Marriott building world’s largest modular hotel

Daily Record Staff//April 18, 2019//

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Rendering of the world's future tallest modular hotel, AC Hotel New York NoMad (Design and photo credit: Danny Forster & Architecture) — Rendering of the world’s future tallest modular hotel, AC Hotel New York NoMad (Danny Forster & Architecture)

The world’s tallest modular hotel, which will carry the Marriott International brand, is on track to be stacked in late fall in New York City with prefabricated and pre-furnished guestrooms.

Once erected over a 90-day period, the 360-foot-tall tower will represent a milestone for the Bethesda-based hotel giant’s ongoing initiative to encourage hotel developers in North America to embrace modular for new construction projects. Still to be topped with a modular roof and modular rooftop bar, the world’s tallest modular hotel is expected to open in late 2020 as the AC Hotel New York NoMad.

The 168-room, 26-story hotel is scheduled to rise at 842 Sixth Ave. with prefabricated guestrooms arriving at the hotel site fully constructed, inside and out. Besides finished, painted walls, each “module” will contain a fully outfitted guest room – with beds, sheets, pillows, flooring and even toiletries.

Besides finished, painted walls, each “module” will contain a fully outfitted guest room – with beds, sheets, pillows, flooring and even toiletries. (Design and photo credit: Danny Forster & Architecture) (PRNewsfoto/Marriott International, Inc.) — Besides finished, painted walls, each “module” will contain a fully outfitted guest room – with beds, sheets, pillows, flooring and even toiletries. (Danny Forster & Architecture) (PRNewsfoto/Marriott International, Inc.)

The hotel’s roof and rooftop bar are expected to be produced using modular construction, and its more customized public areas such as the restaurant and lobby are expected to be constructed using traditional methods.

Prefabrication is a process Marriott has found typically reduces the construction timeline, curbs site waste and noise and results in a higher-quality product, company officials said. The time savings comes from the ability to perform two crucial functions simultaneously – building the public spaces on site while manufacturing the guest rooms offsite.