flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Development startup brings modular solution to hospitality industry

Modular Building

Development startup brings modular solution to hospitality industry

Tomu Inc. provides aspiring hosts and hoteliers with modular units akin to upscale tiny house hotel rooms, that are sustainable, affordable, and customizable.


By Quinn Purcell, Managing Editor | October 11, 2023
TOMU Villa Rendering Luxury Resort
Tomu Inc.’s modular and sustainable Villa Collection provides comfortable, private, and affordable accommodations. Rendering courtesy Tomu Inc.

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.

Modular living unit bathroom and kitchen
Courtesy Tomu Inc.

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.

Tomu Inc.'s Studio Villa Model (480 sq. ft.) - Living and Sleeping Area Rendering
Tomu Inc.'s Studio Villa Model (480 sf) — Living and Sleeping Area Rendering. Courtesy Tomu Inc.

Related Stories

| Sep 3, 2014

Ranked: Top local government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

STV, HOK, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest local government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 3, 2014

New designation launched to streamline LEED review process

The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.

| Sep 2, 2014

Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms. 

| Jul 28, 2014

Reconstruction market benefits from improving economy, new technology [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Following years of fairly lackluster demand for commercial property remodeling, reconstruction revenue is improving, according to the 2014 Giants 300 report.

| Jul 28, 2014

Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Structure Tone, Turner, and Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.

| Jul 28, 2014

Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Jacobs, URS, and Wiss, Janney, Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.

| Jul 28, 2014

Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

Stantec, HDR, and HOK top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.

| Jul 23, 2014

Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June

AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.

| Jul 21, 2014

16 utility questions to answer during your building project

We need electricity to power our building projects, along with water and gas and a faultless sanitation system. That’s what we think about when we think about utility requirements for our building project, but are we missing something? SPONSORED CONTENT

| Jul 21, 2014

Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]

According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021