The friendly and dedicated team behind The Latch has been working from home since March. Though we have office space in a Sydney highrise, we’ve collectively decided to continue working from home in an effort to free up the space for team members who need to return to working in a physical office sooner.
Luckily, as a team of digital natives, we all love pitching a screen at the kitchen table and conducting our day-to-days from the comfort and safety of our little homes.
In many ways, we’ve never been more productive and have found new joy in this 2020 way of working, but six months into our new WFH arrangement, and we all felt we needed a change of scenery, if only for the day.
Itching to reunite as a team, the editorial staff recently came together at a luxurious Sydney hotel for an intensive day of brainstorming (get ready for some good stuff, guys).
Assembling at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, we spent the day in one of the hotel’s signature suites, and inspired by the backdrop of Sydney Harbour and the surrounding skyline, we found a boost in productivity from the comfort, safety and luxury of the five-star digs.
The benefits of WFH (Working from Hotel)
On productivity:
Every few weeks since I began working from home, I’ll switch up the room I work in, or at least change positions on the table. I find the small change in scenery does wonders for upping productivity levels, and helps to keep the weeks from blurring into one.
Working from a hotel was a whole new ballgame, though, especially from a room with a view. A simple peep out the window gave the opportunity to look far into the distance, which sparked future-forward ideas and has us all typing furiously.
Secondly, treating yourself to a WFH experience at a luxurious hotel is just that, a treat — and we all know treats make us happy. Studies have shown happiness plays a huge role in productivity levels. A 2015 experiment on 700 employees found productivity increased by an average of 12% when workers reported feeling happy.
On comfort and safety:
Likely your “home office” space doesn’t quite accommodate your needs. Perhaps you’re working on a rigid timber chair you assembled yourself, and are surrounded by distractions like pets or chatty roommates.
Working from the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney provided a quiet reprieve from the relentless noise of the past few months, not to mention an actual desk with an ergonomically designed desk chair (huge), plus cosy window seats and day beds for thinking (napping).
Even more important, there was an added comfort in knowing the hotel was doing all it could to adhere to best hygiene practices. The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney was never a quarantine hotel, though has made masks mandatory in all common areas, popped hand sanitizer stations in convenient spots, and provides temperature checking upon entry.
On those great little extras:
Working from a hotel, even for the day, grants you access to those fun little extras that make staying in a hotel so damn good. We’re talking about unlimited Nespresso coffees and teas, complimentary designer toiletries, high-speed wifi, and the option for room service.
You can check out at the end of your workday, or if you wish, you can choose to spend the night at an added cost and enjoy something of a staycation — the perfect ending to a productive day, and an even better start to your weekend.
Book your next WFH staycation at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.
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