The Federal Trade Commission granted Marriott International antitrust approval to acquire Netherlands-based hotel brand CitizenM, according to a June 16 filing.
Marriott first announced plans to acquire the lifestyle hotel operator for $355 million at the end of April.
Once the deal closes, Marriott will assume the CitizenM brand and related intellectual property. CitizenM will continue to own its real estate and operate the hotels.
The CitizenM portfolio — spanning 36 select-service lifestyle hotels across the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific region — will be part of Marriott’s system and subject to long-term franchise agreements with the hotel company. The deal also includes three under-construction CitizenM hotels slated to open in 2026.
With the deal, Marriott will have to overcome a standout challenge: ensuring CitizenM and Marriott’s similarly positioned Moxy brand complement, rather than cannibalize, one another, hospitality pros previously told Hotel Dive.
Both brands are urban-centric, target a younger consumer, focus on communal spaces and have unique guest room designs with smaller footprints, the professionals shared.
However, with a proven track record of acquiring brands and growing them while “preserving what makes them unique and attractive to the guests,” Marriott won’t have a problem with the crossover, Marriott CFO Leeny Oberg told Hotel Dive in April.
The deal comes as hotel players industrywide expand in the competitive lifestyle segment.
Marriott could not be reached for a Hotel Dive request for comment on the FTC antitrust approval. The FTC did not have a comment on the decision.
