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Co-working spaces have boomed since the pandemic and the associated normalisation of hybrid working.

These businesses offer a sensible solution that makes good economic sense to businesses that want to reduce their overheads. If your staff aren’t in the office for even 3 days a week, you can see why getting rid of the office entirely and instead renting a desk somewhere, no-strings-attached, might be tempting.

But this has created a new market, and these co-working spaces are competing. One of the benefits of this competition is new trend: the hotelification of the office.

You can already see the conceptual similarities between co-working spaces and hotels, you’re booking a desk just like you might book a room, but it extends further than the practicalities and into the service and the aesthetic.

Long gone are dated water coolers and migraine-inducing fluorescent lights. Co-working spaces are  striving to be an inviting destination full of additional health, wellbeing and recreational activities. This can range from yoga classes and on-site gyms to serviced meeting rooms and childcare. 
Now, co-working spaces are simply not suitable for every business, but they can tell us something about the future of the traditional office.

Everybody in every industry is trying to attract more skilled workers, and lots of businesses that were forced to go hybrid over the pandemic, want their employees back in the office. Co-working spaces have blazed a trail that traditional offices can learn from.

Employees are on the lookout for jobs that come with a chic office. Search terms, such as “office cafe” and “office gym” have risen in search volume over the last three years. With this in mind and the growing similarities between contemporary office spaces and hotels, we’ve put together an assortment of images to test even the most eagle-eyed reader.

 Can you guess which of the below four images is the hotel?

(scroll down to see the answers)

Image 1. Hotel or Co-working space?

Image 2. Hotel or Co-working space?

Image 3. Hotel or Co-working space?

Image 4. Hotel or Co-working space?

Commenting on the rising trend, Alex Winstanley, Head of New Business at Banner, says:

“It’s clear in recent years, particularly following the pandemic and wide-adoption of working from home, that the traditional office environment and workplace practices do not meet an employee’s needs. With the obvious perks of working from home, employers are now reimaging their workspaces to better attract employees back to the office. The advent of co-working spaces has added fuel to this fire, so forward-thinking businesses who want to maintain a traditional office need to start considering hotelifying their space if they want to compete – because office aesthetics and services are more important to employees now than ever before.

 The challenge for employers looking to ‘hotelise’ their office is knowing where to begin. Fortunately, creating a new workspace can be quite straightforward with the help of experienced workplace supplies partners who can help design floor plans, source inclusive furniture, and assist with new office installations.”

So, were you able to spot the hotel? Here are the answers:
•    Image 1 – Co-working space
•    Image 2 – Co-working space
•    Image 3 – Co-working space
•    Image 4 – Hotel

Image sources:

• https://work-clockwise.com/locations/bromley/
• https://www.techspace.co/
• https://www.thecornerlondoncity.co.uk/

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