When it comes to the profitable spaces of a hotel, we first think about the hotel rooms. They are, of course, the main source of income for a hotel, but not the only one. Conference or event rooms are also lucrative hotel spaces, as well as restaurants, spas and other amenities or facilities.
An overlooked area is the hotel lobby
Most often, the lobby area is merely a transit area where guests wait their turn for the check-in or check-out, a place where guests pass through without lingering for too long. In other words, a place where your guests don’t spend too much. This is why the hotel lobby is not regarded as a moneymaking area for the hotel. We believe that this will change very soon, given the emerging needs of the modern hotel guests, that are rather different from those of the traditional traveler. And this is reflected in their needs and automatically in the expectations that they gave from the overall hotel experience.
The Modern Guest Needs a Smart Hotel
The profile of the modern traveler is deeply shaped by the IoT (Internet of Things) mobile era, which we ‘discussed in a previous article. His or her needs for mobile technology are best suited by the high-tech smart hotel.
Today’s guest is characterized by the need for mobility, connectivity and rapid communication through mobile means. He has a great urge for socialization, and most often works remotely as a freelancer or as a young entrepreneur.
Therefore, he needs an adequate work space, surrounded by others like him. In short: a co-working space.
What Is a Co-Working Space?
It is a modern working space equipped with all the necessary modern amenities where both the hotel guests as well as locals, can come together and share a work space. It’s a place where people are working separately but at the same time together. Co-working spaces have emerged along with the freelancing and remote working boom worldwide.
Besides sheer work, co-working spaces are also places where like-minded people come together to work, grow their businesses and socialize at the same time.
Hotel Lobby, the Ideal Co-Working Space
In a “shared economy”, the fundamental idea is adjusting the services to the market demands, by increasing the functionality of the spaces available in the hotel. If we adopt these innovative ideas and bring them into the hotel lobby, we will succeed in creating a profitable space for both parties. The guest will enjoy the modern working facilities offered by the hotel, while the hotelier will increase the profits generated by the hotel’s public spaces.
How to make the hotel lobby profitable with co-working?
Above all, you must rethink the entire hotel lobby area as a modern workspace where the customers can work and socialize all in one. Hence, you need to focus on turning the lobby into a get-together and working hub for both the hotel guests as well as locals. As discussed before, turning the locals into clients it one of the main hotel trends for 2017. At Calirom, we have predicted this trend and consequently we have developed the Senso Master solution for hotels. Our modern hospitality solutions aim to optimize the public spaces of the hotel in order to increase their profitability. For more information about our hospitality solutions, we invite you to contact us.