I'll admit, I wasn't fully on board with the co-working trend. But I am now.
Last week, the Hotel News Now team rented out a local co-working venue to hold some strategy meetings and set goals for the future of our publication. This venue, as our Editorial Director Steph Ricca would say, is "MCM perfection." No, not Man Candy Monday but Mid-Century Modern.
Seriously, look how whimsical this New York City-themed wallpaper is!
The studio was curated with stylish furniture, fixtures and equipment. It was well-lit with natural light, comfortable, had all the necessary gadgets and amenities, and was just downright fun. And maybe it's just a coincidence, but our team generated some of our finest ideas that day.
I'd like to say that being in a new space together that day was what helped spur our creativity. After all, we had just returned home from traveling to Nashville for our Hotel Data Conference; we were bound to be exhausted and on low batteries when it came to idea generation.
Instead, the five hours we were there flew by. We truly connected and collaborated in a way that couldn't have been done if it was a virtual meeting. And sure, we could have done it in our office, but something about being in a new atmosphere did the trick.
With all this said, I believe the hype around hotel operators and developers who say the co-working trend will last. The ones who are building their hotels to specifically accommodate this demand type will be the winners.
Take Selina for example. CEO and Co-Founder Rafael Museri told me at the 2022 NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference that he had a feeling since 2014 that the co-working trend would take off.
"In any Selina we've opened since then, co-working is part of the product," he said during a video interview. "That trend existed for many years. COVID, I think, just put it out there in a very clear way because people were forced to work outside [of offices] and they've proved that they can be efficient and productive."
And for those with existing properties who have the capital to do so, see how you could renovate spaces in your hotel to cater to the needs of remote workers. It doesn't need to be extensive; start with the basics — plenty of lighting, mobile charging stations if adding additional outlets isn't an option, a coffee station, a variety of seating options, a couple of live plants and you're good to go.
After all, the industry must think ahead to how today's and future generations operate, what they prefer when they travel and their working habits.
What do you think? Are you all-in on the co-working trend? Are your hotels equipped for it? Let me know via email, Twitter or connect with me on LinkedIn.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or CoStar Group and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concern.