Philips and citizenM build a modular high-tech hotel

High-tech hotels are nothing new, but Philips' "One Star Is Born" hotel project is less about decadence than about making hotel management easier and cheaper. The system, which will first be implemented at the citizenM hotel near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, consists of pre-fabricated rooms which can be instantly brought online by connecting just four cables, which enable an RFID keycard, flat-screen entertainment center, free wireless, and a "MoodPad" lighting controller which controls the lighting, shades and temperature to set the appropriate ambiance. Settings stored on the RFID card can be changed remotely, so guests can login and set their preferences before they arrive, and Philips says all this tech will help hotel owners cut costs by up to 50%, which sounds a little too good to be true. Still, as long as the wireless is free, we're not going complaining. Peep citizenM's silly video after the break.

[James @ Oct 23rd 2007 1:50PM]

That hotel room looks so tiny! Starship titanic anyone?

[Stevenvdb @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:34PM]

Actually, the room is much bigger than it appears (and looks nicer in person, much better than your cheap econo hotel room, at any rate- and no , i don't work for them, just happened upon a publicity campaign whilst passing through A'dam, recently.), as the bed is rather large, much larger than a "King"- sized bed; and probably could sleep 3-4 adults, easily. So you have a few possibilities, from parents with small children, to a more flirtatious route. ;)

[Jason @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:07PM]

reminds me of http://easyhotel.co.uk/ Small rooms, but 25 pounds to stay in the center of London.

[Andrew Horn @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:10PM]

WOA does that look cool, I want to stay THERE. I feel like IKEA should be a part of this. . . But really this is an awesome concept. I doubt we ever see it in the US though

[Sir.Byrd @ Oct 23rd 2007 10:52PM]

As long as they serve the meatballs.
I love those little guys.

[ScOObyDoo @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:11PM]

That actually looks VERY nice. I could see myself staying in one of these when I just need a quick overnighter.

[JeffnLA @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:17PM]

The toilet is in the middle of the room. So if you lay a steamer, you get to ferment the whole room. uugghh!

[Dan @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:41PM]

It looks like the toilet could actually rotate around 180 degrees (with part of the curvy wall), forming a solid circle with the remaining cavity. Just read that over, seems pretty kinky.

[alex @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:06PM]

What you see is just a concept drawing/movie, in reality toilet cabin will have a proper enclosure with a door and forced ventilation (exhaust fan), same goes for shower cabin.

[scott @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:18PM]

It needs a desk within the room, theres no real place to sit down and work other than on the bed...

[Matthew @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:41PM]

Duh scott! Thats why the toilet is in the middle of the room!

[Ignatius @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:24PM]

That really gives power to the name "Think Tank" :P

[HineyWipe @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:20PM]

Who's gonna work in a hotelroom desk when you are in Amsterdam? Off to the brownie-hash café!!!

[Miker @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:46PM]

However I might love my other half, I have no desire to express that love by having a poo while they are sitting 4 foot away from me, and can see me on the toilet. That's just waaaaaaay too disturbing!

[alex @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:11PM]

teh toilet won't have a transparent door, so no, nobody will see you while you're in there

[Mark @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:23PM]

It looks like there might be a curved door that will slide out of the wall, to surround the toilet area, so you can have your poo in private...Hopefully it's noise proof, for those poos that come out at a machine gun's pace...

There also seems to be a vent right above the toilet and shower. I am assuming the shower also has a sliding door since you wouldn't want water to spray all over the floors.

[Richard @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:49PM]

i live in amsterdam yay!

[ScOObyDoo @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:20PM]

What is "yah" about that? The cheap pot and hookers, or the fact that this hotel is close to you? If it's the latter then I'm not sure I get it; why stay in a hotel close to where you live?

[Rowdehaj @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:46PM]

Because, of course, *all* our (The Dutch) capital city has to offer are hookers and legal soft drugs.

[Richard @ Oct 23rd 2007 2:49PM]

@ScOoByDoo:
I live in amsterdam, Yay.
Don't think so hard. Some things are simple.

[Richard @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:10PM]

@Rowdehaj:
Exactly, we also have legal beer when we're 16 years old!

[Rowdehaj @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:06PM]

Hehehe, as much as I would like to reply in Nederlands, I think that's against the rules :p

But I hear Amsterdam West is particularly nice this particular time of year.

[riggs @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:01PM]

I'm 6'5", I think i'll pass on this one....

[Twitchy @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:50PM]

I'm 6'6", and I'm up for a physical challenge. Will have to turn the 3 hour stopover in Amsterdam to an overnighter nest time.

Does it seem like ideal student housing to anyone else? It looks like there isn't much that one could break or wear out, and that which could, is most likely modular and therefore cheap and easy to replace. As stated before, add a desk and you're away laughing.

[Fred Thompson @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:02PM]

The only way to watch the TV is to lay on the bed. The bed is right next to 3 walls which is going to be difficult for the service staff. There is no real table, just little night stands. There doesn't appear to be any place to hang clothes. The video mentions shoppers and business travelers. Where do they put their stuff? This looks like one of those minimalist Japanese cubicle rooms but with bathroom facilities inside the sleeping room. All the steam and smells from the bathroom activities will permeate the room. I travel 3 continents for about 4 months every year. This traveler sees nothing of value here. It looks like something a recent design school single guy would design, not something usable by any real traveler unless they're the broke, backpack-only walking tour type of person. What percentage of the population meets that demographic?

[Patrick @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:42PM]

Perhaps a small percentage, yet still a percentage. I would stay there if it was cheap. Of course, I would also stay there if it was cheap, had simple lighting and no television. :)

[John Stracke @ Oct 24th 2007 11:54AM]

What part of "one star" did you not understand? :-)

[Fred Thompson @ Oct 24th 2007 8:01PM]

What part of the company's own video advertisement did YOU not understand? Was it the woman loaded down with shopping bags, the businessman with a laptop or the saavy world traveler angle?

[JeffnLA @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:09PM]

Although this would be a killer place to take a hooker for an hour!

[wls @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:51PM]

Really! It is the kind of room you would not want to spend more than an hour in before getting claustrophobic. It reminds me of Bruce Willis's "apartment" / sleep pod in the Fifth Element. Of course the Japanese think it's just fine.

[JeffnLA @ Oct 23rd 2007 3:52PM]

wls - your right - It's Corbin Dallas's room from the Fifth Element!

[Justin @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:12PM]

Oh great, a high tech holding cell.

[charlie @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:17PM]

I feel claustrophobic just looking at that picture, it gives me the heebies.

[HineyWipe @ Oct 23rd 2007 4:18PM]

I see what you did with all those cargo shipping containers!

Not my liking. But if it will keep the porn film production costs down...thumbs up!

[snowglyder @ Oct 23rd 2007 7:42PM]

Was that made with PowerPoint?

[Mike @ Oct 24th 2007 4:53AM]

This nothing more than a marketing concept. Anyone who believes the "low-priced luxury" actually means something will probably find this hotel interesting. The rest of us will move on.

[Lennert @ Oct 24th 2007 10:44AM]

Check out a video shot yesterday at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVGUZB8tHSE

[Randavance @ Oct 24th 2007 10:24PM]

Moral of the story: You can really screw someone over by unplugging four cables.