citizenM London Victoria

CitizenM are on a journey to reinvent the hospitality industry. When they were looking for a new delivery partner, they were attracted by what we offer at Ica.

An owner-operator hotel business with a strong ethos based around the modern traveller, citizenM markets affordable luxury. What we bring to the table is our creative ingenuity paired with a thorough understanding of operational requirements.

At Vauxhall Bridge Road, we worked in collaboration with citizenM and their concept designers, Concrete, to maximise the potential of the site. We’d inherited feasibility proposals prepared by another architect; on day one, we reconfigured these and were able to provide substantial additional accommodation. Here’s where our commercial acumen comes into its own: by unlocking a further 11 guest rooms — valued at £250,000–300,000 each — approximately £3m was added to the value of the project. Just like that.

If citizenM are on a mission to transform the hotel sector, then modular construction is a big part of that. Ica's experience in this technology is another reason why we make a great partnership. The upper ten floors of the 226-room hotel were built using this innovative method with each of the rooms built and furnished in an offsite factory before being delivered to site. There are many benefits to modular construction; it also gives the hotel its distinctive grid aesthetic.

We are excited to have secured planning consent in a prime location in Westminster. This new property is a fantastic addition to our existing portfolio and confirms our commitment to expand further in London’s most desirable neighbourhoods.

— Klaas van Lookeren Campagne, CEO citizenM Hotels

This was the first collaboration between citizenM and Ica. It promises to be a fruitful partnership.