Skift Take
The hotels-as-office trend is exploding, but partnerships with a workplace provider like Industrious could give the trend longevity well beyond when hotel rates and occupancy go back to pre-pandemic levels.
A work-from-hotel strategy enables hoteliers to generate revenue while awaiting a travel industry recovery — and the alternative use could survive beyond a business rebound.
Co-working provider Industrious partnered with Proper Hospitality in bringing the work-from-hotel concept to Proper Hotels in Austin, San Francisco, and Santa Monica in late September. The partnership expands in southern California to Proper’s Hotel June and Avalon brands next week.
Guests still avoiding the office but looking for a place to work away from home can book a suite by the day, week, or month, with weekly and monthly reservations coming at a 15 and 25 percent discount, respectively.
The Industrious partnership comes amid companies like MGM Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, and Dutch hotel brand CitizenM offering their own spin on the work-from-hotel concept.
But a partnership with an actual co-working provider like Industrious hints the hotel-office relationship may be more long-term than some may expect.
“The gold-standard for partnerships in Covid are the ones that solve an immediate need for customers right now but also set up for something you think is going to be relevant for a long time to come,” said Industrious CEO Jamie Hodari. “I do think there are going to be elements of this that will end up existing for a long time.”
Hoteliers around the world continue to grapple with record-low occupancy rates due to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, many workers continue to stay away from the office due to a limited nu
