The codes of the hotel industry are invading our offices

For several years now, workspaces and corporate buildings have been undergoing a transformation, inspired by the codes of luxury hotels and hospitality, with the aim of generating greater well-being and encouraging the retention of their talents. These codes, based on services and user comfort, allow companies and employees to reappropriate their spaces. The company becomes a tool for transmitting values, representative of the DNA of a Group. Among the most popular services, flexible spaces, informal exchange spaces or concierge services or space animation. However, we are finding, particularly in response to the Covid-19 health crisis and the new needs that have arisen, that the influences are reciprocal between these two asset classes. While office buildings tend to provide more and more customized services to their users, hotels are developing flexible work spaces and now offer a wide range of possibilities for working in them.

A sense of service in the office as in the hotel!

Work organizations have evolved enormously in a short period of time. Today, to be attractive, companies must be able to work on their image and offer work spaces that are similar to places of life. This image, which reflects well-being, is the key to allowing employees, clients and investors to project themselves and to adhere tothe corporate culture and the real estate project that results from it. The furniture, the design of the spaces and the services associated with the spaces thus play a major role in making this transformation effective.

Thus, like luxury hotels, offices have been equipped with rest areas, sports facilities, restaurants, online concierge services, etc., all led by a hospitality manager or happiness manager. Their main missions are generally to

• Welcome visitors and employees/coworkers
• To accompany tenants in their work environment
• To provide services and develop social links between tenants

All these elements have already proven their worth and perfectly embody the DNA of coworking spaces or the principle of the operated office. Nevertheless, things are not so binary. Offices that are inspired by hotels, hotels that are inspired by coworking spaces... the concepts are inspired by each otherThe concepts are inspired by each other and reflect a deeper societal transformation that places sustainable and flexible architecture at the center of concerns. The key word is flexibility.

>>> Discover all the coworking spaces available in Paris

The coworking invests the lobby and hotel rooms

The development of coworking within the hotel sector mainly reflects a desire to optimize the m² occupied or leased. The hotel sector has had to renew itself in the face of ever-increasing competition and new consumer habits. The first wave of these new generation hotels was born with the Mama Shelter concept that appeared in 2008 in Paris. Since then, Mama Shelter has launched coworking spaces in their image with Mama Works in several cities in France and Luxembourg. The hotel has since taken on the role of cultural emulator and social link. Since then, new concepts have emerged in many hotel chains and independent hoteliers, but with one common denominator: they are designed above all as places to live.

This service of coworking in hotels is generally composed of a dedicated work space, a wifi of quality and the access to the small restoration. Packages vary by the hour, half-day or full day.

>>> Discover all our flexible office offers

Note that if the hotel industry invests in this new niche, it is also because it has all legitimacy. The majority of the equipment to be deployed is often already present on site, and the business clientele is a segment that many hoteliers know well. That's why new hoteliers are designing or rethinking their spaces to meet the expectations of these business travelers and other nomadic workers, like the BOB Hotel (Business on Board), from the Elegancia Group, which opened in 2019 in Paris to cater to these audiences. The demand is real!

Already several players are transforming their hotels into coworking spaces

Office hotels are springing up all over the country and represent a real opportunity to reactivate the urban hotel market.

Several companies have already opted for thehybrid hotel concept, and are dedicating the strategy of some of their brands to a mix of flexible work spaces and overnight stays. These include Zoku, Accor, Ace Hotels, citizenM and Kerten Hospitality. A successful shift as these brands have been very successful over the past few years.

Among the latest big announcements we have noted:

• Accor and Wojo have teamed up to offer a new Workspitality offering and aim to provide luxury packages "the Wojo Spots " and " Wojo Corners "
• Accor launches All Connect', a new hybrid meeting concept with Microsoft teams to meet the needs of small meetings.
• The Barrier Group launches its " telework escapades ". The offer consists of a room, a room to work in, two breakfasts and gourmet breaks, combining the useful with the pleasant.

So, have you made your choice?