citizenM has debuted its second property in the Bay Area, citizenM Menlo Park, located on the campus headquarters of Meta in Northern California.
“We are thrilled to be opening up in Menlo Park, as this city has become one of the country’s largest tech hubs,“ said Robin Chadha, chief brand officer, citizenM. “citizenM has always been designed to bridge remote and in-person work with private nooks and work options in our Living Rooms, plus societyM meeting rooms. This dynamic property will offer something completely unique to anything else in the area for Meta employees and mobile citizens alike.”
John Tenanes, VP, global facilities and real estate, Meta, added, “Connection is at the core of everything we do at Meta, especially in the communities where we live and work. We are proud to welcome citizenM to Menlo Park, connecting our employees and travelers to the local community through this cutting-edge property.”
Marking the brand’s arrival at Meta’s Frank Gehry-designed campus, citizenM built its signature high-tech hotel using efficient and sustainable modular construction systems. The hotel marks the brand’s 32nd hotel across the globe and was designed by citizenM’s longstanding architecture partner concrete and local firm Baskervill.
citizenM’s journey to Menlo Park started in 2016, when Meta (then Facebook) announced the development of the campus and a request for a hotel developer. After multiple rounds of discussion, citizenM won the bid to develop the project, beating out 18 other hotel brands. In 2020, construction of citizenM Menlo Park commenced.
The five-story, 79,400-sq.-ft. hotel with 240 guestrooms is the first of its kind to integrate “modern and luxurious” modular rooms into its building design, according to the company. Not only reducing construction waste by up to 60%, citizenM’s modular approach reduces development duration by three to four months compared to a hotel built using traditional on-site methods.
Emphasizing citizenM’s commitment to sustainability, citizenM Menlo Park has been constructed adhering to elevated environmental standards, encompassing energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction, and is working towards securing LEED Gold certification.
The property features several amenities for Meta employees and guests including an indoor-outdoor lobby, gym and the 24/7 canteenM. There are four light-flooded societyM meeting rooms available to rent for full or half-day use by Meta employees, as well as internal and external guests. In addition to canteenM, the patio will feature a permanent food truck with rotating food concepts and offerings, and Meta will be outsourcing the restaurant space to an operator of their choosing in the coming months.
Outside, the indoor-outdoor experience at Menlo Park offers access to the landscaped public grounds and parking on-site for 132 vehicles and bicycles, with 127 more spots next door in Metal Building 22. citizenM transformed a former surface parking lot just outside the Meta campus entrance. citizenM Menlo Park will also help reduce local car traffic by having bicycles available for guest use, and at least 25% of the hotel workforce will comprise local residents.