Is Coliving the Next Big Hospitality Trend?
The hospitality industry is quick to change and follow the latest trends. From backpacker hostels and glamping sites to ultra-luxury resorts, this industry really knows how to cater to anyone. Not only that, but its ultimate goal is making sure that every person on Earth can find something for their lifestyle and habits.
By DORIAN MARTIN
In recent years, coliving has stood out as one of the most interesting new hospitality trends. However, coliving wasn’t born in the hospitality industry. It started as a lifestyle for people who prioritize and value the sense of community. As coliving spaces started spreading, the hospitality industry recognized that this is something many people actually want to do.
Here are just some of the things people love about coliving:
— the sense of community and human-to-human connection
— surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals
— working towards a common goal of satisfaction and happiness
— self-awareness and collective awareness
— more fun and entertainment while you’re at home
— never feeling lonely or bored
Here are some of the major ways the hospitality industry is taking part in this trend and leveraging all those benefits:
Hostel life & backpackers
Hostels are the most obvious examples of coliving in the hospitality industry. Basically, it all started by hospitality businesses offering accommodation at much cheaper rates because you’re sharing space with multiple people instead of having your own room or apartment.
However, the basic premise outgrew this and hostel living became a sub-culture of its own. The very thing that made hostels cheap (the fact that you’re sharing space with strangers) is what now attracts millions of youngsters around the world who want to meet new people and learn about different cultures.
Maya Geller, a freelance writer at BestWritingAdvisor, shares her experience: “Community, sharing, learning and just generally living together with other people, as a family, has become the real point of hostels. Ask anyone who has ever been in a hostel and they’ll tell you that the feelings of connection and community are unforgettable, even after a short stay in a hostel”.
It’s not a rare thing to see a person who can absolutely afford a stay in a 5-star hotel decide to rather stay in a hostel. If you ask them why they chose to stay at a hostel, they’ll probably say it gives them a chance to meet new people and that those places have a special atmosphere. Basically, what they answer has become the new point of coliving as a life philosophy: not just saving money on accommodation, but having an entirely different travelling experience.
Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is another popular hospitality concept that promotes the notion of coliving. It first started as an idea from people who are travelling around the world and want to experience versatile accommodation. Many people think couchsurfing is about saving money on accommodation. Unfortunately, it is for some people, but generally, it’s designed as a way of spending time with locals, instead of seeing a city through a distorted lense of tourism.
To start travelling and coliving with other couchsurfers, you need to create a profile and write about why you’re doing that. Your profile description carries the most weight when it comes to hosts deciding whether they want to accommodate you.
Coliving Homes
As a golden mean between the crowd of hostels and one-on-one time with a couchsurfing host, there’s a nifty alternative of finding a coliving home. Many tourists and travellers are not aware of this, but there are thousands of coliving homes you can go to in any part of the world.
In some regions of the world, coliving is more popular and progressive than in others, but you shouldn’t have trouble finding a space in any corner of the world, especially if you’re searching in big cities.
Coliving homes provide a real sense of a home away from home. You’ll experience the same things as you would if you were at home with your family: sharing meals, connecting with similar stories and universal experiences, helping each other out… The only difference is that you’ll be meeting people from around the world and that you’ll have a chance to discover a new city.
Coliving in the Luxury Hospitality Industry
Coliving is not a concept that has been applied only to low-budget and mid-range accommodation options. Now, it’s starting to get traction in the luxury sector of the industry as well.
In Dubai and Singapore, the number of spaces that are simultaneously coliving and coworking spaces for people from all walks of life is on the rise. It’s expected to grow even more as the trend starts getting even more attention.
In Canary Wharf, London, there is now a luxury coliving space featuring a spa, bar and a cinema, with micro-rooms starting at GBP 1,300 per month.
Digital Nomads and Coliving
Another trend that started co-existing with coliving is the emergence of digital nomads – people who work remotely and have the chance to work from anywhere in the world. Unlike remote workers, digital nomads choose to switch locations on purpose, to experience as much as they can.
Many digital nomads are working on growing their business from their computer, so they need a place where they can be productive. To achieve the perfect balance between work and play, coliving spaces come in perfectly – digital nomads can hang out with others and experience interaction with locals, but still be able to do their work.
Another aspect that makes digital nomads and coliving a perfect fit is their time limit. Nomads don’t want to stay in one place for too long, but when they do stay somewhere, they want to feel at home. The problem is that they can’t rent out flats or rooms for a short stay, in most cases. This is where coliving comes in perfectly.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many options that offer coliving in the hospitality industry. It’s safe to say that this trend is only starting, and it’s very hard to predict the angle of that upward curve that it’s going to have. In any case, it’s an exciting trend to follow. Just like coworking, the demand for coliving spaces is on the rise, which means there will be more competition, innovation and quality in this niche than ever before.
It’s hard to predict what coliving in the hospitality industry will look like in 5 or 10 years, but we’re certainly excited to see where it goes! Have you ever taken a vacation and stayed in a coliving space?
Dorian Martin is an experienced writer, blogger and digital marketer cooperating with professional coursework writing services. He also contributes academic essays helping students around the world thrive. Dorian runs his own blog, where he likes to talk about business and entrepreneurship.
