Where Hospitality Meets Coworking

The hospitality industry has found a new way to take their services even further — coworking spaces. By going beyond traditional hotel business centers, hotels can offer a place for professionals to work out of, while having a direct tie to the local community.

“Offering services and amenities for people to do work or get together builds loyalty, plus it’s an opportunity to sell guest and meeting rooms, and to show customers what you offer,” said  Michael Doyle, Managing Director and Executive Vice President of hotel asset management firm CHMWarnick.

Demand for flexible workspaces has been steadily increasing since 2010, so hotels are adapting their services to accommodate traveling professionals.

A few examples of incorporating a coworking space within a hotel include Saco’s brand Locke Hotels, which features 152 coworking spaces, or the joint venture between Accor and Bouygues Immobilier to acquire coworking operator Wojo.

“By partnering with Wojo, we shout out loud that our hotels are open to everyone for work, and thus we encourage our business travelers’ customers to network during their stay,” said Frederic Fontaine, Senior Vice President, global innovation lab at Accor.