Hotel operator enters Beijing co-working space sector amid rising demand
Despite the growth of the sector, co-working space only accounts for a small portion of Beijing’s office space, which industry players say offers business opportunities
Co-working space is all the rage in Beijing.
Not only is the prime Guomao area around the China World Hotel packed with these spaces offered by UrWork, Cowork and Soho 3Q, but the growing business of workplace sharing is also drawing the interest of hotel operators.
When Hotel Jen Beijing, owned by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, opened in May, it also launched Prototype, a floor that provides serviced offices to start-ups and freelancers.
Shangri-La said this was the first time that it was incorporating co-working space into its hotels.
The hotel carved out an entire floor at the cost of fewer rooms to embrace the new trend and set itself apart from the traditional “suit and tie” hotel, said Hotel Jen’s communications director, Cindy Liu.
“The idea was hatched a few years ago when the hotel was designed. At that time co-working was in its nascency, but we found that it fitted well with our emphasis on ‘community’,” she said.