When the COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to have their employees work from home, many thought that was a temporary solution during a period when only essential workers could do their job onsite. However, many of those companies found that employees were as productive—perhaps even more productive—at home versus when they were in the office.
Many’s of today’s guests travel both for business and leisure, whether it be alone or with their family. This allows them to get some work in while also visiting local attractions, eating at a highly rated restaurant or taking a swim at the hotel’s pool.
Due to flexible work styles, Travel Edge Network has noted an increase in interest for workcations and bleisure trips by more than 25% compared to recent years. Travel Edge professionals see this trend extending beyond business travelers. These travelers are requiring varied offerings to meet their new long-stay travel needs, such as more spacious accommodations or amenities.
Red Lion Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista South
Another movement that has emerged from the pandemic is the work-from-hotel (WFH) trend, where people come to a hotel to work rather than going to the office or working from home.
Hotels from Sonesta kept these travelers in mind with spaces where guests can work and amenities for them to enjoy regardless of the purpose of the trip.
Sonesta Select is a focused-service hotel brand that features communal spaces that were created for guests to feel a part of the hotel while keeping socially distanced from others in order to have some quiet space to work. Collab at Sonesta Select provides coworking areas with media walls, whiteboards, corkboards and ample power and data. Gone is the lonesome business center—these spaces instead invite collaborating as a group or finding corners to be alone, together. The new design for the fitness center includes separate cardio and strength zones and even a ledge built in to hold your phone or tablet to stream your daily workout, as so many have been used to doing at home. Outside activation is also a theme in the newly redesigned hotels being introduced this summer. This includes games, extending the F&B options to the courtyard with fun lighting and sexy outdoor seating, and communal fire pits.
“Trends indicate remote work is here to stay, but we’re providing options that offer a change of pace from the home office and adjacent kitchen taunting the worker with its sloppy disorder,” said Bridget Rooks, Sonesta’s senior director of renovation and capital projects. “Designing for work on the road makes bleisure trips more feasible, and the life part of that work/life balance more exciting. We’re leaning in to the possibilities that open up to our guests when a great space to work is provided to them.”
Research from an AHLA/Accenture study shows the “new traveler” is also looking to spend more on the experiences and less on the stay. In fact, recent data shows that tourism spending on experiences is up roughly 34% above 2019 levels and has outpaced spending on “things” since July 2021. The Red Lion Hotels and Red Lion Inn & Suites brands allow travelers to do just that. Many of the owners of these two brands make the most of their convenient location near national parks to attract adventure seekers or appeal to families with their proximity to larger attractions like the Orlando theme parks or Hershey Park.
Red Lion Hotels is a full-service, midscale brand that includes rooms with comfortable beds, oversized televisions, fast WiFi and a great shower— basic amenities done well that resonate with the needs of the new traveler.
This brand especially appeals to franchisees for the flexible F&B component as they can identify their own restaurant that reflects local needs or opportunities that are not dictated by the brand. The brand’s focus is on providing a breakfast and dinner option to guests.
Red Lion Inn & Suites gives on-the-go travelers a memorable place to rest, recharge and embark on great adventures. These select-service properties provide guests with the essentials they need, along with the friendly service and local knowledge they expect, at a price point that is comfortable for families or encourages guests to add a few days to their stay. Free breakfast is offered to all guests.
The brand has already opened two new hotels this year, a 25-room hotel in La Pine, OR, and a 53-room hotel in Yakima, WA.
“Our guests are looking to maximize the value and make the most of their time on vacation; we call them Trip Maximizers and we’ve built our consumer campaign around them,” said Chris Trick, Sonesta’s chief marketing officer – franchise. “We’re proud our brands offer convenient, affordable accommodations—especially at our value-oriented Red Lion Inn & Suites and full-service Red Lion Hotels across the country.”
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