Hotels to revolutionise the way we work
Co-working spaces are booming. In fact, according to a Guestline survey of 2,000 UK adults who work in the business world, 55% of workers said they struggle to concentrate at work for at least half an hour per day, with 20% of people considering working remotely to be more comfortable than being in the office. However, there might be a contender for the co-working title: hotels.
What do people want from a co-working space?
When it comes to finding a co-working location, our survey says factors such as internet speed, quiet, and comfort are most important for a productive day. While loud conversations, limited privacy, and uncomfortable seating are the biggest pet peeves in co-working spaces.
As many as 55% of flexible working professionals rate internet connection speed at hotels as very good or excellent, and hotels are also rated as more comfortable places to work than coffee shops, with coffee shops also said to be 10 times louder than hotels.
While coffee shops came out as the most popular places to co-work in our survey, hotels are on the rise, lying in second, with 46% of people saying they would prefer to work in a hotel if it offered dedicated co-working facilities.
Hotels are considered to be more practical as co-working environments than coffee shops, but the consensus is that work spaces within hotels aren’t accessible enough. Hotels, in general, already match the expectations set by professionals, so owners and managers might now need to focus on creating dedicated co-working spaces if they want to see a rise in users.
Productivity within sectors
Naturally, certain industries benefit more from co-working than others. According to our survey, those in information research and analysis find co-working spaces to be as productive as the office, while 10 times as many people in the environment and agriculture industry (environmental conservation, veterinary and animal health practitioners, land-based engineers) find co-working to be more efficient than remote working from home.
Guestline research shows the industries that find hotels the most beneficial places to co-work are those in information research analysis, business and management, hospitality and events, and engineering. Employees from these sectors are already choosing to co-work in hotels, so marketing towards professionals within these industries might garner positive results.
Our survey demonstrates that 55% of employees lose up to half an hour of productivity per day due to struggling to concentrate at work, with over 33% losing between 30 and 120 minutes of focussed work time each day. This works out that, on average, 116 hours, or almost 17 working days, are lost per person per year due to dipping productivity in the workplace. Hotels could help by creating co-working spaces for professionals that allow efficient working, offering a variety of co-working environments to suit various needs.
In contrast, our findings show that 25-34-year-olds find co-working spaces to be more productive than working from home, with over half feeling hotels are very good or excellent for productivity, demonstrating a rise in young people favouring co-working. It is worth noting that, according to our survey, men are more likely to choose to co-work in a hotel than women.
These trends could indicate that hotels may find a burgeoning market for their co-working spaces in young people, and men in particular.
Top co-working spaces in the UK
Our research indicates that Leeds, London, Belfast, Cambridge, and Coventry are the most popular spots for anyone wanting to co-work, with shared working spaces in Belfast the busiest of all. Are hoteliers in those regions taking advantage of the interest? Could they offer more co-working facilities?
When it comes to co-working in hotels specifically, though, Cardiff, Leicester, Sheffield, Worcester and Wrexham are the cities that lead the line, with workers in Birmingham eager to join in if there were more locations. While co-working competition between hotels in these cities is likely to be the highest in the UK, the research shows that professionals in Birmingham are ripe for the taking, so it would be worthwhile for the city’s hotels to focus on creating co-working spaces.
Sure, shared working spaces like WeWork attract a lot of hype, but the figures suggest those same workers might be happier setting up shop in hotels if only more of them offered co-working facilities. Don’t be surprised if there’s a boom in the nation’s hotels offering comfortable, quiet, and well-connected co-working spaces.
As specialists in hotel management software and online booking system solutions for guest engagement, we’re always looking for ways to give hoteliers a competitive advantage – providing co-working spaces could be it. Through our survey of the modern worker and their habits, we’ve created a fantastic actionable e-book, free to download, with advice on how to create the ideal co-working space for remote workers unsatisfied by their current options.
If you’re a hotelier, how can you create a space which helps drive a co-working atmosphere? We’ve put together a resourceful e-book below, with our tips and expert opinions on how you can make best of your hotels space and encourage a boost profitability.
FREE to download, the advice is derived from our study into co-working, offering you the opportunity to give people more of what they want and drive profitability for your business.