Long before the pandemic , hotels were already adding dedicated work spaces beyond the lobby as a way to entice the modern traveler . Yet , when the coronavirus forced people to work remotely , hotels found a new way to market not just their meeting spaces but also their guest rooms .
At the INNSiDE by Meliá New York NoMad , a “ Day Stay ” package was created
At the INNSiDE by Meliá New York NoMad , a “ Day Stay ” from 8 a . m . to 8 p . m . is US $ 89 a day .
Suite used for private meetings at The Kimpton
Pittman in Dallas
that allows guests to use a guest room as a workspace from 8 a . m . to 8 p . m . for US $ 89 a day . That also includes complimentary WiFi , water , coffee , tea and fitness center access .
“ The pandemic has changed working habits , and it will take a while to return to ‘ normal ,’ so we continue to see demand for these packages ,” says José Miguel Moreno , vice president of global B2B sales and marketing , Meliá Hotels International . “ Our guests can enjoy a private working space while having all the services and facilities of a hotel at their disposal .”
At the Hotel Zetta , a Viceroy Hotel in San Francisco , their Zetta Zen Workspaces are guest rooms outfitted with John Boos-designed workstation , free WiFi , Illy espresso machines and an Amazon Alexa powered by Volara . A Zetta Zen Work & Play suite is also offered with 800 square feet of space to work and play with a Pong gaming table , Nintendo Switch and Oculus VR headset .
In Europe , Scandic Hotels unveiled a new coworking concept at 270 of their hotels in Sweden , Finland , Norway , Denmark , Germany and Poland , using existing spaces within the hotels . Pricing is by day , week or month and includes a range of workspaces from lounges to private areas , WiFi and power outlets , refreshments , and print and copy services .
Several Kimpton Hotels have also offered daily rates for their meeting rooms like at the Kimpton Aertson in Nashville , which now sells its Porter Boardroom to be used as a pop-up office space . The Kimpton Pittman in Dallas offers a US $ 200 daily rate for their Think Tank boardroom . Others hosted socially-distanced events in their meeting spaces like a Paint-and-Sip at the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel in Winston-Salem and a wine-tasting at the Kimpton Epic in Miami .
“ We are starting to see some midsize groups emerge in a few of our markets , but are very well aware that we have a long way to go before things start to get back to pre-2020 days ,” says Suzanne Halperin , vice president of catering and banquet for Kimpton Hotels . She added that services like on-site COVID testing , interactive virtual conferencing , enhanced cleanliness measures and flexible contracting are all part of the plan to incentivize meetings moving forward .
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