As I complete this series of posts—from assessing market potential to collaborating with various consultants—I’d like to highlight two exceptional hotel concepts that have emerged over the last two decades: Yotel and CitizenM.
Yotel began in 2007 at London Gatwick Airport, later expanding to Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol. Today, it operates 23 hotels with 11 more on the way.
Its rooms, such as the Premium Queen (13.5 sqm) and Premium Plus Queen (18 sqm), are designed with absolute efficiency. Beds slide up into the wall to transform sleeping space into a living area during the day.
Despite the compact rooms, Yotel includes essentials: a restaurant & bar, small meeting rooms, pool, and gym.
CitizenM opened in 2008 at Amsterdam Schiphol, then Glasgow (2010) and London (2012). It now has 36 hotels globally and was recently acquired by Marriott.
Born from a Blue Ocean Strategy, CitizenM identified what travelers love about five-star hotels—and eliminated everything else.
Each 14 sqm room features a king-size bed, and the hotels come with a gym, pool, restaurant & bar, and meeting rooms.
Both brands demonstrate a strong return-on-investment approach. Small room footprints reduce cost-per-room, improving ROI. The focus remains squarely on leisure and business travelers—high-yield segments in capital cities with strong international traffic.
Closer to home, Sleeping Lion Suites (904 rooms) recently opened in Kuala Lumpur. It’s a 4-star hotel with no F&B outlets—leveraging the rich foodscape around it—alongside meeting rooms, a pool, and a gym. It competes aggressively with 3-star hotels while offering 4-star facilities. A bold and clever move.
These hotels remind us that good design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about strategy, cost-efficiency, and understanding your core guests.
👉 If you’ve stayed at any of these hotels or know other innovative concepts, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
