The hotel industry has long been dominated by major global corporations, making it difficult for newcomers to break into the field without significant financial resources and industry connections. However, building startup Tomu Inc. wants to change the landscape by offering an innovative and accessible solution: modular hotel units.
Tomu Inc., a sustainability-focused development startup that designs and builds prefabricated housing units, has started production of its luxury hotel units. The startup's modular system provides aspiring hoteliers with turnkey hotel units, akin to upscale tiny house hotel rooms, that are sustainable, affordable, and customizable to cater to various audiences, including underserved travelers. Chris Osaka, CEO of Tomu Inc., emphasizes the company's mission to empower a more diverse range of hosts and hoteliers.
“Our sustainable modular hotel units save money and time, while providing the individual owner a realistic opportunity to enter into the hospitality industry," says Osaka. The CEO underscores that Tomu can bring concepts to life, from design to delivery, within a few months.
Building Customized Modular Hotel Units
The company's approach extends to various types of accommodations, from landscape hotels and cozy bed and breakfasts to compact micro hotels and food and wine-themed properties. Tomu's selling point lies in its proprietary prefab hotel units, which allow property owners to design their rooms with different aesthetics to target specific customer segments.
The process involves selecting a prefab unit shell from Tomu and working closely with a design team to fully customize the physical elements and desired design parameters. The company offers three levels of unit configuration:
- Ready To Stay: Tomu's line of detached guest units, known as the Villa Collection, come in studio, one-, and two-bedroom floor plans—all designed in a distinctive Tomu aesthetic. The Villa Collection caters to the evolving preferences of modern travelers, suitable for both short weekend getaways and longer stays.
- Made To Suit: Developer clients have the option to customize configurations of Tomu's Villa Collection to align with project requirements. The startup collaborates with developers to tailor amenities to match the project's unique concept.
- Fully Bespoke: Rather than maintaining Tomu's signature material palette and fixtures, this configuration gives clients full design control.
To support their vision, Tomu recently acquired a 15,000-sf production facility at the Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Md., in order to expand manufacturing capabilities and production by Q4 2023. Learn more about Tomu Inc. on the company's website.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Clark Group, Hensel Phelps among nation's largest federal government contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 40 Federal Government Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, HDR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest institutional building design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Institutional Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Whiting-Turner, EMJ Corp. top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 40 largest retail contractors
A ranking of the Top 40 Retail Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
GSA celebrates 60th anniversary
The U.S. General Services Administration today is commemorating its 60th anniversary as it engages in one of its its most challenging assignments ever—helping to achieve the goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
| Aug 11, 2010
Draft NIST report on Cowboys practice facility collapse released for public comment
A fabric-covered, steel frame practice facility owned by the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys collapsed under wind loads significantly less than those required under applicable design standards, according to a report released today for public comment by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
| Aug 11, 2010
Callison, MulvannyG2 among nation's largest retail design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Retail Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Citizenship building in Texas targets LEED Silver
The Department of Homeland Security's new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services facility in Irving, Texas, was designed by 4240 Architecture and developed by JDL Castle Corporation. The focal point of the two-story, 56,000-sf building is the double-height, glass-walled Ceremony Room where new citizens take the oath.
| Aug 11, 2010
Modest recession for education construction
Construction spending for education expanded modestly but steadily through March, while at the same time growth for other institutional construction had stalled earlier in 2009. Education spending is now at or near the peak for this building cycle. The value of education starts is off 9% year-to-date compared to 2008.
| Aug 11, 2010
'Feebate' program to reward green buildings in Portland, Ore.
Officials in Portland, Ore., have proposed a green building incentive program that would be the first of its kind in the U.S. Under the program, new commercial buildings, 20,000 sf or larger, that meet Oregon's state building code would be assessed a fee by the city of up to $3.46/sf. The fee would be waived for buildings that achieve LEED Silver certification from the U.
