Construction is set to begin on citizenM hotel at the sprawling downtown Miami Worldcenter project.

The 12-story, 351-key hotel will rise west of the Metromover tracks at 700 NE Second Ave., the latest addition to the 27-acre mixed-use development.

The Netherlands-based citizenM brand is known for its modern, edgy interior designs that target travelers seeking central accommodations in booming big cities. It's considered a luxury yet affordable hotel.

citizenM Miami Worldcenter will have floor-to-ceiling glass windows and will pay homage to the arts community by decorating with art and photography by local artists. The hotel also will have a public art program.

The luxury element kicks in with furnishings such as extra large, king-size beds stretching wall to wall in guestrooms. Guests will be able to control room blinds, lights and on-demand TV programs with an iPad.

A 10th-floor sundeck, cloudM rooftop bar and 1,850 square feet of creative space and meeting rooms branded as societyM will be in the 128,000-square-foot hotel.

Ernest Lee, the company's U.S. head of development and investments, in a news release said citizenM is excited to be included in Miami Worldcenter.

The groundbreaking was held this week, and the hotel is set for completion in late 2021.

Hotel Brand

The growing hotel brand was co-founded in 2005 by Rattan Chadha, who founded the Mexx fashion brand.

citizenM wants to differentiate itself from other hotels through design and tech-driven accommodations targeting modern travelers.

The first hotel opened in Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in 2008, followed by another in Amsterdam in 2009 and a third in Glasgow in 2010. The first U.S. hotel opened in 2014 in New York, and locations have been added in Asia.

The company's three U.S. hotels are New York Times Square, New York Bowery and Boston North Station, according to its website. Miami-Dade County figures into brand expansion with hotels planned at 1212 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and Miami's Brickell Financial District at the site of Perricone's Marketplace & Cafe.

Other U.S. locations on tap will be in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

One reason for the city center locations is to reduce the travel time for guests to major attractions.

By next year, citizenM will have over 40 hotels either completed or in development, which is more than double its current portfolio, according to a news release.

The expansion has attracted major investors with GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, buying a 25% stake.

citizenM fits well in the vision for Miami Worldcenter, said Nitin Motwani, managing partner at master developer Miami Worldcenter Associates. He leads the company with prolific developer Art Falcone.

"Welcoming citizenM to Miami Worldcenter expands our reach in being able to offer an affordable yet luxuriously designed hotel within our master plan and is in line with our grand vision," he said in a news release.

The master developers partner with others that build different segments, in some cases buying development sites from Miami Worldcenter.

Big Picture

The $4 billion project made significant headway this year with the completion of several towers.

In January, the 43-story, 444-unit Caoba apartment tower opened at 698 NE First Ave. Rents range from $1,775 to $4,275 a month for units measuring 500 to 1,300 square feet. This was followed by the completion of 700-foot tall Paramount condominium tower at 1010 NE Second Ave.

Construction is underway on the 43-story, 434-unit Luma luxury apartment building and 300,000 square feet of retail space that's part of the project.

Houston-based developer Hines will build a tower with 500,000 square feet of office space, and Miami developer MDM Group USA will add a convention hotel with 600,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Paramount developer Royal Palm Cos., led by Dan Kodsi, plans to build Legacy Hotel & Residences tower at Miami Worldcenter. It will have a 255-key hotel below 278 condo units.

On the Market: Miami Worldcenter Site, $40M Downtown Portfolio

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citizenM Hotel Construction Starts at Downtown's Miami Worldcenter

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