Hotels set to revolutionize the way we work as almost half of people prefer to remote work in hotels.
Over 55% of workers who also work remotely (either occasionally or full time) struggle to concentrate in the office for at least half an hour each day, according to a new study conducted by Guestline.
People are therefore losing an average of 116 hours of work per year, which equates to almost 17 working days, due to a dip in productivity within their working environment.
The study surveyed 2,000 people to understand what it’s like to work remotely and use co-working spaces. The statistics unveil the challenges people face when co-working and the growing shift in what remote workers desire.
It seems that the answer to these problems could be a space that we might not immediately associate with work, but which actually provides an ideal environment for modern-day employees – hotels.
With 40% of people claiming that their company/industry is supportive of them working outside the office in a co-working environment, the number is only set to rise.
Where are people already using hotels as workspaces?
In taking a closer look at the specific roles and industries these people work in, the survey revealed that those involved in information research analysis, business and management, hospitality and events, and engineering found hotels the most beneficial for co-working.
The figures suggest those same people might be happier in hotels. With the nation’s hotels offering comfortable, quiet, and well-connected environments, there’s a clear opportunity for them to begin marketing themselves as co-working spaces.
What do people value most in a workspace?
When people were asked what their most important factors were to choose a co-working space, the data revealed that it’s all about providing an environment that runs smoothly:
Ranking
Factor
1
Internet Speed (43%)
2
Quietness (38%)
3
Comfortability (35%)
4
Facilities [Sockets, printing, seating etc.] (28%)
When asked what annoyed them the most in co-working spaces, respondents said that ‘people talking loudly’ was the most irritating factor, followed closely by a lack of privacy and uncomfortable seating.
Hotels vs coffee shops
Hotels scored higher than coffee shops for the top three factors that are important to people when choosing a co-working space.
55% of those surveyed say internet connection speed at hotels is very good or excellent. They were also rated as more comfortable places to work than coffee shops, with coffee shops found to be ten times louder than hotels.
Just under half of the people surveyed (46%) said that they would be more likely to use a hotel that has a dedicated co-working space, however, 1 in 4 felt that there aren’t enough hotels that offer the facility. This suggests there’s a gap in the market for hotels to market themselves as places that deliver what remote workers are looking for.
Kate Fuller, Marketing Manager at Guestline, said: "It’s exciting to discover hotels could be a new solution for people who work remotely. Traditionally, coffee shops have been one of the typical, go-to destinations, but we are seeing a huge shift in co-working behaviour, with people desiring spaces that are quieter and still have all the facilities they need to work efficiently and conduct meetings.
The research shows that hotels offer the three most important factors to people who co-work, which means it’s time for hoteliers to get ahead of the game and create a designated co-working offering to maximise revenue and revolutionize the way people utilise their facilities.”
Based on this new insight, Guestline has created a free e-book that identifies what hoteliers can do to utilize their spaces for co-working, in order to maximize visibility, drive footfall and attract this new profile of guests.
