CitizenM and Life House Redefine Hotel Relationships in Their Own Ways
Photo Credit: Rami Zeidan (left) of Life House and Ernest Lee of CitizenM discussed “Staying Ahead of Future Shifts in Lodging” Thursday at Skift’s Future of Lodging Forum in New York City. Skift
Skift Take
CitizenM is willing to take a profit hit to entice long-term guest loyalty, while Life House seeks to limit guest services to extract maximum profits for owners. The sustainable business model award goes to CitizenM.
CitizenM and Life House are hospitality contrarians in their approaches to hotel-guest relationships, and their strategies diverge from one another, as well.
Ernest Lee, CitizenM's chief growth officer, said traditional hotels have things backward when they entice guests to prove their value to the brands in order to earn higher rewards. Instead, Lee argued, CitizenM is trying to first prove its value to guests to win long-term loyalty over a 10-year period, for example.
That's why CitizenM recently launched its citizenM+ membership program for $120 per
