Ready for something completely different? Marriott is pretty sure business travelers are, and announced in late April that it will build—or stack—the world's tallest modular hotel in Manhattan when it debuts its AC Hotel New York NoMad, a 26-story, $65 million modular property.
The 360-foot, 168-room hotel is on track to be "stacked"—it only takes about three months—at Sixth Avenue and 30th Street in Manhattan in late fall with prefabricated and pre-furnished guestrooms. It'll be topped with a modular roof and modular rooftop bar and is expected to be open for business in late 2020.
But is pre-fab going to be, well … fab? That's the bet Marriott is making as the chain's tower plan marks a turning point for industry confidence in prefabricated properties, according Eric Jacobs, Marriott International, Chief Development Officer, North America, Select and Extended Stay Brands.