If you’re tired of staring into your laptop screen at home whilst making conversation with the coffee machine, you’re not alone. After a year of being ‘out of office’ we’re all missing the interactions and rhythms of the workplace. Of course, there are some small advantages – working in pyjamas and no commute come at the top of the list – but what if there was one big life hack you could employ to infinitely make your time more enjoyable?
Enter, the WFHotel; a WFH 2.0 complete with no-hassle dinning, gym, pool, luxury rooms and regular covid-safe cleaning. Reduced global travel has meant that even the world’s greatest hotels are repositioning themselves to accommodate fed-up home workers for longer stays and ‘workcations’. DDW takes a look at the very best and newest ones to post up in across four key destinations worldwide:
Miami
Life House Ocean Drive
Hotel entrepreneur Rami Zeidan started the ultra-trendy Life House brand to bring back soul to a travel industry more and more diluted around the globe. His hip low-rise outposts are eco conscious, feature aesthete-friendly design (trading traditional Art Deco for costal Colombian style) for and key locations for the traveller looking to be near the zeitgeist without getting stuck in the conventional. Miami features two Life House hotels, the newest being South of Fifth on Ocean Drive and another in Miami’s storied Little Havana making sure you will have plenty of new colourful scenery to to backdrop your workday.
Palihouse
One of Los Angeles’ coolest spots, the Palihouse, comes to SoBe at the former 19040’s Greenbrier Hotel. Bringing the brand’s Californian laid-back, sun-filled, flare combined with the building’s classic Art Deco stylings; this is a perfect spot to put your Zoom calls on ‘audio-only’, kick back with a cocktail and relax poolside. And if later you fancy a dip in the warm Miami waters, call on one of the on-staff Beach Butlers and let them take you and your conference-call to the white sand beach aboard a vintage Mini Moke where you will be treated with a complimentary chilled beverage, beach chairs, umbrellas, and towels. An ideal WFH to top up your tan and catch up on emails at the same time.
NYC
Casa Cipriani
The Cipriani dynasty continues its NYC expansion with Casa Cipriani: a private member’s club cum hotel located within the iconic Battery Maritime Building. Promising to be the ultimate expression of the brand’s Italian and New York heritage, the 47 suites and community areas will transport guests into a Mediterranean haven filled with optimism, beauty and white gloved service. Take in stunning views of the Brooklyn bridge and the Statue of Liberty whilst meeting a new friend or business meeting for Bellini’s on the terrace, what could be better?
Aman New York
The greatest thing about New York City is that it never stops growing, shifting and pushing boundaries. Just when you thought that there couldn’t possibly be any more luxury offerings in City, here comes the famous Aman brand to bring its unique sense of ultra-luxury to the fray.
Taking over the iconic Crown Building in midtown Manhattan (corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street) and overlooking Central Park the Aman features everything you could want from a WFH destination, and so much more. Enjoy world-class dinning, at Arva, the convivial Italian restaurant, or Nama; the Aman’s interpretation of Japan’s washoku dining tradition, as well as an extensive wine library and subterranean Jazz Club to relax when you clock off. During the day you can spend your hours taking in the view from the spa’s pool or from one of the premium residencies if you feel like you just can’t bring yourself to move out.
Bali
Desa Potato Head
Fed up with city living and need to make a change for the better? Look no further than the lush tropical paradise of Bali. Nestled in the most serene location of Indonesia, Desa Potato Head offers a wholistic ‘creative village’ and community that looks after every aspect of your overall wellbeing, from the physical (via it’s yoga, massage and strength related activities) to the mental (meditation, and sound therapy) and experiential (offering everything from beach parties to local travel).
Although it may seem bold to take the plunge half way around the world to WFH in Indonesia, Desa will undoubtedly restore your energy and re-centre you after a trying few months. Stay a while in their beach-front suites or studios and rediscover a love for remote working.
Raffles Bali
Acknowledging that hip self introspection might not be everyone’s cup of tea, why not indulge your luxury sensibilities at Raffles Bali. A globally recognised leader in luxury, Raffles has been the standard bearer for premium service across the South East for decades. Their newly redeveloped property in Bali has been crafted with long stays and work stations in mind, without compromising on luxury or detail. Enjoy your private villa with its own swimming pool and 24-7 butler service as your colleagues seethe with jealousy in between spa appointments.
London
NoMad London
The NoMad Hotels are well known amongst the international cognoscenti – whether its at their original hip NYC landmark or their subsequent outposts in LA and Las Vegas, these hotels are always at the centre of the action. This year, the NoMad comes to the heart of London in Covent Garden, taking over a former Victorian ‘Magistrate’s Courthouse’
The brand’s reputation for being a cool-kid on the block is well earned and has some serious backing behind it with billionaire Ron Burkle (principle shareholder in Soho House and other marquee standards of hospitality) and the Sydell Group (of The Ned fame) manning the coffers. Wether you’re a native Londoner looking for a change of scene amongst the glitterati or a traveller visiting the city, this will be an ideal location to grab some delicious food, a drink and work from one of their urban-chic inspired bedrooms.
Beaverbrooke Townhouse
The Earl of Cadogan’s ‘Cadogan Estate’ is one of London’s largest landowners and amongst the many impressive properties they own is large swaths of Chelsea and Knightsbridge. However, the Earl is no ordinary landlord; his son Edward Charles Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea, has led the charge to make the area a destination for luxury shopping, dinning and entertainment, successfully transforming once sleepy areas into global meccas. Amongst his ingenious strategies has been brining key international brands to the Estate, including a much awaited city outpost of the Cadbury-family owned ultra-luxury Beaverbrook country hotel / golf club and the ever-chic Hotel Costes in Sloane Square.
Although we have no set date for the Costes, we cannot be more excited about the Beaverbrook opening this year; a perfect quintessentially English way to escape the humdrum of daily work life for plush surroundings and immaculate service.
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