Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is accelerating plans to build more hotels to cater for remote workers, as research showed rising demand for ‘blended travel’, mixing business and leisure.
Its study said travel to a warm, overseas location or an exciting city as a base for remote flexible working has boomed over the past two years – and more business travellers are able to extend their work travel with leisure days.
The research, conducted among more than 2,000 UK consumers, revealed that two-thirds (66%) of Gen Z consumers – those aged 18 to 24 – are more inclined to work for a company that offers frequent travel or opportunities to mix business trips with leisure.
Furthermore, just over half (51%) of millennials – those aged 25-44 – would prefer to work with firms that offer blended travel.
Crowne Plaza’s white paper, The Future of Blended Travel, also said that four in five business executives worry that, unless they increase business travel, their professional (80%) and personal lives (80%) will suffer.
The chain – part of IHG Hotels & Resorts – aims to keep up with the demand for these post-pandemic trends by building 107 hotels in the next three years and renovating 50% of its existing portfolio consisting of more than 400 hotels.
Ginger Taggart, brand management vice-president, said: “As British employers struggle to fill vacancies, there is pressure on them to attract and retain the best talent.
“The shift since the pandemic has accelerated dramatically. Across our hotels and resorts, we’ve seen an uplift in those who blend work travel with leisure, and with 107 new hotels in the pipeline during the next three years, Crowne Plaza has already laid the groundwork by creating spaces and a service style that are specifically catering to these desires.
“People want in-person connections, and they also want the space to satisfy demands outside of the traditional nine-to-five to enhance their well-being.”
Pictured: Crowne Plaza Hamburg – City Alster