Some Boston Hotels Offer Suite 'Work-From-Home' Packages
BOSTON (CBS) - There's a new hotel trend - "work from home" packages offering an office space and amenities, like WiFi, to guests.
"I think we may have been one of the first hotels to sort of launch this back in June, and it's picked up a lot of steam," Maureen Toomey, director of Sales and Marketing at The Eliot Hotel, said. "We felt there would be a need for a lot of people working from home to have a quiet workspace. So we offered this package as a way for people to come in, use the hotel room, and be able to work from home, have their Zoom meetings, and it being a quiet place as well."
At The Eliot Hotel, use of a one-bedroom suite from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. starts at $125. The package includes complimentary high-speed wireless internet and tea and coffee. The work-from-home offer cannot be used to host meetings.
Over at XV Beacon, a hotel suite can be used as a private office or as a meeting space, accommodating up to 10 guests. Like The Eliot Hotel, XV Beacon started its work-from-home package as soon as it reopened. The offer includes use of a private parlor room from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m., a desk, table, smart TV, complimentary WiFi and complimentary personal protection equipment. Rates vary depending on the day of the week and start at $600.
Amy Finsilver, general manager at XV Beacon, said, "We thought we wanted to try and be more creative to accommodate guests' needs. We have a lot of guests that don't travel anymore, so those who are in the city, want to get out of their homes, are not going into the office - they have a lovely room where they can entertain clients."
One perk? Access to the rooftop, where guests can take a break from work and make use of the putting green or cornhole set. Finsilver said, "We try to do the best of everything, so you can be productive and also have fun."
Not only do the packages provide a reprieve from working at home, it's also a way for hotels to generate some business during a tough time.
"It's really important for us to use everything at our disposal and be as creative as we can to try to keep the hotel going," said Toomey.
