Hotels Reconfigure to Meet Growing Needs of the Digital Nomad

Consistency is key if hotels actually want to court the work-from-hotel crowd.

When Melissa Rogalski needed a place to crash temporarily before moving into her new home this winter, she figured a long-term hotel would have just what she needed — a fridge, a small cooking range, a desk, and what she was told was speedy Wi-Fi. But she didn’t anticipate the connection crashing as frequently as an F1 car. 

Thankfully the internet at Rogalski’s new house is seamless, and she’s back to a pandemic-prompted work-from-home arrangement just south of Boston. The experience was enough to make her question the infrastructure of any future hotels she books though, she said, because she’s prone to checking work emails even while on vacation. 

As the line continues to blur between business and leisure travelers — and the pandemic stretches on — Rogalski is joined by a workforce that’s lusting for a new Zoom backdrop after two years toiling from a spare bedroom or kitchen table. 

With a continued dip in mid-week corporate travel, hotels are happy to fit the bill. Whether it’s a quick getaway close to home, or even stretches as long as a