With the rising trend in mobile workers, Marriott is piloting a service that will make booking office space as flexible as booking a hotel room.
Called Workspace on Demand, the service is a collaboration between Marriott and LiquidSpace, a mobile and web app connecting people who are looking for flexible workspaces with venues providing meeting rooms and communal working facilities.
According to research firm IDC, the number of mobile workers – those without a fixed office space – will increase to nearly 1.2 billion globally this year. This can have a number of benefits for companies such as reducing office space and associated costs but it means workers often need need a flexible place to meet a client or collaborate with company colleagues.
“Younger workers are changing the work dynamic. They are mobile and global, living lives untethered to the traditional work environment, and we are evolving with them,” said Paul Cahill, senior vice president of brand management at Marriott Hotels & Resorts.
Mark Gilbreath, ceo and founder of LiquidSpace added: "Marriott's new Workspace on Demand service is helping to accelerate a dramatic transformation in the real estate landscape - seen as the ‘consumerization of workplace’. Companies are reducing their total real estate expense by moving away from fixed assets and individuals are enjoying more personal choice in where and how they work.”
The service will initially be tested in 30 hotels, predominantly in Washington, DC and San Francisco, where people can book small meeting spaces as well as lobby seating areas and communal tables to work, meet, connect and collaborate.