CitizenM Founders: ‘Our Industry Still Has a Lot of Growing to Do’

Ten years after opening the first CitizenM hotel in Amsterdam, the founders of the style-driven budget-conscious micro-hotel brand remain adamant that hospitality is in need of more innovation, better technology, and insights from outside the industry. "In our industry, we paint a wall gray and we're so excited — we think we've innovated and we haven't done shit," Michael Levie, co-founder and chief operating officer of CitizenM told Skift. "I think that our industry still has a lot of growing to do, and what has happened is that, because of the lack of sophistication in technology … we're in a position where these are essentially retail stores — nothing more, nothing less," Levie explained. "We sell guest satisfaction here. What you'll see in our industry, and what's happening now, is we're bringing in people from the outside [to help us innovate.]" Levie, together with CitizenM chief marketing officer Robin Chadha, was showcasing the brand's latest hotel, the newly ope