TRENDS |
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NOW , WORK FROM ANYWHERE IS THE NEW TREND AND I DON ’ T SEE IT CHANGING ANY TIME SOON
– BRIAN MACALUSO , VP OF
GLOBAL SALES , SONESTA
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HOTELS
teammates or clients . “ There is great opportunity for hotels to , for instance , convert ballrooms
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or even guest rooms into meeting suites and change them back for leisure guests for the weekend ,” he said .
There are other opportunities to monetize space . Demuth said his sister works for a technology company that conducts mini-retreats , where employees are brought to a hotel for three or four days . The hotel might have a theater or entertainment venue so the group does not have to leave the building at all . “ It becomes an all-encompassing opportunity ,” he said .
Marriott , said Routh , is seeing requests for more nontraditional venues , outdoor setups and reimagining creative meeting spaces . An example is Muir , Autograph Collection , an oceanfront property in Halifax , Canada . In addition to meeting spaces with 360-degree water views , the hotel offers a 36-foot private yacht available to rent for a gathering .
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Business travelers are on the road to work , but it doesn ’ t mean they want to sit in their rooms to do it . Increasingly , they are asking about private spaces to work and make calls , but are also apt to work in communal spaces — a way to not isolate and experience the buzz of the hotel . Bustíos said clients are also looking for local experiences and events , so his hotels now offer live music at different outlets , menu tastings and takeovers with chefs and bartenders . “ The idea is to provide experiences for corporate travelers who do not want to stay in their rooms once the workday is over ,” he said .
Sonesta Work Suites , said Macaluso , is a direct example of how the company is responding to the new needs of business travelers , providing an innovative work private space with three zones ( work , relax / connect and creative brainstorming ) that emulate
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MANY BUSINESSES ARE NOW BOOKING HOTELS BASED ON FAMILY-FRIENDLY AMENITIES , SUCH AS A POOL , CHILDCARE OR KIDS CAMP PROGRAMS AND PERKS TO NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
– TAMMY ROUTH , SVP OF
GLOBAL SALES , MARRIOTT
INTERNATIONAL
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what offices were just beginning to offer pre-pandemic . |
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A Sonesta Work Suite at The Royal Sonesta Washington , DC Capitol Hill . |
THE BLEISURE BOOM As the industry emerged from the pandemic , said Demuth , bleisure meant leisure travelers doing business on the road . Now it means business travelers extended their trips for a couple of days . That used to be a stigma for an employee , he said ; now businesses actually encourage it .
More than a third of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers , said Passanante , citing research , say they plan to extend a business trip to enjoy
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18 hotelsmag . com Jan / Feb 2024 |