ACCOMMODATION
Changing
ROOMS Hotels and serviced apartments are transforming their spaces to align with the new ways of working - and fill empty rooms, says catherine chetwynd
W
hile many of us are embracing working from home, for others it can be isolating or simply impractical. Zoom calls to colleagues will quickly show you that not every home comes with an office, or even a spare room with space for a desk. Instead, many new homeworkers are having to make do with the edge of the kitchen breakfast counter, or the dining table, battling with interruptions from hungry children and pesky pets. No surprise, then, that some versatile accommodation providers have turned their hand to offering bedrooms as office space on day lets, spotting a potential new market and, in turn, helping to counteract the dramatic dip in demand for overnight stays.
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One of the quickest groups off the block was Accor, whose Hotel Office product is available in 320 properties in Europe, in brands from Ibis to Sofitel, ensuring something for every budget. “In Russia, one business booked multiple Hotel Office rooms in one hotel for two months for its team to use; and we’re seeing interest from younger professionals in house shares, where they are competing for work space and Wifi bandwidth,” says Jonathan Pettifer, Director of Corporate Sales and TMC Partners UK and Ireland. Serviced apartment group Ascott has launched Work in Residence in 60 of its properties providing rooms for day use, and Space-as-a-Service, working with corporate clients on options such as hosting cloud kitchens and Starbucks kiosks, or fitness activities in apartments. Work suites can be booked on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. In the UK, participating properties include Citadines Barbican London, Citadines Trafalgar Squar, Citadines Holborn CoventGarden, Citadines South Kensington and Citadines Islington, which opened this autumn. Ascott’s Chief Development Officer, Leong Teng Wui, said the group was capitalising on the rising telecommuting trend to offer a comprehensive solution for guests to live and work in a safe and private space. He
PULLMAN LIVERPooL HotEL
said Ascott’s interior design service team is working with properties and owners to reconfigure and customise Ascott’s spacious apartments to “not only provide a home away from home, but also create a conducive, productive and well-designed workspace”. In March, Cheval Three Quays converted 21 apartments into a trading floor for a company needing a central location and super fast WiFi, and companies are able to book single apartments or blocks in Cheval properties. “We believe remote working is here to stay as a long-term trend,” says CEO George Westwell.
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