Hotelification of the Office

Stacey Freed writes about firms’ efforts to encourage people to work onsite by making those sites oases of pleasure, really resorts for working. It remains to be seen if these attempts at “hotelification,” which likely transmit the nonverbal message that work is “fun” and doesn’t need to be taken too seriously, are successful long term.
Freed (2024, “The Hotelification of Offices, With Signature Scents and Saltwater Spas,https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/18/business/office-design-work-resort.html) shares that “With an office vacancy rate of about 20 percent in the United States, according to Cushman & Wakefield, downtown business districts are trying whatever they can to get workers back — including resort-like work spaces that match or surpass the comfort of their homes.” “Office Hotels” profiled included custom scents, upscale restaurants, swimming pools, outdoor workspaces (hurray for sunshine!), high-end golf simulators, meditation pods, onsite registered dieticians, saunas, and upscale grocery stores.