SALES & MARKETING
HOW REMOTE can you go ?
St . Regis Punta Mita , Mexico , is seeing demand for long-stay bookings , particularly for suites and villas .
HOTELS GRAB AN OPENING TO ATTRACT THE SICK-OF- WORKING-FROM-HOME CROWD AND THEIR FAMILIES .
Contributed BY MEGAN ROWE
Staycations , workcations , schoolcations , workfrom-hotel offers : Call them what you will , pandemic-driven remote working and learning have given rise to a new niche : weary telecommuters seeking a change of scenery after months of being cooped up at home .
Offers range from day use to month-long idylls , with perks like F & B credits , kids ’ homework helpers and spa discounts to sweeten the deal . Some hotels are targeting small meetings with day-use rooms set up for video calls . The intended outcome , of course , is to drive traffic to properties and create incidental revenue for restaurants , golf courses and spas . The Westin Nashville is courting the daytime drop-in worker or group with two offers : A
US $ 199-per-day rate that include use of a guestroom , access to the hotel ’ s fitness center and pool , 10 % off spa services and a free happy hour appetizer at one of the hotel ’ s restaurants . Groups can book the new Zoom Room , a meeting space equipped for video calls for up to 15 participants , with no F & B minimum .
Lightstone offers day rates at its three Moxy hotels in New York City . Guestrooms have flexible furniture , such as a folding desk and chair , and a modular side table that allows a guest to use in bed or in an armchair .
“ We recognized a long time ago that to accommodate today ’ s traveler , our hotels needed to be more than just a place to rest your head ,” says Mitchell Hochberg , president of Lightstone . “ So we ’ ve always designed with an eye towards flexibility . As a result ,
58 hotelsmag . com November / December 2020