The conventional office seems to be dying a slow and anticipated death as workers gravitate towards sophisticated and welcoming co-working spaces around the globe.
Savvy gentlemen on the road are swapping dimly lit hotel rooms for more social, communal workspaces in hotels around the globe. In these new, crowd-friendly spaces, private hot desks and stylish meeting rooms are available to rent, and beautifully designed co-working rooms provide an attractive alternative for brainstorming sessions and corporate gatherings. Here are some of our favourites.
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The Curtain Hotel and Members Club, London
In the heart of Shoreditch, London’s most creative district, The Curtain Hotel and Members Club has opened The Design Studio (above), a colourful and spacious communal workspace. The interior design of the new area is a mix of revamped industrial pieces and mismatch 70s furniture, while the walls of the private boardroom and communal seating space feature new artists from the Woodbury House Gallery every two months. Coffee, snacks, and lunch options are on offer daily keeping workers motivated.
One Aldwych, London
Centrally located in Covent Garden, One Aldwych is a contemporary luxury hotel that has opened The Lounge at One, a fully-serviced, guest-only workspace. Decorated with hardwood floors and plush sofas, this exclusive space is located on the ground floor and offers a cosy reprieve or stylish spot to arrange a meeting. If you need a break from work, a library of books selected by celebrated British designer Paul Smith is also on offer.
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Volkshotel, Amsterdam
Funky hotel Volkshotel is housed in a former newspaper office dating from the 1960s. Now offering workspaces to digital millennials and anyone looking for a space to rent, ‘Werkplaats’ consists of a café, ‘flex-working’ tables, work cabins, and multi-media studios. Within the hotel’s design, there are several nods to the former building’s previous life; magnified newspaper cut-outs, ink raster patterns, and photography from the previous publication decorate the walls.
Hotel Schani, Vienna
The first co-working hotel in Vienna, Hotel Schani, opened last year. The hotel consists of 135 vibrant rooms and Schani’s Wohnzimmer, an integrated lobby, dining area, and co-working space on the ground floor. Guests and locals looking for a private space to work can rent a workstation, complete with shelf-space and a personal locker, for the day. Combining Austrian tradition with modern furnishings, rooms feature large picture windows that allow for natural light. As for location, Vienna’s Central Railway Station is right across the street, providing easy access to and from the hotel.
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Ovolo Hotels, Hong Kong
Luxury hotel Ovolo Southside, located Ap Lei Chau on Hong Kong Island’s southern flank, houses a self-catered communal workspace called Lo Lounge. Featuring working desks, lounge chairs, and meeting spaces that rival any co-working space in town, here you can work, network or simply kick back and relax with happy hour wine, beers, spirits, and canapés from 6-8 pm.
Hotel Jen, Beijing
Escape the hustle of Beijing and retreat to Prototype, an airy and bright 320sqm co-working space at Hotel Jen, where motivated minds can get down to business. The colourful space has plenty of comfortable seating, private, individual asymmetric work pods, and an additional 13 meeting rooms. Located in Beijing’s Central Business District, Hotel Jen by Shangri-La puts the city right at your doorstep.
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Vibe Hotel, Sydney
One of the city’s first design-savvy boutique hotels, Vibe is a 191-room upbeat house of slumber that’s home to Storehouse, a fresh space with a beautiful terrace overlooking Rushcutters Bay Park. The part restaurant part coworking space features panoramic floor-to-ceiling views, spacious work tables, and low couches for casual meetings only minutes from the city centre.
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