Should hotels and coffee shops provide dedicated spaces for remote workers? 86% of people surveyed by EP Business in Hospitality think they should.
THE Future of Service survey reveals hotels and coffee shops must make changes towards becoming more inclusive and flexible to accommodate customers.
EP and guest experience management experts HGEM warned hotels faced decline unless they changed their approach to delivering more inclusive and flexible services to future guests.
The survey found 66% of remote workers regularly work from hotels or coffee shops.
Coffee shops were the most popular choice for 83% of those surveyed, despite hotels deemed quieter and safer.
This means hotels are missing out on a trick to gain lucrative business.
86% of people believed that hotels and coffee shops should provide a dedicated space on site for remote workers. 48% of remote workers will purchase drinks and snacks during this time although 60% say they would prefer a ‘grazing offering’ as opposed to traditional menus in hotel restaurants.
84% of people would be more inclined to work remotely from hotels if the food and beverage offering was improved.
Food offering
The research revealed that ‘it is no longer acceptable to view veganism and dietary requirements as an inconvenience.’
Hotels should already have their menus designed more inclusively to suit all requests, rather than singling out options as ‘special’ or ‘different’. Veganism is set to increase by 320% over the next two years, according to the research.
“These are interesting times for the hospitality industry and there is a greater need for change in terms of how hotels currently use their space, engage with the local community and adapt their services to accommodate health and wellness,” said EP Business in Hospitality CEO Chris Sheppardson.
“This change does, however, hold the potential for hotels to engage in new ways and ultimately, opens doors to exciting opportunities that could increase those revenue streams, which have been lost over the last decade.”
Around 600 UK diners were surveyed.
Controversially, some diners wanted hotels to be more “open minded” in their approach to service, whether that relates to allowing guests to ‘order-in’ food deliveries from external providers such as Deliveroo and or Just Eat and letting them eat that food in the hotel restaurant, or creating more personalised services for guests such as tablets for guests to pre-order food in their room, personalised menus or options linked to guest hobbies.
Sales would be made via beverages.
“Designs are changing and hotels need to become better equipped for the customer of the future,” said Sheppardson.
