Hotels Offer Rooms, Perks to Work-From-Home Employees
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Here's your Money Briefing for Tuesday, November 3rd. I'm J.R. Whelan for The Wall Street Journal. It's been more than six months since most office workers were sent to work from home because of the pandemic. Many settled into a routine, but for some, excess noise and distractions have become too much to bear.
If you're stuck in a small apartment with your children or with your pets or with even the adult children, some folks are looking for a change in scenery and some hotel owners are trying to tap into that.
Coming up, our reporter Esther Fung will discuss how major hotel chains are offering day passes for workers who want quiet and in some cases some hotel perks thrown in as well. That's after the break.
The hotel industry was devastated by the pandemic as vacationers and business travelers were forced to stay at home. But now some hotels are using the pandemic to their advantage, renting rooms at a day rate for workers who want privacy and some peace and quiet.
What problem are hotels trying to solve by offering day-rate rooms to remote workers?
Our reporter Esther Fung has been looking into the trend and she's here now to talk about it. Esther, thanks for joining us. It's good to be here. So people have mostly been avoiding hotels since the start of the pandemic. Are hotels betting on their mindset having changed?
I think over some time, there has been some fatigue that has set in. And some hotels have also taken pains to explain their safety protocols. So some customers, they actually feel safer being in a hotel because each guest room is a closed off area. So to some customers, this is a safer option. And if the hotels make it attractive enough, meaning some of them have offered certain deals and certain packages. Some of their customers are willing to return and try working from hotels. It doesn't seem like a long-term trend, though. It feels more like a temporary thing for both the people working from home as well as for the hotel owners themselves.
So are people really going out of their minds being at home every day to the point where they're willing to go to a hotel?
It has been quite stifling. I mean, for more than six months, if you're stuck in a small apartment with your children or with your pets or with even the adult children, some folks are looking for a change in scenery and some hotel owners are trying to tap into that.
What kinds of rooms are being offered? You know, are they actual hotel rooms or more like conference rooms or simple workspaces?
so their actual hotel rooms i was talking to the general manager at the ritz-carlton in atlanta he mentioned that they are offering rooms at the higher floors of the hotel because that gets more light there is a better view of the skyline And these are also promoted as like a luxury options for people who want to pamper themselves. And for some of these hotels with corporate partnerships, they're also encouraging some companies to offer this as an incentive for employees who have outperformed during this period of time. Hey, you've done so well in the last few months. here's two or three nights or here's something that you could do. You could bring your family to this hotel for a day or so to work out of.
So a crisis can drive creativity.
And what are some of the perks and extras that some hotels are throwing in?
Different hotel brands have different perks. For Hyatt, one of their resort hotels in Huntington Beach has offered to waive resort fees for guests who stay for seven days or more. For Conrad in downtown New York, They are offering a free cocktail at 4 p.m. There's also the use of the gym, the use of the pool. And some hotels have partnerships with restaurants outside to bring lunch in. So that's also a perk for people who want the convenience and the quietness of working from a hotel room. There are also hotels that are offering a complimentary room to some guests who stay for a longer period of time. And this is very useful for guests with families, with children. And so mom and dad can work in one room.
And then the adjoining suite could be a room for junior.
You know, hotels have really struggled during the pandemic.
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