Rakuten LIFULL STAY and DEVELOP to Form Business Alliance for the Development and Sale of “Rakuten STAY VILLA” Container-Style Accommodation

Tokyo, October 12, 2018 - Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc., the Rakuten Group’s vacation rental service provider, and DEVELOP Co., Ltd., which is engaged in property management and construction with a focus on container construnction^*1, today announced that the two companies have agreed to form a business alliance for the development and sale of container-style accommodation facilities. These facilities will be operated under the “Rakuten STAY VILLA” brand, a sub-brand of Rakuten STAY, the branding and operational support service for vacation rental properties and shared accommodation provided by Rakuten LIFULL STAY.

Under this business partnership, DEVELOP will design, plan, and construct the Rakuten STAY VILLA facilities under the supervision of Rakuten LIFULL STAY, and as the sales agent will be responsible for selling the facilities to real estate owners. Applications for facilities will be accepted from real estate owners from October 12. A combination of two or more container building modules will be combined to form one housing unit, and the minimum order accepted in principle is three units or more.

Rakuten STAY VILLA facilities are container-style accommodation facilities that makes use of container building modules, which are easy to design to match the terrain and purpose of use. There are plans to combine multiple units of the accommodation facility with amenities such as terraces and pools. Rakuten LIFULL STAY will provide operational support services for the Rakuten STAY VILLA accommodation facilities.

As Rakuten STAY VILLA uses square-shaped container building modules, it is possible to arrange and combine the modiles freely even on irregularly-shaped terrain. In addition to detached houses comprising several rooms made up of a combination of container building modules, it is also possible to build facilities for other conditions and purposes of use, even accommodation facilities equipped with open-air baths, outdoor jet baths, and pools, for example. Furthermore, as the units are shipped out after the construction of the external walls roofs and other components are completed, construction time is significantly less than conventional construction methods^*2. As container buildings are easy to relocate, extend, and reuse, and have been attracting much attention as a sustainable form of next-generation architecture. The first Rakuten STAY VILLA development is scheduled to open in Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture, in the spring of 2019.  

Rakuten LIFULL STAY launched Rakuten STAY service in November 2017. In addition to the upcoming Rakuten STAY VILLA project, Rakuten LIFULL STAY also offers a number of sub-brands covering a range of accommodation styles, including detached houses, hostels, “kyomachiya” traditional Japanese townhouses, and garage-style houses. There are plans to further expand the lineup of sub-brands in the future to meet the diverse needs of travellers and make choosing accommodation easier.

Going forward, Rakuten LIFULL STAY and DEVELOP will continue to promote facility development through the use of container building modules, and maximize the benefits to both real estate owners and travellers.

*1 Refers to the production of standardized parts in a factory and combining them with container building modules on the site.
*2 Also known as the timber framework construction method, this refers to the construction method of supporting a building with frameworks such as foundations, pillars, beams, bracings, etc.

About Rakuten STAY
Rakuten STAY is a full-service operational support provider in which Rakuten loans the Rakuten STAY brand to prospective businesses and individuals who wish to operate vacation rentals and shared accommodations, and Rakuten LIFULL STAY oversees operations from initial consultations to construction and cleaning with the cooperation of a contracting company. Users staying at Rakuten STAY facilities are able to use facilities and toiletries, and receive extra services based on a uniform concept wherever they stay. Rakuten STAY aims to expand the accommodation and vacation rental market by creating an environment where customers who have never used vacation rentals can use them and shared accommodations with peace of mind.

About Rakuten STAY VILLA
・Design and creative direction: DEVELOP Co., Ltd., GRIFFON, Inc.
・Design, construction, and sales: DEVELOP Co., Ltd.
・Branding: Rakuten, Inc.
・Operational support: Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc.
・Structure: Steel frame structure
・Number of floors: One or two floors above-ground
・Maximum capacity: Four to eight guests 　*Differs depending on the facility
・Main facilities and details of equipment provided:
- Shower room, toilet, kitchen, refrigerator, dining table, terrace, parking lot, bedroom amenities (Bedding will be prepared for the number of guests. *For example, in the case of a four-person room: Two double beds, or one double bed and two single beds, etc.)
- Optional amenities: Washing machine, roof-top balcony, BBQ terrace, BBQ grill, open-air bath, outdoor jet bath, shared outdoor pool, shared outdoor terrace

Inquiries from real estate owners
https://www.dvlp.jp/lp/rakutenstayvilla/

About DEVELOP Co., Ltd.
Address: 8F Ichikawa Building, 1-4-10 Ichikawa, Ichikawa-city, Chiba
Representative: Representative Director Kenji Okamura　
Details of business: Real estate development, construction, hotel business, energy business, trunk room storage business, etc.
Date of establishment: February 2007
Website: https://develop-group.jp/

About Rakuten LIFULL STAY, Inc.
Address: Yurakucho Building 3F, 1-10-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Representative Director Munekatsu Ota
Details of business: Providing services related to vacation rental platform, etc.
Date of establishment: March 2017
Website: https://www.rakuten-lifull-stay.co.jp/