After WFH, Kolkatans keep WF(R)esorts trending

KOLKATA: Stuck at home for months while juggling office and household responsibilities because of the pandemic, a section of Kolkatans is now moving out of home — with families and laptops — for short stays at resorts in the city and the outskirts, contributing to the growing trend of “work from resort” or “workstaycation”.
Making this possible are boutique hotels and resorts, which are welcoming patrons with “Covid-19 packages” that include flexible rates, office spaces inside rooms, complimentary tea/coffee multiple times a day and a steady Wi-fi conne-ction to ensure office work is never hampered.

Since Unlock 1.0 allowed hospitality services to reopen, a number of Kolkatans have been relocating for a few days to resorts, mostly within driving distance from the city.
“It was frustrating sitting back home all the time while continuing to slog for hours on the laptop and in conference calls,” said Jatin Agarwal, a senior marketing executive of an MNC, who spent three nights at a resort near Diamond Harbour last week. “Even the kids were getting jittery with the prolonged stay at home without a vacation. But we couldn’t take a chance of heading out for a faraway vacation in this pandemic. And, with the economy bouncing back, I couldn’t skip work. Hence, the ‘workstaycation’ model was the best suited for us, where we could all freshen up without hampering work.”
Hoteliers worried about the lull in the tourism industry said the concept of workstaycation developed with very little effort from their side. “We offer packages, where we set up workstations at any place within the property. Patrons can work while our staff can even take care of children and their activities,” said Nitin Kohli, director, Ambuja Neotia Hospitality, who manages multiple resorts in the city and the fringes, offering work-from-resort options.
At Ibiza, The Fern Resort and Spa, a special work-’n’-stay package has been made where guests can stay for five days while paying for only three, with outdoor work stations anywhere within the property and all-inclusive facilities like meals, spa treatments, car sanitization and a host of activities like boating, basketball, badminton, table-tennis, carom, chess, outdoor and indoor games for kids. “This is one of the biggest holiday trends currently,” said Subhadip Basu, the general manager of the resort in Amtala, on Diamond Harbour Road. “Seventy percent of our tourists booked in the last three weeks are workstaycationers. We are quite hopeful that this trend will prevail in September,” he added.
Uninterrupted Wi-Fi being the backbone of a workstaycation, many smaller resorts and vacation homes are upgrading their internet connectivity.
“Guests now need steady internet connection for office work as well as online classes for children. Keeping that in mind, we have upgraded our internet connectivity and have even kept routers and dongles ready for backup support. With the pool shut, we have started complimentary cycling and boating activities for our guests with set day, three-day and seven-day all-inclusive packages,” said Susaurav Nag, property manager of Breathing Earth resort at Usthi, South 24 Parganas.
According to resort owners, they are charging approximately Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per day for workstaycation options, depending on rooms and length of stay.
Some of those still hesitant to go for longer journeys and remote stays are even checking in at resorts closer home. “Pre-pandemic, my husband and I used to go for a small vacation at least once every two months. But for the last five and half months, we have been stuck at home. We didn’t want to risk our lives amidst the virus outbreak. So, we booked our stay at a resort in the city earlier this month, where we could enjoy a leisurely stay as well as complete our office work,” said Anusrea Paul Mukherjee, an e-learning trainer who stayed at Raj Kutir, Swabhumi, with her husband.