For those getting tired of Zoom calls, a Boston hotel is offering another option. But it comes at a steep price.
Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston transformed its Fairmont Gold Lounge into a private small meeting space. For four hours, the room can be rented starting at $500.
“Big things can happen at small meetings. Fairmont Copley Plaza invites executives to cancel their next important at-home Zoom call and instead focus on accomplishing their 2021 goals with (safe) colleague face time,” the hotel said. “Executives will gather comfortably knowing the spacious lounge is theirs to use exclusively.”
The room includes windows that can open for additional air flow. It also comes with socially distant seating, WiFi, a scheduled disinfection break, complimentary PPE kit and an easel board.
Masks must still be worn throughout the meeting, the hotel said.
An upgrade with individually served gourmet breakfast or lunch boxed meals, plus coffee and tea service starts at $795.
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have felt “Zoom fatigue.”
“Videoconferencing is a good thing for remote communication, but just think about the medium – just because you can use video doesn’t mean you have to,” said Professor Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL).
He said there a number of reasons people are feeling this, including close-up eye contact, limited movement, cognitive load and more.
This also isn’t the first time a Boston hotel has offered residents a new place to work, as many were impacted by the pandemic.
In the fall, Boston hotels started offering work-from-home packages. The packages include a desk, WiFi, coffee, personal protection equipment (PPE) and fun ways to take breaks, including cornhole and a putting green.
MGM Resorts even offered a ‘Work-from-Las-Vegas’ travel package earlier this year with the hopes of attracting visitors.
“Replace the same-old home office with a new home-away-from-home office,” MGM Resort’s website states. “You’ll get a room that’s fully equipped with everything you need to get the job done plus your own ‘Executive Assistant’ and much-deserved change of scenery. That’s a big win-win-win.”
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