Keys to success: Gensler-designed CitizenM hotel project adds rooms

The boutique chain revealed new plans for Hollywood development

CitizenM Chairman Rattan Chadha and a rendering of the Hollywood hotel
CitizenM Chairman Rattan Chadha and a rendering of the Hollywood hotel

The Gensler-designed CitizenM hotel project in Hollywood, whose plans now call for about 25 more rooms, could begin as soon as next year.

The boutique hotel chain, set to rise next to the Capitol Records building at 1718 N. Vine Street, will now have 240 rooms, up from 216 as was previously planned.

The new details were released as part of a draft environmental report, which lays out any impact the project would have on the area, and planned mitigation measures.

The hotel chain has been working on the plans since early 2016, when it purchased the 0.28-acre property for $7.5 million.

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Hollywood is ground zero for hotel development in Los Angeles and competition is fierce. Relevant Group plans to have four hotels built within a two-block radius over the next few years. Last week Relevant sued broker and developer Saeed Nourmand, claiming he “extorted” the firm for $5.5 million with lawsuits to slow down or block its development projects.

Renderings for the CitizenM were also released as part of the report, showing a subdued modernist façade with exterior murals, similar to what the Amsterdam-based company has built elsewhere. CitizenM is planning another outpost in Downtown L.A. that carries on the style.

The hotel will reach 185 feet. Around 2,700 square feet of guest amenities space is planned. A café with outdoor seating is included in the ground-floor lobby area.

A gym is planned on the 12th floor and above that CitizenM wants to build what it calls a publicly accessible “living room” area that appears to be similar to a co-working space with a lounge area, workspace, and food service.