier Boss than at the press conference.
Rattan Chaddha Opening the CitizenM
He emphasized that the whole operation is a matter of teamwork, but as an onlooker I would say this is his baby and the team should do as he says. Not bad though, because the result is really innovative. See the glowing review of a frequent traveler as a comment to one of my prior posts.
Philips was represented by Andrea Ragnetti
I believe they made a giant step forward with Philips in applying domotica in hotel design with the Mood Pad.
Extensive coverage by the Press
There was a huge attendance of TV, writing press and Bloggers.
Extensive TV Coverage
When returning home my wife told me Dutch TV had covered the opening with 4 whole minutes which is a lot of free publicity!
The “cameraman” here is not a cameraman, but my Italian friend and fellow Blogger Stefano Pugliese, who rather would be called “Director” and who organized the attendance of several Bloggers at the opening, among which: Hotel Chatter, Howard Greenstein and two of the grayest, err sorry Karen – I’m not a Grey Travel Blogger, Happy Hotelier! (lol) , Independently Minded Travel Bloggers :
Here is a good TV impression of the whole on: Bright TV and here is another link on Tech Digest and here is the Youtube Version of the Tech Digest Video:
Of course the WiWiH crew was there as well:
The WiWiH crew
The Lobby
The lobby gives a feeling of your own living room and is filled with retro design furniture due to a collaboration with Vitra. Here is a picture of the check in screens.
Very cleverly your room number is not shown on the screen at checking in, because everyone could look over your shoulder, you get your room number and password for the WiFi printed on a decent paper slip. Don’t forget to take it with you from the printer though otherwise you might find someone else in your room, or worse, someone else taking advantage of things you have paid for.
You are requested to take the electronic key card and use it with your next check in. You can use it as luggage tag and in case you lose your luggage which is not uncommon with the present status of service from the airlines, and if, for security reasons you don’t want to label your luggage with your home address because you are afraid of unwelcome visitors during you stay abroad, you have a chance of reclaiming it through CitizenM. They know how to reach you…..
Last update July 3, 2008
Happy Hotelier, there must be a better description of us than the “grayest travel bloggers”? What about most scintillating, entertaining, inspiring, interesting, insightful and enthralling (well let’s not go overboard on the superlatives) but certainly not grayest.
You know me all too well, Happy Hotelier. I see you have amended the post but still too much emphasis on appearance/age and not enough on blogging content? Perhaps you have discovered a useful angle for us to differentiate and market ourselves to the “gray pound” as not all travellers want to read about adrenaline pumping sports or trendy night clubs?
My hair turned gray in my late 20s and whilst I may be a travel blogger with grey hair I hope I’m not a grey travel blogger.
Karen I knew you would take the bait, but I’ll rephrase (a bit) lol
I don’t know about you Karen, but I started to gray before I turned 30. I sometimes regretted it ever since, but most times it was advantageous and I was always proud about it and still am.
I don’t know if this is proper English or por Dunglish, but we have a saying here:
Nuts don’t gray,
Gray don’t get bald
As I strongly believe the young can still learn a lot from us gray, but young at heart, I leave it for now!
Ah IC
The phrase itself is still Dunglish….
How would you rephrase it?
I’m amazed by the amount of buzz created by this hotel opening. What got all the “grayest travel bloggers” and cameras in for the hotel opening?
BTW how about “independent-minded travel bloggers” or “travel bloggers who have been places”? For those bloggers who are sensitive about their gray hair? 🙂
Elliott
As always you got me thinking. “Most experienced Travel Bloggers” it will be:-)
Guido
Elliot, it;s not that I’m sensitive about having grey hair, it’s merely that I don’t think it’s the way I’d like to be described. However if you insist on concentrating on hair colour why not label us silver, rather than grey?