Travis Kalanick, the cofounder of Uber, joins other investors in funding the expansion of the 3D-printed hotel concept Habitas. In addition to Kalanick, other investors include online supermarket Ocado’s chief executive Tim Steiner; Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen; and Indian ad-tech billionaire Div Turakhia.
Founded in 2014 by Oliver Ripley, Kfir Levy and Eduardo Castillo, the startup raised $20 million to take the “3D-printed hotel” idea to new markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
What does it consist in?
“We call our hotels, homes. Designed to support the unique ways that we like to gather, our homes redefine the conventional hotel experience. Privacy, nature, music, wellness and exquisite communal spaces add an element of purpose to each stay.
For some people our homes are a place to disconnect from technology, work or life – for others it’s a chance to reconnect with the people and things that matter most », explains the company.
The idea that gave life to Habitas came from the Burning Man desert arts festival, where Ripley built a camp geared toward VIP attendees.
Moving forward, they tested the concept in Tulum, Mexico, where the building was achieved by local carpenters and artisans using sustainable materials. As far as the manufacturing technique is concerned, the only certainty is that they leverage 3D Printing technology to build these hotels. “We assemble them like Lego,” the cofounder said, without giving further information on the technique. He though added that 100 rooms per month can be built.
According to Ripley, Habitas could build modular resort-style hotels in six to nine months versus the four to five years to build a traditional hotel. He anticipates eight Habitas locations will be launched by the end of 2020, including a Namibian hotel opening this month. Bhutan and Saudi Arabia are other locations being scouted
Financially speaking, rooms would run $200-$400 nightly, ranging Habitas between hostels and five-star hotels.
“We are focusing more on the people, the community, the experiences — a little bit like Club Med for our generation,” Ripley told the Financial Times. “What is the equivalent to Club Med for us? Incredible experiences with food, with music, with the right kind of wellness — not the fanciest spa but really just reconnecting.”
In the future, the company could advance into social housing or franchising. It has already started two subsidiaries for real estate and manufacturing operations.
Image credit: Sophia Perlstein – Habitas – Remember, you can post free of charge job opportunities in the AM Industry on 3D ADEPT Media or look for a job via our job board. Make sure to follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our weekly newsletter : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram ! If you want to be featured in the next issue of our digital magazine or if you hear a story that needs to be heard, make sure to send it to contact@3dadept.com.