Remote work: a new hotel offering?

Remote work has become the norm in many companies. Working from home, however, is not always straightforward. A number of properties now offer something new: renting a room as a space to work from. Here is how it works.

Remote work is not always easy to live with

When companies moved to remote work, office life gave way to working from the kitchen, the living room or a child’s bedroom.

Working from home has its limits. Sometimes you need quiet and several uninterrupted hours. Juggling family life and video calls can be complicated.

Solutions exist for working in better conditions, and hotels are among them.

Hotels turned into workspaces

Coworking spaces have grown considerably in recent years. They are generally used by independent workers and freelancers, less so by employees accustomed to open-plan offices.

Several hotel groups now offer the option of working from the hotel, and independent properties are doing the same.

Those properties convert their lobby into a coworking space, or their rooms into private offices: what is known as the “hotel office”.

Rooms that are not occupied by travellers become private workspaces. From nine to six, a guest rents a room that becomes their office for the day, with reliable wifi and a quiet space. It is also a change of scene, and a way to regain some momentum.

It is worth remembering that a suitable environment and productivity go together.

Hoteliers: look after remote workers

For the offering to be attractive, remote workers have to be well treated.

Start by communicating on the standards in place at the property. A clean, well-maintained environment is part of what makes a workspace usable.

You also need to offer a personalized experience to stand out. Beyond quiet and security, in-room dining is a card worth playing if your property allows it. A snack, a breakfast or a lunch brought to the room is a genuine advantage: the guest does not have to leave their workspace to eat.

Flexibility matters too. You can rent a room as a workspace by the day, or for a few hours in the morning or the afternoon.

Some properties go further with a “remote work escape”: a room with an additional work area, booked for the night and the following day. A change of scene without dropping professional commitments.