How Hotels are Adapting to Digital Nomads

In 2024, roughly 22 million employed Americans went fully remote. Of those remote employees, nearly 17 million consider themselves “digital nomads.”

As this adventurous, tech-savvy demographic grows, hotels face a unique challenge: convincing digital nomads to choose them over the competition. Here are a few ways hotels are doing precisely that.

Incentivize Long-Term Stays

On average, the nightly rate for a seven-night stay through Airbnb is 32% cheaper than that for a one-night stay. This is appealing to digital nomads, yet hotels have been sluggish in adapting to it.

Fortunately, that’s starting to change. In the future, we expect to see more hotels offering more long-term stay packages that rival the affordability and flexibility of short-term rental platforms.

Upgraded Amenities

There’s a common misconception that all it takes to please a digital nomad is a flat surface for their laptop and an internet connection. Not so.

Digital nomads prefer spaces that rival a home office. That means hotels must offer comfortable seating, ample surface area to accommodate multiple screens, plenty of outlets, and spaces that inspire creativity and productivity.

Faster, More Reliable Internet

Digital nomads can only do what they do if they have an internet connection that can accommodate video conferencing and high-volume uploads and downloads. To cater to the needs of digital nomads, hotels should offer high-speed internet with download speeds of at least 50-100 Mbps.

In addition to upgrading your internet service, be sure to advertise that upgrade in terms digital nomads can appreciate. Simply saying that you offer high-speed internet is not enough. Mention exact speeds, details, and whether you have an ethernet port or fiber optic connection.

Communal Spaces

The digital nomad life is exciting, but it can also be lonely. Consider collaborating with local co-working spaces and businesses to create a sense of community for your digital nomad guests. We've started to see more hotels negotiating discounts or special rates at co-working spaces or even designing in-house communal spaces that include complimentary coffee, comfortable seating with ample table space and lots of outlets, fast Wi-Fi, and even outdoor areas where guests can work and socialize.

Streamlined Check-Ins

Traditional check-in at the front desk has always been a drag, but it is even more so in the digital age. Guests will no longer tolerate long lines, waiting for keys, or handing over their credit cards for a security deposit. Why? Because many short-term rental platforms handle all of this behind the scenes.

To stay competitive and appeal to digital nomads, hotels must streamline check-ins. This allows guests to simply pick up keys from a designated area or even receive digital keys via an app.

Flexible Cleaning Services

Unlike traditional guests, digital nomads spend most of their day working in their rooms. Because of this, they need a tidy, fresh environment to stay productive and comfortable. To cater to their needs, hotels should consider offering custom cleaning schedules that do not interrupt guests’ work schedules.

Laundry Services

We're also seeing more hotels open their laundry facilities to digital nomads—whether it be a dedicated laundry room for guests or in-house or outsourced laundry and dry-cleaning services. Access to convenient laundry facilities is a significant plus for digital nomads staying for weeks or months at a time.

Pristine Clean Since 1983

As one of the biggest and most trusted cleaning and hospitality staffing companies in the United States, we have our finger on the pulse of what today's guests want—including digital nomads. Whether you need to streamline cleaning services or find short- or long-term staff trained to maintain industry-leading standards, Hotel Cleaning Services is here to help. Contact us today!