HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK—One of the hospitality industry’s most innovative new concepts is emerging in New York’s Hudson Valley–Moliving at Hurley House. Produced and operated by Moliving Inc., its ultra-luxury Units will be 399 square feet on the inside and will include deck space of 240 feet. With its 60 Units, Moliving at Hurley House will open this September. Moliving Units can either be “off the grid” while using solar panels with lithium battery technology to store energy or can be easily connected to the grid in a matter of minutes.
According to Jordan Bem, CEO, and founder of Moliving, the mobility of the Units allows one to always operate at high season. One need only move the “excess keys to a different location.”
Bem, who has a background in building retail space, says the idea for Moliving came to him about four years ago. “I was sitting on a beach and having a candid conversation regarding a hotel in the Hamptons,” he says. He asked, “Why are these hotels charging $2,000 a night? It is because they are closed four months out of the year.” He then asked, “Wouldn’t it be great to build a hotel that is always in the right place at the right time?” And so, Moliving was born. It officially launched last summer.
“The pandemic gave us the opportunity to see the product evolve,” Bem says. “Trends have changed. People are now willing to spend more on an experiential product.”
SG Blocks, Inc., a leading developer, designer, and fabricator of modular structures, is leading Moliving’s seed round of funding.
Manufactured in Factories
Moliving Units are manufactured in Oklahoma and Georgia, with more factories in the pipeline. They are trucked from one place to another. There is currently no flexibility in exterior size and design, but each Unit’s interior design can vary to reflect the locale.
Sustainability was top of mind when designing the Moliving concept. Each Unit has three holding tanks—one for the shower, one for greywater that can then be recycled, and one for the black water for the toilet. Recycled materials are used where possible. “We are seeking a high level of LEED certification,” Bem says.
Other technological advances include UV sanitization technology, hands-free controls for all electronics, and a seamless tablet control integration. Moliving is also in the process of creating a mobile application that will provide an interface for all Unit guests to handle all front of house and back of house lodging functions, from check in to requests for additional pillows.
Interestingly, each Unit includes a self-leveling system if it should happen to be on ground that is slightly unlevel.
Landowner Provides the Land
The business model is one in which a landowner can sign a joint-venture agreement with Moliving Inc. “The landowner provides some land and some infrastructure,” Bem says. “We come in with all the operations. We provide the flexible inventory as well. We bring in a lot of equity. There is a split after expenses. The value of the land goes up. It is a win-win situation.” There must be enough land available to make the business model work—a minimum of 50 Units, for example.
Plans are for a rapid expansion on the East Coast in early 2023 and 2024, providing SG Blocks with a potential pipeline of approximately 400 Units. The Units would be built by SG ECHO, in-house.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
