Hospitality companies are among the hardest hit of the pandemic as tourism has come to a screeching halt.
With tourism not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024, hotels are faced with the challenge of low occupancy rates and revenue dips.
In order to boost business, some hotels have started offering flexible monthly subscriptions.
For instance, micro-apartment hotel Zoku Amsterdam was created specifically for remote workers and digital nomads who needed a place to sleep and work.
“The vision is that remote workers will spend time with us in different cities every year,” said Veerle Donders, brand and concept director at Zoku. “Long-term, we anticipate that the creative audiences we serve will choose to pay an annual subscription to be part of the global Zoku community.”
Zoku’s initial subscription costs €2,750 for 30 days and offers discounts for longer-term bookings.
Many hotels are banking that the increased population of digital nomads and remote workers will help boost their businesses once travel opens back up. Typically, these professionals take longer trips as opposed to shorter summer vacations.
“I’m not looking to hit the road full-time — I have a mortgage, office, and employees at home in the U.K.,” said Jess Shanahan, director of the U.K. content agency Jet Social. “But my partner and I plan to spend a couple of months remote working on a hotel subscription later this year, and maybe every year after that.”
