Conference spaces at Aman Tokyo offer remote workers privacy and functionality on the go. Photo: Aman
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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3177435/workation-here-stay-even-post-pandemic-how-luxury-resorts Luxury
Is the ‘workation’ here to stay, even post-pandemic? How luxury resorts, from Rosewood and Six Senses to Aman, are welcoming digital nomads as they work remotely – while travelling the world
- Once the realm of diehard digital nomads, post-pandemic trends have seen a whole host of working holiday options open up in the luxury sector
- Japan and Thailand rank highly as remote work destinations, with ‘business travel’ being redefined by entire families making temporary homes at luxury resorts
Imagine if this scene was right outside your office window? For visitors to the Amanyara, Turks and Caicos resort, that dream could now become a reality. Photo: Aman
Spur-of-the-moment travel might remain no more than a dream for many, but there’s been a marked increase in the number of those embarking on longer-term holidays and taking their nine-to-five lifestyles on the road with them.
While this is by no means a new phenomenon, it’s one that’s growing – fast. “We have seen many guests across our entire collection working from the comfort and safety of their private pavilions, maisons, suites and villas,” says Roland Fasel, Aman Resorts’ chief operating officer.
The very definition of a business traveller is expanding, says Fasel, who explains it now encompasses not just the conventional demographic, but also those travelling with whole families in tow.
These families, he says, “seek the safety of our serene sanctuaries as a temporary home”.
But it’s not just beaches and sundecks. Travel agency Kayak released its 2022 “Remote Work Rankings” index, which evaluated 111 countries based on 22 factors influencing how “liveable” a city is. These range from the weather to opportunities for social engagement, giving remote workers an indication of the lifestyles they can expect both in the short and long term.
Japan scored highest among Asian countries analysed and fifth overall worldwide. Fasel has seen a number of guests at urban resort Aman Tokyo, looking to strike a balance between productivity, privacy, and rest and relaxation. This, he says, is why Aman properties have been carefully designed to “provide amenities to aid in combating the stress and fatigue that is so synonymous with working life”.
Thailand ranks highly on Kayak’s Asia-Pacific list of best remote work destinations. At Rosewood Bangkok, 20 spacious suites and three luxury houses offer the ultimate home away from home experience, and are equipped to service all manner of connectivity requirements.
Remote work has quickly become the norm at luxury resorts, such as Six Senses Ninh Van Bay. Photo: Six Senses
At luxury resort Six Senses Ninh Van Bay – once the exclusive stamping ground of leisure travellers – there has been a marked change. “There’s a definite trade-off between business and relaxation, justifying a longer stay,” says general manager Andrew Whiffen. Where business travellers previously stayed between three and 14 nights, Whiffen says they are seeing longer stays of up to three months for the first time. This includes whole families taking extended working holidays, with children attending school online.
While Whiffen sees their existing clientele extending their holidays and working remotely, is the working holiday trend one that is accessible to a wider cross-section of society? Omer Ari, a full-time recruitment professional who up until recently was based in Hong Kong, believes so.
With elongated travel bans and restrictions in place, Ari, like many, felt pressed to find solutions. “Last year I trialled working remotely while travelling and it was a big success,” says Ari, 29, who is currently in Istanbul. “This year, I’m combining the two, as and when I choose.”
Rosewood Bangkok offers 20 luxurious suites and three houses. Photo: Rosewood
Like many who have embraced the remote working lifestyle, Ari has rid himself of the on-the-go mentality that many associate with long-term travel. With no need to cram in as many sights as time allows, a slower pace adds more flexibility to an already flexible lifestyle.
Unlike many digital nomads, Ari has maintained a nine-to-five conventional working life. When asked if he believes it’s a lifestyle accessible to anyone, he says, “it does depend on the job you do, and what it is you need to deliver”. To combat the issue of travelling across time zones, Ari says, “I start my days earlier. To make it work, you need to organise your time properly and be willing to adjust.”
Luxury hotels like Aman have always prided themselves on catering to guests’ every need. In the era of post-pandemic travel, this commonly takes the form of expectations around “high connectivity and the space to conduct private calls”, says Fasel.
Whiffen says Six Senses resorts have noticed an uptake in requests for additional monitors, private Wi-Fi connections, and even private rooms to facilitate video conferencing. But rather than restricting themselves to replicating their indoor office lives further afield, “guests can make the most of their downtime, enjoying activities such as watersports and hiking, as well as the extensive signature spa treatments on offer”.
Six Senses Yao Noi. Photo: Six Senses
Both Aman and Six Senses resorts have risen to the occasion, offering guests long-stay packages and enhanced services as remote workers and their families turn luxury resorts into something of a temporary home. At Amanjena in Morocco, these services include babysitting and a range of options designed to take the place of more conventional after-school activities; while at Amanyara, its Turks and Caicos outpost, the Nature Discovery Centre offers a range of educational workshops.
The terms digital nomad and business traveller may prove defunct in the near future, as remote working becomes accessible to a wider group of people, from business executives to whole families, and nearly everyone in between. The luxury sector has seen the trend grow and has followed suit, rising to meet the needs of its clientele.
“I don’t see it as a working holiday,” says Ari, whose sights are next set on Denmark and Greece. The solutions offered by new technology have made him a firm fan though. “I see it as working from where I choose to.”