- The hospitality industry been struggling with a loss of income due to a slump in travel and event cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Some hotels have been buttressing their revenues with short-term room rentals for people to enjoy a new remote work location
- Long-term stay packages also being offered
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry, with occupancy rates plummeting and several hotel companies defaulting on loans taken out for their properties. Bookings have been on the decline as people cancel their travel plans, and larger hotels have lost further business due to the cancellation of events utilizing their conference spaces.
One way hotels have been trying to prop up their revenue stream during the pandemic is to offer up rooms as remote workspaces. Remote packages invite people to travel abroad to do their work in a new location, or to stay stateside and enjoy special perks such as private lunches. Workers can pay a daily fee or enjoy a longer stay, with some countries even introducing visas inviting workers to establish their office abroad for a year.
The hotel arrangements have proven popular with workers seeking a change of scenery or looking to get away from the distractions present at a home office. Working remotely from a hotel room potentially carries less risk of virus exposure compared to a co-working space since the rooms are private, though the risk level may be higher in the hotel’s common areas.
