Co-Working in Hotels: Check-In or Check-Out?

Reading the recent “Coworking Checks Into Hotels” article in Commercial Property Executive left me with a few questions. The article discussed hospitality brands contemplating how co-working in hotels “might strengthen community ties and bring in additional revenue,” arguing it’s a logical next step as many lobbies currently serve as de facto office space. Some brands, like Moxy Hotels, Hoxton, Ace and Virgin, already offer co-working at their properties.

My question is how can you control access or charge for the co-working space. I assume creating a unique situation for hotel guests or loyalty program members is one option, but I remain skeptical about how the concept would perform as a revenue generator. And based on my recent blogs about WeWork and other co-working and incubator models, like Roam and Atlanta Tech Village, the universe of co-working (with or without the hospitality component) is becoming awfully crowded.

How many of these “cool” work-share situations can you create that people are willing to pay for? The article indicates the hotels are still trying to figure out some type of “paid model’. Some folks just may discover their hotel room or home office is a lot quieter with fewer distractions.