WORK FROM HOTEL -THE CORPORATE BUSINESS OFFERS A LIFELINE

City hotels, struggling with very little business, are tapping into the WFH segment by offering great infrastructure at equally arresting prices

- DEEPALI NANDWANI

It is a natural synergy at a time when corporates are reexamining their Work from Home (WFH) strategies and asking many of their management cadres to stay home. This has led to a rethinking on how much of the expensive commercial real estate they must hold on to.

But most corporates need to meet their management teams at some point: To discuss a new project, to network, to just have a more tangible connection with their team. This is an opportunity for hotels to create alternative revenue streams by tapping into the corporate business. As Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer (COO), The Leela Palaces, Resorts and Hotels, says, “In the last couple of months, the world around us has changed rapidly and we have had to adapt and become more thoughtful in the way we do things. As hotels begin to reopen and the world begins to return to some sort of normalcy, the one thing we know is that the definition of “normal”, as we knew it, has changed forever. Brands that can create meaningful offers which speak to the needs of guests will lead the way to recovery.”

This is where hotels can create a new revenue model by setting up Work from Hotel (WFH) capsules and marketing them to corporates looking at leveraging the infrastructure offered by luxury and premium hotels. Infrastructure such as business centres, banquet rooms, highspeed WiFI connections, F&B offerings, large spaces that allow for social distancing, and suites that can be converted into temporary offices.