CitizenM to break ground on San Francisco hotel

CitizenM will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its upcoming San Francisco property today. The 195-room citizenM San Francisco Union Square builds on the luxury brand’s expansion in the United States, where it currently has two New York City locations and plans to open another two in Boston and Seattle within the year.

The new San Francisco hotel will stand 12 stories high and feature a large public lobby, a rooftop public open space, outdoor terraces, a fitness center, meeting space and 6,100 square feet of varied retail area. The company hopes to form long-term partnerships with lifestyle brands to fill street-level spaces in San Francisco, as well as at its Miami, New York City, Paris and London.

“We don’t want to be just another building; we want to become part of the neighborhood’s fabric while showing San Francisco’s visitors a different side of the city,” Rattan Chadha, citizenM’s founder, said in a statement. “Even the art we use will be drawn from the local art scene, as well as international contributors.”

CitizenM has selected its long-time partner, the Amsterdam-based firm Concrete, to design the hotel. Design, planning and architecture firm Gensler and general and specialty contractor Webcor are also involved with the hotel’s construction.

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Largely based in Europe, citizenM has begun branching out in the United States and Asia. By 2020, it said it plans to reach 40 properties open or in development globally, double its current portfolio. In North America, the company has a dozen hotels in development, including locations in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Miami.