Layoffs and soaring interest rates plague the labor landscape, but hybrid work remains one of the few mainstays from our new normal, and the future of remote work looks promising. According to a recent study from professors at Columbia and New York University, the value of U.S. office buildings could plunge nearly 40 percent in the coming years.
While WeWork may have launched the coworking concept into the mainstream, new brands like Bond Collective, with 13 locations, are rapidly expanding their portfolios to usher in the next generation of workers. “The pandemic proved that a hybrid work model works,” says Bond Collective’s director of design Elide Rathborne. “Our business model hasn’t necessarily changed post pandemic, but I do believe the whole ethos around work has. There is a shift in needing a massive company headquarters, as well as seeing all of your employees all day every day. Being in a shared workspace provides a walk-in ready, fully equipped office; a sense of community; and a focused place to work.”
Bond Collective’s Downtown LA location features a residentially inspired design
U.S. startup REMO Workspaces is taking this idea one step further by developing modules for installation in outdoor areas of hotel properties. “We can install quickly and reinvigorate areas of the hotel grounds,” says head of design Tom Wallace. Along with high-performing walls that limit heat gain or loss, REMO’s 160-square-foot private individual office module and its 430-square-foot team room module are clad with full-height mirrored glazing on at least two sides. Located on the fourth-floor rooftop terrace, the brand’s flagship at the Sensira Resort & Spa in Cancun, Mexico offers four individual workspaces and one team collaboration zone, all overlooking the Riviera Maya. The company is currently in talks to expand its Mexican footprint and enter U.S. and European markets. “We have created the most professional workspace environment combined with the best hospitality provided by the hotel,” Wallace adds. “We give you the tools to do your best work.”
Joining hotel brands like Hoxton’s Working From_ concept and Locke’s coworking-meets-public space strategy, Sonesta is rolling out its own model across nearly 10 properties through 2023. First introduced at the Sonesta Irvine, the Sonesta Work Suite hosts up to 50 remote workers across a flexible design shaped by guest feedback. “The goal of the Sonesta Work Suite is to position Sonesta as a meetings destination,” says Eleni Soultanoglou, senior director of hospitality, strategy, and innovation for the hotel brand. “We would like our guests to feel as excited to have a meeting in our spaces as when they go on vacation.”
At Sonesta Irvine in California, the Sonesta Work Suite’s flexible, open layout accommodates up to 50 workers
The William Vale in Williamsburg, Brooklyn recently partnered with work-focused members club the Malin, launching the brand’s second outpost on the hotel’s ninth floor. The 10,000-square-foot club cultivates an intimate experience fashioned by London- and Los Angeles-based Fettle Design in collaboration with Malin’s in-house team. Set against panoramic Manhattan vistas and a playful palette, the Malin Williamsburg features 40 dedicated desks, seven private offices, four meeting rooms, and several phone booths. “We want our spaces to be a source of inspiration for our members,” says Malin founder Ciaran McGuigan. “Stimulating surroundings provoke good work, and the Malin is a beautiful place to be successful.”
First installed at the Sensira Resort & Spa in Cancun, REMO Workspaces boast walls that limit heat gain or loss
This article originally appeared in HD’s December 2022 issue.
