Poolside cabanas at Alohilani Resort are being utilized as meeting spaces. — Photo by Highgate Hotels, L.P.
The lobby at Romer Hell's Kitchen is designed to tell a unique story from a local point of view. — Photo by Highgate Hotels, L.P.
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa was renovated with sustainably sourced materials. — Photo by Highgate Hotels, L.P.

I'm writing this from my office at the Alohilani Resort, across the street from Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Oahu.

I'm lucky, but I'm not the only one. Since early this morning, the hotel's restaurant and lobby have been abuzz with people clacking away on laptops while sipping coffee and looking out at one of the most famous beaches in the world. Are they here for work? Or checking in with the office while on vacation?

Perhaps a more important question is: Does it matter? It's 2023 and remote work is more prevalent than ever. More than a quarter of paid workdays in the United States are done remotely, according to research from Stanford University. And that's not just the pandemic talking: The number of people working from home began rising in the 1980s, and as technology continues to evolve workers will have more (and better) tools to make remote work easier and even more widespread.

As the importance of the traditional office continues to wane, so-called third spaces become increasingly important. And we in the hospitality industry have an incredible opportunity to shift our design thinking in a way that'll capture the attention and loyalty of the work-from-anywhere crowd.

Help Them Plug in

Technology has always been paramount, but given the increase in bleisure travel, easily accessible state-of-the art technology is now a must-have. This shift in mindset is something we've been meticulously considering across various markets-yes, even in leisure destinations like Waikiki. No destination is immune from the work-from-anywhere revolution. That means we need to think about a wider, more diverse array of functional offerings right along with aesthetics.

In today's always-on climate, easily accessed charging ports and fast, reliable WiFi are table stakes for any hotel targeting remote workers. In order to truly differentiate and win over modern-day travelers, hotels are duty bound to keep up with technology and offer smart amenities that make working on the road easier.

This mindset is especially important when catering to younger generations. According to recent LinkedIn research, members of Gen Z are least likely to fully unplug: 35% report feeling guilty for not working on vacation, more than any other age group. Though the term bleisure has been around for years, it's truly become a way of life for many younger travelers. That means a hotel can no longer just be a great place to sleep with a competitive F&B program. Your property needs to provide a multitude of uses, from meetings to relaxation to family gatherings after the workday is done. A space where a business traveler can efficiently work and relax all while enjoying and exploring a new destination. A space with enough room and flexibility to serve multiple purposes.

In fact, an increasing number of bleisure travelers have family in tow-so it's no surprise that we've seen an increase in demand for suites. Families in particular expect spaces that allow one or more adults to work while others in the group relax. And if travelers can't easily find those flexible spaces in your hotel, they'll find them in a short-term rental instead.

Meeting spaces, interestingly, are still a solid differentiator. Nearly every one of our hotels within the Highgate portfolio has noted an uptick in requests for smaller, less-formal meeting spaces where guests can collaborate with clients or each other. When work can happen anywhere, hotels are equipped to facilitate meetings everywhere. This is one small but important way hotels can make remote workers' lives easier. Our F&B and events staff can do the heavy lifting on planning informal meetings-not to mention post-meeting cleanup-and that's not something you'll find in an Airbnb.

We are increasingly seeing unexpected areas like poolside cabanas popping up as meeting spaces throughout the day, which affords the opportunity for people to connect in a more relaxed setting. Beautiful aesthetics and desirable locations have the ability to set the tone for meetings and when people are feeling inspired, they will likely be more engaged.

Help Them Unplug

The very same space where I observed guests working this morning will be completely transformed by 5pm. The restaurant is set up as a work-friendly cafe during the day; by evening it's converted into a refined Italian restaurant serving sea urchin pasta, burrata paired with local fruit and macadamia tiramisu. Many lobbies in Highgate's diverse portfolio, too, serve as co-working spaces during the day and social spaces by night.

But here's the tricky part. While it's important to help guests stay seamlessly connected to technology, it's just as important to help them unplug fully when the time is right. Remote workers who spend the majority of the day in front of a screen actually welcome the opportunity to go analog once their work is done. That can mean anything from a hands-on cooking class or a private kayak tour to guided running tours and hula lessons. Not any old experience will do, though. Since remote workers are so tethered to (and distracted by) their devices, it takes extra effort-and authentic human connection-to pull them away. It's up to us to help them get fully immersed in interactive, sensory experiences.

The same goes for design: Gone are the days of safe, bland hotel interiors. Your hotel's design needs to have personality and a sense of place (something my colleague Patric Yumul discussed in his recent piece about elevating the hotel dining experience). It needs to be functional but connect with guests on an emotional level, too.

We have a responsibility to create environments worthy of people's time. A new sense of time may be the best byproduct of the pandemic: After being forced to slow down, humans today are thinking more intentionally about how and where they want to spend this most precious commodity. And we're thinking about it, too, as we plan openings and renovations across the globe.

For example, with Romer Neighborhood Hotels, a new collection of locally-conscious hotels, we're extending the unique energy of each respective neighborhood into our hotel rooms and common spaces. We're thinking about how to authentically connect with both guests and locals and we're designing each Romer property with a distinctive signature identity that showcases the culture, style and textures of each unique locale. That requires thinking about so much more than furniture and paint colors; our focus is much deeper and more intentional. The spaces each tell an eclectic story from a local point of view, conveyed through natively sourced ideas, materials, and art in collaboration with local artists, makers and curators.

Help Advance Sustainability

We can't talk about hotel design without considering its impact on the environment. Much more than simply a buzzword, sustainability is fully baked into every single design and construction decision at Highgate, and the reason for that is double pronged. On one hand, guests have come to expect sustainability and are more loyal when they find brands whose design is at once functional, beautiful and environmentally conscious. And, unsurprisingly, sustainability is especially important to Gen Z-three-quarters of whom prefer to buy from a sustainable company rather than choosing a known brand name.

At the same time, sustainable design is simply the right thing to do. If we don't take care of the environments where we build and operate hotels, those areas won't be around for future generations to enjoy. That's why several hotels in our portfolio, including the Alohilani, are 100% powered by renewable energy. The Alohilani recently pledged to plant 100,000 trees in partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative. And on a corporate level, Highgate is the first hospitality company to sign the Clean Energy Buyers Association's (CEBA) Commercial Real Estate Principles; we've also required all our properties to eliminate single-use plastics, install residential-style bulk amenity dispensers and implement recycling programs in all guest rooms, public spaces and back-of-house areas.

We also recognize that our sustainability journey doesn't stop at our front door. Highgate's ESG goals are integral to nearly every business decision, making it a mindset that's embedded in every team's planning and thinking. We're actively pushing both our teams and third-party vendors to step out of their comfort zones towards a deeper, more thoughtful way of driving sustainability. That may mean using locally sourced construction materials or giving an existing property a new chapter by employing adaptive reuse design techniques. Or-as we did with last year's renovation of The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa-prioritizing building materials made from recycled, sustainably harvested or rapidly renewable materials.

Breathing new life into historic properties-as we also did with The Newbury Boston-is one of the most sustainable ways to offer a new or elevated hospitality experience through refreshed design without having to start building from scratch. We were able to not only restore the property's historic luster, but also improved the functionality of the building by converting underutilized space in the existing hotel into larger and more guest rooms as well as creating new communal spaces for gathering. Our hope is that our ambitious commitments will help create a ripple effect across the larger hospitality industry.

By zeroing in on functional, intentional design, hotels can do more than succeed with remote workers. We can foster community, offer unforgettable experiences and-just maybe-even change the world.