Verdict: $3M all-in is feasible only as an owner-built, value-engineered shell — open court · partial roofs · PEMB + light-gauge repeat rooms (no containers) · minimal FF&E day-one · you as GC. Turnkey contractor pricing for 48 US hotel rooms alone often runs $2.2M–$3.2M before land and public amenities. Do not phase — redesign around budget (this scheme) or raise cap.
Scope question to lock with your lender/CPA: Is $3M truly everything including $425k land? If yes, remaining vertical + site budget = $2,575,000 (table below). If land is separate, say so — feasibility changes.
A · Owner-build target · sums to $3,000,000
| Line | Basis | $ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | Best & final | 425,000 | Non-negotiable ask on file |
| VERTICAL + SITE · $2,575,000 remaining | |||
| Site · grading · parking · utilities stub | 120 stalls · neck · no tower build | 240,000 | Crushed / PICP · owner civil bid |
| Foundations · slab-on-grade | ~25k SF footprint · Zone X bowl | 220,000 | Single pour strategy · PE design |
| PEMB one shell · incl L1 public · 16′ eave | Chef hall · ballroom · arrival · hotel bar · retail · no court roof | 1,100,000 | Rev 6 · no separate L1 steel line |
| Grand Arrival · portal · bar · court light | 35′ glass · stone · bar · strings · sign | 30,000 | VE realloc · guest-visible spend |
| 48 × LGS repeat room bays · installed | One bath · one window · one door @ $14,500 | 696,000 | Drywall · MEP rough · repeat shop drawing |
| Vertical MEP · one elevator | Elevator · sprinkler · elec · HVAC risers | 310,000 | Keep elevator · NFPA 13 |
| Commercial kitchen · hood · grease | Type I path · west BOH | 95,000 | Essential · not romanticized |
| Event · restaurant L1 finish | Black-box ballroom · roll-ups · lean rest | 55,000 | VE · drape · uplight · not spec ballroom |
| Room FF&E · 48 keys | @ $3,500/key lean | 168,000 | Bed · bath pod · minimal |
| Court · landscape · pool · sign | Plunge 15×35 · projector screen · strings | 55,000 | VE Rev 6 · full pool + LED ph.2 |
| Permits · soft · contingency | Pre-app · AOR/PE · 5% | 149,000 | Includes VE realloc buffer |
| TOTAL ALL-IN | 3,000,000 | Balanced to cap | |
B · Market reality check (same scope · typical US Gulf South)
| Line | Market range | Gap vs target |
|---|---|---|
| 48 turnkey hotel rooms (contractor) | $2,160,000 – $3,120,000 | @ $45k–$65k/room · often exceeds entire cap |
| Land + site + public steel + MEP | $1,100,000 – $1,600,000 | Before room finish |
| Typical all-in project | $3.8M – $5.2M | Similar program · not owner-build |
C · Where savings come from (your direction)
| Move | Est. save |
|---|---|
| Open court · no roof over center | $150k – $250k |
| 3 stories · no L4 · no ring catwalks | $80k – $120k |
| PEMB + LGS repeat · one plan × 48 | $250k – $450k vs container path |
| Stretched bar · one core · one elevator | Simpler MEP than 360° ring |
| Owner GC · no developer fee | 15% – 20% of hard cost |
E · Structural system · PEMB locked · containers retired
Jul 2026 lock: No shipping containers. Build one PEMB + light-gauge steel repeating room (one bath · one window · one door × 48). vs the old container study path, PEMB saves roughly $250,000–$450,000 on owner-build and $700,000–$1,200,000+ vs contractor container pricing. Spend $50k–$100k on AOR + PE + PEMB quotes before steel order.
| System | 48 keys + public shell (study) | All-in vertical slice | Lock |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · PEMB + light-gauge steel ★ | One 3-story PEMB shell + 48 repeat LGS room kits @ $14.5k–$18k | ~$1,070,000–$1,280,000 | BUILD THIS |
| B · Hybrid · steel frame + bath pods | PEMB shell + prefab bath pods + LGS rooms | ~$1,150,000–$1,400,000 | Alternate · faster rooms |
| C · Modular hotel factory | Factory modules @ $55k–$75k/key delivered set | ~$2,640,000–$3,600,000 | Over cap · bid only |
| D · CMU / stick hotel | Traditional | Highest | Not for this cap |
| ~~Shipping containers~~ | RETIRED Jul 2026 | — | Do not build |
| Per-room economics (why PEMB wins) | Typ. $ / room |
|---|---|
| ~~Realistic US container room (retired)~~ | ~~$45,000–$65,000~~ |
| PEMB repeat room (one plan × 48) | $14,500–$22,000 |
| Factory modular hotel (reference) | $55,000–$75,000 |
| Reallocate savings (guest sees luxury · not structure) | Suggested $ |
|---|---|
| Façade · stucco · stone · slat (§40-447(h)) | $80,000–$150,000 |
| Palm court · landscape · lighting · strings | $50,000–$100,000 |
| Lobby · restaurant · bar FF&E (the “$30M feel”) | $100,000–$175,000 |
| Design · AOR + PE + 3-system bid (ROI) | $50,000–$100,000 |
Locked build @ 1705: L1 restaurant + event + lobby + retail = PEMB/steel + LGS storefronts. L2–L3 = one PEMB frame + identical LGS room bays (one bath · one window · one door × 48). Open palm court + partial roofs. No shipping containers.
F · Day-1 VE · Rev 6 · Jul 2026
Owner lock: All 6 chef concepts @ CO — not reduced to 3. Everything else below is day-1 value engineering; reallocate ~$200k–$400k to Manhattan arrival · bar · court twilight. Full sheet: Day-1 VE sheet.
| VE move | Day-1 | Est. save |
|---|---|---|
| L1 eave 16′ (not 20′ everywhere) | Portal glass reads tall @ Manhattan | $60k–120k |
| 3 roll-ups west (not folding glass) | Lawn spill · Saints | $50k–120k |
| Mirage Ballroom black-box finish | 299 seats · footprint locked | $40k–75k |
| Projector + screen (not permanent LED) | LED phase 2 | $50k–150k |
| 15×35 plunge (not 25×50 @ CO) | Full pool phase 2 | $25k–50k |
| No grand stair @ CO | Feature stair phase 2 | $25k–45k |
| Retail shell · 3 bays finish first | 7,500 SF shell @ CO | $50k–100k |
| Cabanas · fire pits · pergola | Phase 2 | $15k–35k |
| PEMB one-line bid | No double L1 steel | — |
D · Non-negotiables (do not cut)
| One elevator | Interior hotel · ADA · ops |
| Fire sprinkler | NFPA 13 · assembly + hotel |
| 48 keys @ CO | Redesign building · do not phase |
| Slab-on-grade · hotel @ grade | No stilt / tuck-under parking · surface bowl 120 stalls |
| PEMB + LGS only | No shipping containers · rooms or retail |
| Six Chef Hall | 6 concepts @ CO · cloud kitchen 42×30 · NOT reduced to 3 |
| Mirage Ballroom footprint | 75×60 east · 299 seated · finish may be black-box day-1 |