Marriott is embarking on an initiative to build modular hotels. Will it give the company a competitive edge?
The new Fairfield Inn and Suites in Folsom, California–a Sacramento suburb–flaunts the familiar normcore-chic style we’ve come to expect from budget and midrange hotels: funky contemporary furniture, vibrant accent walls, graphic carpets, and mood lighting. It’s a look that assures customers they’re getting a clean and comfy room, not the Bates Motel, and it’s virtually indistinguishable from its brethren. But dig a little deeper, and the hotel starts to get interesting: It’s the first factory-built hotel from the Marriott brand in the country.