PHOTOS : DAVID MITCHELL
BETWEEN THE REDEFINITION OF hospitality through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO and pandemic-related changes in traveler taste , it seems Moliving is bringing its “ nomadic hotel ” concept to market at exactly the right time .
“ We realized we had a great opportunity as a small brand — operating like a Ferrari rather than a semitruck ,” says Moliving CEO & founder Jordan Bem .
As a new concept , Bem can build Moliving to be flexible and nimble , meeting the needs of a specific hotel location by utilizing proprietary modular luxury units that can be moved at any time as the market demands . Each unit is approximately 400 sq . ft , includes two 120-sq . -ft . outdoor decks and is built to the quality of discerning travelers .
All of the units are movable , so Moliving can physically transport rooms to another location as the market demands . Given Bem ’ s aggressive expansion plans , that will only serve to help propel Moliving ’ s growth .
Moliving ’ s first property , Hurley House , will open in 2023 in New York ’ s Hudson Valley with 60 rooms . From there , Moliving will separate quadrants across the U . S ., expanding along the east coast , followed by the west , then shifting to less developed locations . There are also plans for international expansion into western Europe .
Bem explains that Moliving has ultimate flexibility once it has the case study of the first property , helping other municipalities understand the low footprint and high upside of a hotel concept that can be , quite literally , on the move .
The extension of that low footprint is Bem ’ s commitment to making the modular rooms as sustainable as possible . The rooms themselves are built with a range of recycled and responsible materials , and the company is measuring the impact of its entire operation through a partnership with a major environmental tracking firm .
“ We ’ re actually using a new program based off of LEED certification that our partners at PwC Luxembourg Sustainable Real Estate are helping us with because what we ’ re offering is unlike anything else available ,” Bem says .
As luxury travelers search for the next great adventure in the next stunning locale , perhaps all they ’ ll need is a hotel room that can meet them wherever that might be .
WE World 39 Winter 2022 / 23