A peek inside the world’s first crowdsourced hotel

Manhattan-based developer raised funds to convert apartment building, crowdsourced design

Rendering of 17 John Street (Source: Prodigy Network for Business Insider)
Rendering of 17 John Street (Source: Prodigy Network for Business Insider)

New York City-based real estate firm Prodigy Network is converting a Financial District highrise into an extended-stay hotel for business travelers.

In order to give future guests the best possible experience, the firm turned to crowdsourcing, hosting a design competition and then having the public vote on the best submissions. More than 10,000 votes were cast on 70 submissions, which were eventually narrowed down to a list of 10 finalists. A panel of expert judges then selected an overall winner in three different categories: Private Space Design, Public Space Design, and Digital Experience.

The winning designs will be combined in what the firm has named the Cotel, a trendy extended-stay hotel and coworking space at 17 John Street in New York City’s Financial District.

“The winners of the 17 John competition were intuitive to the needs of travelers, creative in the interactive spaces and understood the function of extended stay residences,” Prodigy Network founder and CEO Rodrigo Nino said in a press release. “This will be one of many design competitions presented to the crowd and we look forward to empowering those with the greatest ideas.”

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The hotel won’t be completed for some time, but we’ve got an inside look at what it will look like, based on the winning renderings. It’s an interesting look at how the needs of business travelers are changing as more technology becomes available.

Click here to see what the Cotel will look like »