Crowne Plaza is opening six new flagship hotels across Europe, China and the Americas, all of which will feature its new “flexible” lobby work spaces.
The properties are the Paris Republique (opening September 2019), Hamburg City Alster (October 2019), Shenzhen WECC (late 2019), Wuzhen (late 2019) and London Heathrow (early 2020).
The Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia reopened in April following a complete renovation, and the European hotels are also existing properties that are being refurbished, with new designs by Conran and Partners.
The upcoming properties will incorporate new business offering Plaza Workspace into their lobbies, which includes a revamped F&B service, bars and desks which are easier to work on, and new meeting spaces including booths which can be booked by the hour.
A spokesperson recently told Business Traveller that Plaza Workspace is a “flexible collection of agile working spaces modelled on a public square, where guests and local businesses can switch effortlessly between work and downtime.”
It includes ‘huddle spots’ and pods with built-in touchscreens to help guests share files and show presentations.
Hotel brands from the high- to low-end markets have been seeking to reinvent their lobbies in recent years, as they realise the potential of what has often been largely unused space.
This is ranging from creating ‘destination’ bars and coffee shops to co-working spaces.
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