Insights
We’ve seen a shift in patterns of remote working, with advances in technology and higher levels of entrepreneurship. There are now hubs and meeting spaces available for hire, providing shared space with other remote workers, creating a community feel. But what if you wanted to avoid these costs?
It’s also not uncommon to see people working remotely from cafes and coffee shops, and perhaps sometimes in a hotel bar or lobby in-between meetings. We wanted to explore how this works in the current market and whether we could bridge the two worlds together.
We surveyed both people who work remotely from such venues and those who don’t, but who may sit next to each other, drinking the same coffee. We figured these two types of people are after a totally different guest experience.
66% of respondents work, or have worked, remotely, and 99% have been at a coffee shop, hotel or restaurant amongst remote workers. For the remote workers we surveyed, unsurprisingly coffee shops were the most popular option for 83% of them, with more of a casual drop-in feel. Our findings suggest, however, that guests only opt for this because their free options are limited.
54% of remote workers said they get disturbed by other guests who are with children or are catching up with friends. When we asked whether they would opt to work at a separate working space with other remote workers, 86% said they would. So, a separate hub within a café, hotel, or restaurant would be an attractive offer.
We think that hotels make a great space for remote workers. They are spacious and much quieter than coffee shops, but still provide the option to buy refreshments throughout the day. What’s more, they are a professional environment in which to meet with clients as well as an ideal space for larger business meetings with corporate rooms available for hire.
We feel that there will be a significant shift in the hotel market, providing a real hub for locals in both a professional capacity and a dining capacity. Hotels often target either the business or leisure market for visitors to the area, but often neglect the potential from their local market. We’ve recently discussed the opportunities for hotels to revamp their restaurant offering by promoting to locals, as 87% of guests would not consider heading to a local hotel for dinner, and it appears it’s much the same for workers.
Other than the need for a quiet space, 32% of remote workers rate as important somewhere that they can get food and drink, with 16% citing atmosphere . However, 44% of non-remote workers have been unable to get a seat at a café due to lots of people working; even more infuriating if they plan to sit there for hours and purchase no more than a couple of drinks.
58% of non-remote workers actually think that remote workers should have a time limit on how long they can work for. This of course can be offset if remote workers have a minimum spend, which 77% of non-remote workers feel they should. 47% believed that both drinks and snacks should be purchased throughout when someone is remote working for 4 hours (although 23% thought that just drinks would be sufficient). 77% of respondents thought that a remote working period of 8 hours should require the purchase of meals as well as drinks, with only 17% saying that drinks and snacks would be acceptable. 92% of remote workers agree and think that this is fair.
HGEM’s Business Opportunities Manager, Chloe Walker, comments. “I’m often out on the road meeting clients so hotels suit me in-between meetings. Not only because they offer a quiet space for me to get my head down, but also because they usually provide a reliable wifi connection. They are set up for hundreds of guests, unlike cafés, so I like knowing that I can work with no distractions. The perception of hotels needs to change.”
Our results highlight the differing needs of remote and non-remote workers. They suggest that there could be an opportunity for operators, particularly hotels, to exploit new ways of using their space.
Talk to us about listening to what your current guests think and about how we can help you assess whether your team are maintaining the standards and processes that you expect. Call us on 01225 470999 or email enquiries@hgem.com.
