On my recent work trip, I opted to stay at the citizenM Boston. Part of the brand new TD Garden at North Station, this “affordable luxury” hotel offers a reliable experience with everything I need and nothing I don’t.

Hotel Inspo

I take a lot of home inspiration from well-designed hotels. They often have top architects, interior designers, and consumer products. For instance, I discovered my beloved shower curtain at a hotel. I liked the sheer window screen that let light in but blocked water, the removable liner, and the fact that it was machine washable. I often take note of the tag on the thick, absorbent towels which are sturdy enough to survive daily industrial washing. After a night in The Heavenly®️ Bed at a Westin I decided to invest in a great mattress and linens at home

Floor plan of the citizenM Boston

citizenM Boston

At this point I’m a citizenM fangirl—I’ve stayed at Bankside in London, Times Square, and now Boston. This fresh, funky Dutch hotel company has rethought every detail—right down to the Do Not Disturb sign which says “don’t come in, someone’s naked in here.”

Check-in is completely automated with a kiosk so you don’t need to explain your first name is spelled funny (it’s spelled R-A-E-C-H-E-L!). They’ve shrunk down the rooms, but you hardly notice because the bed is king sized and there’s plenty of storage, smart lighting and temp control. There’s one iron in the whole place and it’s been moved to an ironing room on the fifth floor.

The lobby is also a living room, office, restaurant, and bar. There are epic coffee table books to curl up with and spunky art everywhere you look. They’ve replaced bell boys and room service with 24/7 access to decent food and drink so that no matter what timezone you think you’re in, you won’t go to bed without dinner.

The Room

I found the room to be immaculately clean. I have really high standards and the first thing I do when I walk into a hotel room is lift up the sheets to check the mattress. Lots of bright light comes in through the wall to wall window just above a comfortable wall to wall bed. There’s ample storage considering how tiny the room is with a closet by the door and a huge drawer under the bed. A small desk sits between the bed and bathroom with a chair. All of the lights are dimmable and can be operated from the bed so you can turn everything off when it’s time to go to sleep. This trip I was extra thankful for the remote controlled window shades to block the light while I suffered through jet lag.

The room is nearly identical to the London and Time Square except for the stuffed animal. One of the ways citizenM keeps costs low is that all the rooms are identical down to the square inch. Their message is that they want everyone to have the best room but having every room the same means furnishings, lighting, and linens can all benefit from economies of scale.

The Bathroom Capsule

The bathroom looks like a capsule and has exactly zero sound privacy but is otherwise the stuff small space dreams are made of. In the capsule, the toilet is in one half and the shower in the other. There are towel rods on both sides of the thing I will call a door. The shower has great water pressure and temp control. Instead of individual toiletries, they provide shampoo/body wash with AM and PM scent choices in big bottles mounted to the wall. Just outside the capsule, the bathroom vanity pulls a lot of weight with a lit mirror, sink, storage shelf, trash, fresh towels, fridge, and lamp.

The Living Room

The living room is my favorite part. It’s one wide open space with carefully designed sections that lend themselves perfectly to different activities. The couches along the patio are great for curling up with a cup of coffee. The bar in the center is upbeat and a great place to make new friends. At the far end of the living room is where work happens, including conference rooms equipped with outlets and office supplies. WiFi is everywhere and I had no trouble working and taking video conference calls.

On my last morning in Boston, instead of going out I spent a few hours taking my time sipping cappuccinos by the fire and browsing the stunning book collection.

It’s quite impressive and includes

• 50 of The World’s Best Apartments by Robyn Beaver

• Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs

• Streets of New York by MENDO

• This Is Not A F*cking Street Style Book by Adam Katz Sinding

The Canteen

During check-in, I opted for the $19 all you can eat breakfast buffet which includes espresso drinks 😜 The buffet had hot oatmeal, bacon, eggs, potatoes, roasted tomatoes and an assortment of pastries. Not sure it was worth it this time since I was dashing off to a work conference most mornings, but during my stay in Times Square I woke up early so I could get my money’s worth and squeeze in a second breakfast before they close at 11 am. Two meals and three cappuccinos later I’d say I got my money’s worth!

The Patio

The patio in Boston wasn’t nearly as impressive as the rooftop bar in Times Square. The record-setting bomb cyclone (official term for crazy wind) the day before didn’t help much—the fake bushes were still sideways 🤣

There’s a growing disruption in the way we design spaces, and this hotel continues to be at the forefront. Younger generations are saying ‘fuck off’ to opulence, like robes and room service, and are more interested in rich experiences. By shrinking the individual room, where people don't spend much time anyway, there’s more room for dynamic spaces that draw people in and linger long enough to connect with each other.

With rates as low as $169/night in downtown Boston, The citizenM is the perfect balance between save and splurge—my kind of hotel! If you’re looking for the opportunity to meet other world citizens and a clean, comfortable bed, it could be your kind of hotel too. (They didn’t pay me to say that, I just still really like it here.)

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