Robots and Prefabs: Iwan Sunito’s $1bn Modular Hotel Vision

Iwan Sunito says the future of hotel construction will look more like a car factory than a building site. Instead of designing every hotel from scratch, the founder and chief executive of One Global Capital wants to build the perfect modular hotel room and duplicate it at scale. “I want to see what I can do out of a prefab structure, and then when I master it, I want to robotise the whole thing,” he says. As part of this vision, One Global Capital plans to develop six new hotels across Sydney over the next seven years, with projects at Macquarie Park , Chatswood , the Sydney CBD, Five Dock, and a second Chatswood location. The expansion is expected to push the company’s total assets to about $1 billion. ▲ A rendering of One Global Residences and Hotels’ Macquarie Park project. Sunito’s goal is to create a highly efficient, standardised construction system—one that mirrors how cars and aeroplanes are made. “The whole approach is … that we become more efficient like the car industry. Instead of redesigning and redesigning, design the most perfect building, perfect hotel room, and duplicate that through the whole world,” he says. Unlike many developers who outsource modular builds, Sunito is bringing the process in-house through his own construction arm, which will be responsible for developing and delivering the modular system. “When you think about modular, they are actually containerised rooms … where you deliver 90 per cent complete,” he says. “So the key is, how do you make it super-efficient so your costs are not double when you put all of that together onsite? “For me, it’s you build your own construction division that focuses on the development and delivery of this modular system.” ▲ Infinity Green Square, home to One Global Resorts, pictured at street level and from above. He says many attempts at modular construction fail because they aren’t scalable. “Where the modular often fails is that it does not suit different buildings all the time,” he says. “So by the time you bring it onshore, you’re saving 10 per cent.” “Yes, you may save time, but the risk that comes to modular system does not compensate for the 10 per cent saving only.” He believes hotels are the perfect fit for modular construction because the rooms can be identical every time. “Hotels is different because hotel rooms can be the same,” he says. The first test of Sunito’s modular hotel system will be a four-storey prototype at Five Dock on a 1.4ha site. “We want a prototype by early 2026,” he says. “I want to start putting a four-storey building there and see how I will work with that, you know, and test it there.” “When”—not if—the Five Dock test succeeds, Sunito’s first large-scale modular hotel will be at Macquarie Park. ▲ The hotel’s location above Green Square Station drives occupancy rates. “Macquarie Park will be the first fully 14-storey test, but that would be three years from now to complete,” he says. Sunito expects modular construction to dramatically cut building time, but he wants to push it even further. “According to the data, it’s about half [normal construction time],” he says. “But I want to see what I can do to make it 25 per cent of that.” Sunito isn’t just focused on how hotels are built—he also wants to change how people use hotel rooms. “We’re also looking at ways to make the hotel room to be the place where you live and work and play,” he says. He takes inspiration from aircraft cabins, where furniture is designed to be multifunctional and space-saving. “Just like the aeroplane industry, where you shift up or you lift up the bed into the ceiling, for instance, [to create] open space where the floor becomes your table or working table,” he says. ▲ Amenities matter, such as Green Square’s rooftop pool offering a resort-style escape in the heart of the city. Sunito says he now operates 225 hotel rooms, valued at about $200 million that generate about $20 million a year in revenue. By adding six more hotels, he expects to significantly scale up the profit “to somewhere between $60 to $80 million per annum”. Before launching One Global Capital , Sunito was the co-founder of Crown Group. But after internal disputes with co-founder Paul Sathio, Crown Group went into provisional liquidation in August of 2023. Now, Sunito is focused on expanding One Global Capital’s hotel portfolio while integrating modular construction and robotics to streamline development. As part of this, he has visited China, Indonesia and Vietnam to study construction methods and explore sourcing and manufacturing opportunities. One Global Resorts Green Square, formerly SKYE Suites Green Square, is part of the landmark Infinity Green Square development, designed by Koichi Takada Architects. Acquired and rebranded by One Global Capital , the 90-suite hotel is known for its luxury accommodation and prime location above Green Square station. It has also become known as the hotel where the cast of Nine Network’s Married at First Sight stays. Sunito believes location and quality are key to why a hotel performs well. “Our Green Square hotel, for instance, is 99.9 per cent occupancy simply because you're on top of a train station and you got Coles and Woolies around you, [also] the open space is important,” he says. He also prides himself on not cutting corners when it comes to construction, particularly in soundproofing. “People love our iconic building. People love the fact that our rooms are double-glazing. It’s solid—you don’t hear the noise,” he says. And the future of Sunito’s vision? He wants to “build the best” modular hotel room prototype, refine it and replicate it at scale across Australia, Japan, the US and Europe. “Why do you need to redesign that?” he says. “This is that solution.”

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