Marriott Workspace on Demand is Expanding
Have you ever been part of a small group trying to conduct business in a Starbuck’s? Yeah, the coffee is great and everyone loves free Wi-Fi but it is often difficult to find enough space, much less a quiet area to work.
Marriott Hotels previously announced a program where anyone can rent space in their properties, and the definition of space is pretty broad. It may be part of the lobby or may be a meeting room. Most important, this is available to non-guests as well as hotel guests.
Marriott is working with LiquidSpace to offer flexible WorkSpace on Demand. Unlike hotel rooms, this space is reserved by the hour or all day, not the night. The first properties testing this were in the San Francisco and DC areas and from there it spread to Atlanta.
Apparently pleased with the results, Marriott says that 300-400 properties will have Workspace on Demand operational by this fall. And the concept covers all properties including Courtyard, Springhill, Residence, Fairfield, and TownPlace. Any hotel that has lobby space or pod space or meeting rooms may participate in the program. Best part, all of them have Wi-Fi in the lobby areas.
Marriott isn’t the only chain offering this service. Westin has a similar program called Tangent for small groups, up to four people. But Westin’s space offers much more, such as video conferencing, tv’s, printers, and whiteboards. Westin expects to have 40 properties operational soon.
Think of this as the hotel’s alternative for a small group in an overcrowded Starbucks.
Does this qualify for “rewarding meetings” or the events that earn 10 elite qualifying nights?
Hi — I have emailed Marriott for clarification on this. I would assume not but let’s hope we’re pleasantly surprised by their answer. I’ll keep you posted. Carol
Trevor,
We heard back from Marriott and this is their response:
Hope that helps!
Carol,
Thanks! Awesome to see that Marriott is looking toward the future for a way to make it work!