Remote working has hurt more than just the office market. Now, hospitality companies are attempting to navigate the ongoing pandemic by adjusting their services in anticipation of longer stays from traveling professionals and also to accommodate remote workers.
According to CBRE, hotel occupancy fell to 28.3% during the second quarter of this year, its lowest since the Great Depression. While analysts are expecting the industry to bounce back, it may not make a full recovery until 2023.
“As people are coming into corporate offices or coming in together, or coming in for monthly or quarterly check-ins with teams and that type of thing, it won’t necessarily be the one- or two-night stay,” said Janis Cannon, senior vice president of upscale brands, Choice Hotels. “It’ll be more three- and four-night stays that people will be requiring from hotels.”
Ernest Lee, managing director of citizenM hotels, said that hotels will likely move towards a more long-term, subscription-based strategy rather than the daily business model the industry has commonly used.
Other hospitality companies, such as Hyatt, have launched new initiatives to bring remote workers into their space by offering rooms to serve as daily offices and providing them access to the hotel’s amenities.
