Operations For David Orr, CEO of Resident Hotels, a group
with six hotels in London and Liverpool, while a strong return of pure leisure travel was expected this spring and summer, he has been pleasantly surprised by the amount of group bookings for business get-togethers. These tend to be longer stays of two or three nights rather than the traditional single overnight business trip. Bookings have come from entrepreneurial
SMEs in the creative industries, rather than larger corporate clients who have been slower to start travelling again. Part of Orr’s surprise might be due to the
fact that none of his hotels have meeting rooms. Instead, Resident Hotels collaborates with nearby venue partners such as Searcys and the Institute of Directors to curate the itineraries that clients require. Orr has also noted a trend for work get- togethers to include leisure and social elements, such as a trip to a West End theatre or evenings spent in neighbourhood pubs and restaurants. “After such a long hiatus, work events need
to be more interesting. Energising people in an urban environment does feel like it’s part of the agenda,” he comments.
WFH In many cases, WFH might just as easily stand for work-from-hotel rather than work-from-home. Hotel lobbies and public areas are often populated with people staring thoughtfully into laptops while sipping a coffee.
Dardenne, who looks after 40 luxury hotels
across Europe under the Fairmont, Raffles and Sofitel brands, says: “In all our public spaces, we are seeing quite a lot of pick up from people who want to be in a nice atmosphere and who come into our lobbies to work. It adds life to the hotels and a bit of money, and we can engage with them. It’s opening up our hotels to the community and has been very positive.” “Our lounges epitomise the teams welcome
for guests whether hosting complimentary early evening drinks or being the pleasant setting for working in a more sociable space throughout the day,” Orr adds.
Co-working spaces Other operators have taken a more deliberate approach to monetising the rise of flexible and remote working by targeting those who struggle with the logistics or isolation of working from home. Village Hotels, a brand with 33 UK properties, started offering co-working spaces in 2018. The brand provides a recurring revenue and brings more people into the hotels at times when
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
overnight guests are usually out. This is good for increased ancillary spend in the group’s F&B, leisure and sport facilities. Village’s co-working spaces are not only used by
individuals and freelancers. Several companies have purchased substantial membership packages for their teams. At the group’s Leeds North hotel, the co-working membership is made up of employees from five different companies who have their own dedicated desks. This is a great example of how hotels can take
market share from established workspace providers like WeWork, ImpactHub and Regus by offering a professional environment that combines work and leisure facilities.
“Compared with other business centres, we have
the advantage of having a leisure club, great food and beverage, a Starbucks, parking and hotel rooms on-site,” says Jamie Hunter, director of business development and VWorks at Village Hotels.
Flexible terms and conditions Flexible terms and conditions will continue to be important to the bleisure traveller. As the threat of Covid-19 has receded in the US and Europe, understaffing in the airline industry has caused cancellations and delays, making air travel something of a gamble. The latest Expedia Traveller Value Index survey of 5,500 travellers reveals that flexibility, and the ability to receive a full refund or credit if plans change, remains a top priority for consumers. “Flexibility and thoughtfulness are vital as our
industry continues to experience uncertainty but with a tenacious spirit to curate outstanding guest experiences,” says Orr. “We empathise and will respond should guests
need to make changes during their stay, whether that is an extension of a trip, being joined by family or friends, or for business- focused activities.” Booking lead times could be very short during the
Above: Resident Hotels has seen an increasing number of business bookings.
Opposite page: Post-pandemic, there is a growing market of people wanting to work from a hotel.
15– 20%
Estimated percentage of business travellers who add on leisure time to their stays. Expedia Traveller Value Index
25
Resident Hotel
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